Not many people are aware that our body will experience the basic effects of the external forces while doing heavy exercises. For example, when our feet are right in contact with the ground while running or walking, we feel a strange force.
Such contact leads to the creation of vibrations among the tissues of your limbs and this will reduce as the soft tissues get dampened around the oscillations. The body relies on various kinds of factors and that is for achieving the reductions in vibrations. Here this relates to the soft tissue structures like bones, specific joint positions, synovial fluids, and muscle activity.
Power Plate Technology for Better Exercise
Now the externally applied forces that are commonly applied to the tendons of one’s muscles or skeletal muscles or indirectly using the whole-body vibration (WBV) platforms are subjected to stand on. These will increase muscle activities. Also, it will enhance muscle performance for both chronic and acute conditions.
The power plate technology utilizes the vibrating platform. This will move from 25 to 50 times each second. Here it will result in corresponding muscular activations. Also, the vibrations exposed will bring in tiny and rapid modifications to the muscle length, and thereby it provides a good reflex muscular activity.
Bringing Regular Variations in Power Plate or Vibration Training
We have learned in the basic physics lessons that Force = Mass X Acceleration. Rather than adding the mass like weights in the traditional training session, this increases the acceleration factor of the equation from the vibration of the plate. Hence, it will equate to the joints not being highly stressed out and leads to intense workouts.
Various programs of vibration training are studies in various kinds of subjects, and this leads to huge benefits. The power plant technology run exercises lead to greater metabolic responses that are the same as other major kinds of exercises and even studies show that it would range from the mild form of exercises to the cardiovascular ones.
Since there is a low level of stimulation, there is no chance for the athletic population to gain good benefits from the training stimulus alone. Here the major aim is in improving cardiovascular performances. This means that in the combination with other major exercise forms, the HIIT (high-intensity interval training) would bring in greater results compared to the conventional training alone.
Definition of Power Plate and Its Benefits
Just think of the Power Plate as vibration training. This vibration will travel throughout the muscles. It helps in relaxing and contracting muscles. Thus, by doing the power plate exercises your muscles get fatigued much faster.
Do you know that the vibration training was developed by Russians? The Russian cosmonauts had to maintain their muscle mass in the zero-gravity atmospheres, and this was for six to eight hours. For that, they needed a good weight-bearing exercise. This lead to the introduction of the vibrating platform that helped in halving the exercise time.
As per the Russians, the evidence-related benefits of the whole-body vibration (WBV) were the reduction in the pain, increase in one’s strength, flexibility, and power. Also, it helped in increasing metabolic demand. Plus, it lowered the swelling and the soreness of muscles, promotion of faster recovery among injury and training sessions, etc.
Requirement of Power Plates
Unlike other exercising tools, the power plates work by providing you with the best and high-speed workouts. This is done by using various directional vibrations for contracting and relaxing the muscles. Now, the vibrations would make your body work harder and even remain stable, thus making one standing on the machine a normal workout.
As clearly stated, this technology was firmly created for the Russian cosmonauts for preparing their bodies for the adverse effects of being weightless in space. Currently, with the power plates, you can do much more than the simple standstill exercises. There is the option for a stretch, squat, lunge, plank, and do yoga poses that can vibrate your way into good fitness.
Great for Cool Down Stretches
As per various research, the power plate is one of the most famous gym equipment. It is commonly used equipment found at various gyms. Whenever it is a busy time at the gym, you will not have to rather wait for the next machine to be free.
You can go ahead and try the power plate machine and it will make your time more effective. You could do all kinds of stretching and body conditioning cool-down exercises. This workout can be easily completed after the treadmill or any other kind of leg focused workouts.
Here you must hold each of the stretches for about 30 to 35 seconds. Make sure that you are repeating the exercises right on both legs. Here you could do the standing hamstring stretch, standing glute and hip stretch, followed by the standing calf stretch. Then you can do the calf massage (which is lying down right on the floor using the calves that are rested on the machine) and then the increased muscle strength.
However, the norm is for your muscles to contract one or two times a second but the vibrations on a power plate lead to a massive 40 to 60 contractions per second. Some individuals feel that 10 minutes on this machine can bring the same results as a 60-minute conventional workout because it works out many muscle groups at the same time.
Enhancing Muscle Building
When you are using the power plate for doing various exercises like plank or press-ups, it will be for your chest, arms, and core. This will make it easy for you to be in that position. Also, over time, this will help in improving one’s core strength and stability.
