Bodi-Tek Power Vibration Trainer

Author's product rating:   

Durability	Good
Comfort	Good
Value for money	Satisfactory

Advantages:	Great Hz range, well priced, sturdy, good size platform
Disadvantages:	There are cheaper alternatives just as good

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

Can you really vibrate you way to a fitter body. The answer to that question is yes (much to many of my female friends delight!). Sports and film stars alike are using this new technology to aid they’re training in the pursuit of increased physical performance or just looking good and the results seem to be extremely positive indeed.

HOW DO THEY WORK?

(apologies to those who read my review on a similar product, having worked in gym’s I have used and trained people using a number of different models).

The idea for the machines were first developed by Russian scientists, who, during the cold war wanted to find a way that would keep there astronauts in shape while they were in space. The problem in space is you cannot train very easily because of the “Zero gravity“. Now the idea was that by standing on the vibrating plates, your muscles would automatically be stimulated (the natural response to the vibrations via the actin and myosin in your muscle fibres which creates something called a tonic/stretch reflex). It was therefore suggested that you could maintain your level of fitness and tonality, just by standing/sitting/resting your hands on the machine. In the space programme, it was also used when the astronauts returned back to earth as the vibration technique was used to increase density back into the bones of the astronauts which was lost because of the low gravity in space.

Did it work? Well yes, the Russian astronauts broke numerous records for staying in space for the longest periods, all credited to the vibration machines used to maintain there fitness levels.

SCIENCY BIT

The main reason the machine is so effective is because when regular resistance exercises are achieved (I.e lifting weights) your body only recruit’s the number of muscle fibres it needs to complete the task. For example if you lift a 5kg weight, this may (for some of you at least) be very easy and you?ll only need to use 30% of your muscle fibres to complete the lift. If you lifted 15kg you may need to recruit 80% of your muscle fibres.
Now using the vibration machine, as the body is stimulated (usually at about 30/50 Hz) and recruits almost 100% of the muscle fibres, irrespective of the weight involved. This is because of the tonic/stretch reflex that is automatically created by the vibrations occurring. It is thought therefore that if you combine the vibrations with lifting weights at the same time, your training instantly becomes more efficient AND effective because your stimulating 100% of your muscle fibres to complete the task. In particular in power sports like sprinting, it is thought the vibrations promote the use of “Fast twitch muscle fibres” These are the fibres which allow the sprinter to be explosive (we all have them in our body, but unless they are stimulated, they lay somewhat dormant). The promotion of these fast twitch fibres would mean that you would have a marked improvement in the tonality and explosive strength in your muscles. Just for the record, this machine does not give you more fast twitch fibres, unfortunately this is a genetic prerequisite, it just lets you use the one’s you have more effectively.

Other physiological benefits of vibration training is the stimulation of blood flow to the muscles which increases the body’s ability to flush out the toxins that are built up via exercise (lactic acid etc). It’s also thought to improve flexibility because it relaxes the muscles while they are being vibrated (a bit like a massage).

BODI-TEK POWER VIBRATION TRAINER

20 levels of speed
3 exercise programmes
Adjustable 15minute timer
Platform size 53cm x 38cm
Max user weight: 150kg
Easily movable with attached wheels

The key element to buying any vibration trainers is to ensure that it covers a wide range of Hz to insure that you can achieve all of your exercise needs. As a basic guideline, below is a list of all the different Hz and the impact they have on the body.

5-6 Hz Standing/Balance Improvement
10-14 Hz Circulation, Relaxation and Recovery
18-25 Hz Muscle Strength and Power
28-30 Hz Muscle Tone. Rehabilitation of Tendon and Bone
40-50Hz Muscle and Skin Toning

Now with the bodi-tek machine, the Hz goes all way up through the range (20 speed settings) to 66hz which is more than enough for any type of training you would like to achieve. This is an important factor as it makes the machine suitable for people of all ages and abilities (not children under 14 however!), making it an ideal purchase.

Secondly you want a decent platform size so that you can perform a number of different exercises. Now this platform is smaller than some of its more expensive competitors, it is big enough to do pretty much all of the exercises you would generally need to. However if you are looking to perform abdominal exercises on the machine, it is a bit cramped. This is perhaps the negative of the smaller cheaper machines.

The engine powering the machine is quite powerful. It does give you a slight “total body shaking” experience however it is noticeably less powerful than something like a “power plate” which literally shakes your eyeballs out of your head! This does mean that this machine is not going to be quite as effective as its more expensive rivals, however this is reflected in the price. It still remains a good piece of equipment.

WHAT TRAINING CAN I DO?

I will not go into all of the exercises you can do on the machine, but generally, any exercise you can do standing, or sitting down, you can do on the machine (e.g stretches, lifting weights, abdominal work-outs) It really is quite flexible in its uses. I would perhaps recommend going onto the internet (you could try vibo.com) to get an exercise programme you could follow if you need the extra support.

The machine is really at its most effective (in my opinion) for toning and in light of that it comes as no surprise to read that generally it is attracting the interest of females rather than males. However I can honestly say that there is more to this machine than meets the eye and when used correctly can become an important piece of kit for anyone also interested in strength training. In particular because the machine is generally used using isometric contractions (muscle held in a fixed position), it is excellent for developing core strength in the muscles.

I also enjoy using the machine within the warm up and cool down aspects of training as it stimulates the muscles in preparation for other exercises you may be taking part in (as part of a warm up), as well as aiding the removal of toxins in the cool down aspect of training.

COST

Worst: Bodi-tek.com £199.99
Best: Amazon £146

This is a great piece of equipment and at £146 on amazon, it is also pitched at a reasonable price. One point I would say however, having used a number of these machines, there is no noticeable difference between this machine and the body sculpture machine which is priced at £119 on Amazon (I also own the body sculpture machine), so in my opinion you could save yourself £30 and go for the body sculpture. Just a thought, but they’re both great machines.

Hope that helps,
Logan