http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/wellbeing/9626459/The-Biggest-Loser-you-win-some-you-lose-more


We have covered this topic before. With us questioning not only the shows outcomes in truly fighting obesity. But here in N.Z. a few of the "star trainers" have gone on to have obesity issues of their own. With the same question coming up time and again...

If the genetically gifted trainers cant keep up the charade / punishing regime they demand of others. What kind of message are they sending the target obese demographic ? 

Here’s some of the complaints about ZERO customer service on  PowerPlate North America’s  FaceBook Page:

“… ZERO CUSTOMER SERVICE from the company ! I have waited for over SIX weeks for a repair and have received nothing but a pile of lies and false promises. My clients are furious with me for our machine being out of service and as best I can tell, the company couldn't care less. I'd shop elsewhere”

“I would appreciate if the company returned phone calls. My client left 3 messages for you and never got his phone call returned. All he wanted was a little customer service”

“ I would if you guys had a shred of customer service and actually followed through with a repair!”

And on January 9^th  2014,  PowerPlate North America, FaceBook has a link to Dr Mercola’s old (January, 2011) PowerPlate promotional interview and sales page.

Industry people will remember this – where he says you must buy a solid steel machine, that can take your weight, from a reputable company with a good warranty and customer service.

I guess they’ve got to get rid of machines some way

Industry news......

I can not vouch for this information's "up to date accuracy".  ( information taken from duedil.com )

Power Plate is in Liquidation (when checked on 7 Jan 2014)

Owing 10.7 Million NZD


Concerns have been raised about warranty work.


I would love to be able to contact Power Plate directly and clarify what the status of the situation is.  But my experience dealing with them to date, and getting an honest answer, has been futile to say the least. 


The local Power Plate Academy's phone seems to have been disconnected. And studio is lifeless / abandoned. So I cant even go down to the local and ask.

The status of this company changes so often. Talk of being saved by new investors in 2013 has not seemed to changed anything. It is hard to predict its future. But a downward spiral is so far the trend.


We will have to wait and see.       

A post about running I just put up on another site......  Just general knowledge stuff I like to put out there.

 

So many people have problems with running for one simple reason. We are not designed to run naturally.

That's why kids hate to run, but love to climb.

Sure you can "train" yourself to do anything. Like holding your breath under water. But being brainwashed into thinking it is normal and natural , when history shows its not. Is a sure way to damage yourself or feel like a failure.

Eg....   Marathon running is not normal. And the first runner that inspired the marathon run. Died after finishing it.

The myth of humans being natural runners.....Persistence hunting. The technique developed to run a large animal into heat exhaustion. Only works in two geographical location in the whole world.  And even then they worked in teams of 3. Running at a very slow pace. .....No clock involved. 

Here is a good question...Who do older runners not look hot in a swimsuit.... Simply because long distance running literally breaks down the bodies cells faster than you can build new ones past the age of 25..

The truth about running for 99% of us  .......

  Most of us are designed well enough to run on sand like surfaces. Which force good gait control  (  eg.. you cant run on your toes or in a straight line ) and limits the distance you can run.

Sand is also bio-mechanical by nature and works with your joints. Forcing a better bend at the knee  with none of the "lock legged pounding" you see on concrete.

And finally. The reason most people run. To lose weight. Sure it does. But understanding how it really works is very important..Here are the rules..

 Running gets less effective the more you run . Why ?

Two reasons....

(1) Because as you get fitter. You actually become more economical with your calorie expenditure. So you have to go further each time to burn the same amount as your first run..Your body will even break down valuable muscle to achieve this goal. Causing you to be skinny but flabby.

(2)  Also the mechanism that actually makes you burn fat running has nothing to do with your heart rate. It has to do with landing on the ground  on the opposing leg. When you hit the ground you cause a massive eccentric contraction ( catching your own weight ) . This kind of contraction uses 100% of the muscle cells. As opposed to only 30% used to lift the leg up.

When you land your body is actually forced to catch 3 times its own mass. Calculations are made by your body to reduce this force by making you lose weight. But this intricate calculating process can be messed up by landing incorrectly.  Or on a surface so hard it cuts short the response time.

Please note : It is also the reason overweight people should not run. The 3 times your own mass equation can easily surpass what you joints can handle. Even on the best surface or in the best shoes.

Equally if you get too light. that force is reduced significantly and it stops being so effective. 


So by all means. If you want to run. Run. But speak to an unbiased expert first. Someone who will happily fill you in on all the information you need to make the right decisions. And be willing to tell you " running is not for you. Try another discipline " 

John...

As predicted. All the pretenders will fall away.

As you know we caught them red handed pushing fake machines with fraudulent research. When the time is right. That will be general knowledge to all and they will be relegated to our industries shameful history.

It is interesting Athletes Performance is no longer being called Athletes Performance but has changed their name.  See www.TeamEXOS.com.  They have merged with their other brands such as Core Performance and seem to be focusing on the wellness industry more than athletes.  I did not see Power Plate listed as a sponsor.  They must be about out of business.  Power Plate and Athletes Performance used to be corporate partners.

John T. Weatherly

Happy New Year Everyone

A quick response to Dhyana of GravityHQ

I've been in this industry way too long to mix up Pivotal and Lineal.  

We are not in a competition about which type is best. There are excellent factors and some limitations to both, even when the machine itself is the very best.

