by Lloyd Shaw
For safety reasons static Vibration Training poses should not be lumped in
together. They come in 4 distinct categories that need to be fully
understood before a machine and matching workout is designed or followed.
Direct response....
Eg... Push-up or Squat.
This is where we are pushing energy directly into a limb at a perfect
bio-mechanical angle asking for a fast and powerful matching response back
from primary muscle groups. This should feel very intense and your aim is to
take them to fatigue , they are also the most powerful calorie burning
processes that can be done on a machine .
Note: These body parts are designed to do this safely as long as it is
understood what you are asking of the joints , high speed movements in a
small Lineal arc. Just like swinging a door on its hinge back and forwards a
few inches very quickly , the hinge should last a lifetime unless a
shearing action is applied , only then will it or frame give out.
Indirect response...
Pelvic stability , any other pose aiming to hit support ( secondary ) muscle
groups ..
This is where we try get the body to rebalance itself bringing into play
support muscle groups. This can be done because there is no direct response
available or it would be unsafe to do so.
Common misconception... The biggest mistake I see with these poses is when
the customer complains because it does not feel as intense as a direct
response pose, you must tell them "IT IS NOT MEANT TO". These are far more
subtle in nature and should never be confused with just hammering a large
muscle into submission.
A good example of this would be pelvis stability, here we influence our
abdominal and back muscles through the de-stabilization of our elbows in the
"plank" position. So why don't we just sit on the machine in a half sit-up
pose ? If you look at the spine it is far more complicated than say a knee
joint and it would not handle direct pressure in the same way , and it would
also be applying any pressure at a 90% angle to the spine ( the perfect
shearing angle ). So it may feel like it is working but in reality it may be
causing more damage than good.
Massage.....
This is simply hyper-stimulation to a region drawing blood into the area and
moving other fluids around. This action does not burn fat or build muscle.
Common misconception... It is not as effective at releasing tension or
lactic acid from a muscle as a workout. Too much could also lead to bruising
or excess fluid in the skin.
Bypassing Myotatic reflex....
These are stretches where the vibrations confuse the central nervous system
( very similar to an electrical storm ) and stop the contraction that
normally causes bad flexibility. These are also very subtle and should not
be forced , you are not trying to put you foot behind your head on day one.
Very similarly to your lower back it should be seen as a long term project
.
Note: Any tension can actually stop the process from working.
Eg... In the basic stretch pose , you will only drop when breathing out ,
not breathing in. Even the tension in our diaphragm is enough stop the
stretch from working.
If you are either training yourself or someone else please take the time to
categorize the position you are doing and follow the principles behind them.
Please Exercise safe.
