The marketing stuff: Ten minutes of exercise is enough and equals about 1 and 1/2 hours of weights. You should only do it max three times a week. And apparently this had been the secret to Madonna keeping in form..
The Reality: It works! You step on this machine, and take a specifc position to exercise a certain muscle area. The machine vibrates rapidly and you exercise pressure on the area, resulting in increased blood flow. Each exercise lasts 30-45 seconds and you do about 20 exercises each time, hence 10-15 minutes of exercise.
The positive: Good results, especially if you keep on it. Main result is better muscle toning and fat burning. Fast exercise (max 30 minutes each visit) and usually only done with a trainer by your side. The negative: Unproven whether this machine can create any health problems. Some say it is unhealthy because the vibrations have negative impact on your heart. Furthermore you need to be extra careful when taking positions because it can create back or joint problems if you do it wrong.
My Verdict: 4/5. Good for people like me who are bored of spending two hours in the gym weightlifting. If you combine it with running or other aerobic exercise (on different days) you get a well balanced exercise in total.
I'm sure it's possible to over train using it...Like with just about anything.
I finally got a chance to use it a little bit this past weekend and was surprised because it actually did feel like I was getting a workout. However, even if you do use this regularly, it does not give you any cardio.
I use this a lot. If you do it to the maximum it offers very quick results, but a lot of people just hang around and massage their calves and stuff. At one minute passive resistance and then 3x reps on some of the exercises, like the squats, you can barely walk when you get off the powerplate.
I do conventional weights and then on cardio days I combine the powerplate with my cardio. It works for me.
I am thinking of buying the MY 3 power plate for home use. I go to the gym every day, 1 hour cardio and 1 hour weights. Will this plate benefit me? Does it fat burn and will it help tone?
If you train hard enough I believe it will. If you just sit on it without being very active it will not.
But be careful because they usually recommend you do it with an instructor. The vibrations can be very bad for your joints if you do not take the correct position.
just like any exercise when begun anew, it usually creates
an improvement based solely on the fact that your body is not used to it. I have read studies that show the efficacy of this product over short time periods. This is not to say it works over the course of a few years, but the studies are either not out there to support this, or I haven't read them. I have heard all the stuff about joints and the heart and I can't say i agree or disagree. Im skeptical though.
I will say that this machine proliferates what is exactly wrong with the fitness world these days: the perceived superiority of looks versus actual fitness. Does this machine improve your vertical jump, mile time, or bench press? Of course not - it only gives that appearance.
And if you think for a second that Madonna only uses this machine you are out of your mind...
First of all, she uses steroids or HGH for sure. Secondly, she is/was a dancer and must always practice her craft. Dancing is a gruelling workout. Ever touched a dancer's thighs? Rock hard.
And lastly, she is a performer, not an athlete. The day I see Kobe Bryant on one of those things is the day I set one up in my bedroom.
Have fun using the machine, but be safe and don't buy in to all the hype about it being the next great thing. It's just the next thing.
--danny
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