Increasing Bone Mass and Mineral Density
Multiple studies have shown that the power plate machine can easily improve one’s bone density and that too without adding any load to the body. This can help defend the body against various diseases like osteoporosis. Since the machine is exceedingly kind to your joints, it is easily suitable for all abilities and ages.
Improving Mobility and Flexibility
With the power plate machine, you can perform your stretches. It can be more effective than stretching alone before or after your workout. There are various studies to prove it and many doctors even recommend it.
Improving Balance
The vibration forces your body is working harder. This will help in maintaining the balance and stability of your body. Also, over time, the muscles present in the abdomen, back, and pelvis will end up getting stronger, thereby providing you with a stable core.
Faster Improvements in Blood And Circulation
Not many people know that you can use a power plate for getting massages. There are multiple types of research showing the relaxing effects of massages that can easily increase the circulation of your legs and arms. This will help you to recover faster and remove all kinds of waste products like lactic acid from your muscles.
Cellulite Buster
Multiple studies show that the power plate can reduce the cellulite present on your thighs and buttocks. This is to a massive number of 33%. Well, how is it possible?
If it is your first time stepping up to the plate, try to do each of the exercises for no more than 40 seconds. Then you need to stand upright with your knees slightly bent and engage your stomach muscles.
Then you must do the squat where you stand with feet shoulder-width apart, drop into a squat position, and hold on to the plate. For the lunge, you must step one foot in the forward direction right onto the plate and try to repeat the same procedure using the other leg.
In the push-up exercise, try to assume the press-up position of your body with both hands on the plate. The massage calves can be exercised by lying on the back and resting one’s lower legs right on the machine. The massage arms exercise is done by kneeling along with the machine one at a time and then resting the arm on the machine.
You can even do full bodyweight workouts with the power plate. Once you have done all the necessary exercises targeting the basic parts of your body, you can do exercises like the push-up, squat, step-up, side plank, and front plank as per your time and your ability.
How Can Power Plate Be Used for Improving Your Training?
The important question to ask is how you can use or the kind of training for using the power plate. Keep in mind that it is easy to use the power plate. All you must do is stand or just put in some of your major body on to it and turn it on. The best part is that the exercises you might a lot challenging especially the ones done on the floor like plank or squats will be more challenging. But this is just a far away from using the power plate.
Various experts feel that you can use the power plate for warm-up or before the run or lifting weight. The best part is that you can integrate it with a strength training workout and functional training session. This would be combined with the battle ropes, medicine balls, and even suspension training.
Most importantly, the vibration can be used for promoting recovery and regeneration and that too within short minutes after the workout. Here it will not not only handle the elicit that involved the physiological benefits of the blood flow, but it will also even improve the lymphatic drainages and lower the chances of muscle soreness. Also, it will feel amazing and great for relaxing the nervous system.
Gaining Better Results in Lesser Time
Just think of the power plate as the microwave of fitness. You can easily do very much little of ten minutes on it and this will lead to great workouts.
Begin Gradually
Do you know the best way for getting trained is by increasing the frequency gradually? Beginners should start with nine minutes of the resistance program. This is followed by nine minutes of the stretch, massage, and relaxation program, both on the lower frequency and amplitude settings.
Standing Correctly
For developing power, strength, muscle definition, and tone, it is important for adopting the position that puts tensions right on your muscles. For example, you might be doing a squat position, then you must make sure that your knee is bent and lean from the hips. This is when and as you are sitting on the chair.
Making Your Workout Short
Of course, everyone is different and each and every one would have a various exercising schedule. Sometimes certain people would exercise for 15 minutes while others would exercise for 4 hours. Here the best bonus lies in doing an exercise properly and even those who do it for a short period.
Combining Various Exercises
At times, you can combine various compound exercises like push-ups, squats, and ones that use more than one muscle group. Then there is the isolation exercise that leads to front raises and biceps curls. Well, here you would get a better training response and even be able to increase the potential calorie burns.
Keep Your Knees Bent
Vibration training will help in stimulating the contraction of the muscle spindles, so it is important to keep your knees slightly bent to avoid jarring through the joints.
Drink Lots of Water
Of course, your muscles will be contracting 30-50 times more quickly, thereby generating a lot of internal heat, so even if you do not feel thirsty, always drink water while you are working out.
Training for Other Sports
With the power plate, you can gain better sport-specific benefits. Take the example of skiing. You are standing in a crouched ski squat position for 30 seconds, and your quads will receive a more appropriate training stimulus than any standing squat against a wall. You can get similar benefits for your golf swing, rugby scrum, and so on – just stand in the sport-specific position.
Wrapping Up
Doing exercises with a power plate is great. But you must have good details and exercising regime before you start using it.