Although promised we don't have a GravityHQ in the studio so it's hard for me to comment on the actual machine as I've had only limited access to it. As you know I promote it when people ask to buy a home machine, in New Zealand. I get many emails.

My first choice remains the Cardiotech CV9, the design features alone stand out with access to all sides of the large platform. And I get to use one myself, plus I have clients for whom it's my choice of machine for therapy. I have access to the developers and  I'm welcome to even make suggestions about changes to the machine if I thought any were beneficial. This is the sort of openness the best players must develop, in my opinion. To think a machine is perfect and unable to be matched or improved is a mistake some have made, to their demise as we will see.

All machines have their best uses and currently there's no Vibra Train machine that is for personal home use so there's little to compare in that area. We all need to be promoting our own brand, and Vibra Train is mine, I'm not simply an employee but deeply passionate and involved. But we also need feel free to send an enquirer to another brand or company when that machine best suits their needs or circumstance. 

I love being at the cutting edge of this technology. It never loses its sense of awe. I'm on holiday this week (and still involved) 

2014 is going to an exciting and telling year. 

A few points I would like to add...

(1) A correction regarding this.....   "For example, on Lloyd’s linear techniques, a perfect form squat requires a wider leg stance "

All basic squats are approx 18 cm gap between the feet at Vibra-Train. Dead straight and parallel with most peoples femur sockets. If people want to go wider they must assume the full wide stance squat pose.

(2) I think you trust Galileo academics far too much. Did you know they were going to release a machine minus the plate markings because they wanted the machine to 'look nicer". I had to pull them up on it before they relented. That is the reality of their standards.

Note: I have yet to meet a rep of theirs who actually use their machines as part of regular training.    

I want you to be better than them. Not follow them into obsolete oblivion.

it did it again, so when reading, some of the comments from me are in black  not sure why i am cutting and pasting from word....oh well.

cheers

dhyana

just reposting this because when i hit post, some of the writing went on in black not blue, Dis comments are in black and mine in blue

Hi Di, I appreciate your response to my comment from last year and would like to respond to you - written below-your comments in black,

Why is it that if allowed at higher speeds, I have  to correct Vibration Training Instructors – ones that have access to machines each day and can practise all day long if they want (within safe, allowable parameters of course).many trainers have sloppy techniques with or without vibration machines and all of us get “mentally lazy” at times in training and need correction.

Many platforms simply throw you off.  Rubber matting or similar, permanently attached as part of the design of the platform, sometimes helps but, like the type of shoes worn, not always-.this is sometimes because the amplitude is too high.  So yes, if this amplitude is set incorrectly, then when reaching certain speeds, some machines can not only throw you off, but can create damaging pressure on the joints.

 In this industry we make the the positions -- and speed and amplitude when using a pivotal machine-- safe, suitable and beneficial for the 99%.  There will always be 1% who can go faster or harder but are they holding the position PERFECTLY?  That’s the rule at Vibra Train where I work , SAFE, Hard Training in PERFECT positions to get the VERY BEST RESULTS.  Absolutely, that is why we are all here Di, to help people get results and provide safe information for them to do this. 

We provide people with techniques very applicable to PIVOTAL vibration training, based on physio as well as hands on training experience.  Everyone who gets our premium speed Gravity Revolution gets their first 3 weeks of beginner training mapped out clearly for them and this doesn’t go over 22hz.  (However, if it is fitness and training wanted, further advice will guide to higher speed if necessary for the level of strength wanted.)

They also get access to a physio designed site with videos for correct form on over 300 exercises.

And also included is a chart for safe exercise to follow and a safe standing instruction.

WE ARE ALL HERE TO HELP PEOPLE BE SAFE WHILE TRAINING,

Our Gravity Revolution machine covers the needs of 100% as does the informational support.  We can massage, rehab, train or go extreme on the one machine, it is used for aged care, and extreme rehab, and also high end athletic, we made it this way on purpose, so people won’t have to upgrade when they outgrow or out-train on the lesser speed machines. 

Most people cannot hold correct form on a pivotal above 22Hz! not for the first few months anyway, but muscle proprioception, strength and memory improves with consistent use and in a relatively short space of time (give it 2-3 months) 22hz or higher in good form is not only possible, but beneficial. 

I have personally worked with ages over 90 frequently in nursing homes, and in time many of them go to 24hz and love it.  The results are amazing.

The machines I mostly train on are set at 43Hz and I hold perfect position so obviously its nothing to do with my muscle not keeping up again Di, you are talking linear compared to pivotal and it is not the same thing.  The techniques for training, and the movement principles, while similar in some ways, ARE VERY DIFFERENT between pivotal and linear machines.

For example, on Lloyd’s linear techniques, a perfect form squat requires a wider leg stance.  For many people, on a correct pivotal, the wider leg is not possible immediately up higher HZ where the benefits are, so we narrow the stance to get best form and develop from there.  There is a reason for this.

Remember, on a linear machine, the amplitude stays the same no matter where your feet are, BUT on a true pivotal, the wider the feet the deeper the amplitude. This means the muscle responds with a deeper contraction and this slows down (and we are talking milliseconds) the response time.  It takes longer to contract deeper each time.   Science has shown that on a pivotal at our range (similar to the Galileo on which most correct studies are done) the human muscle can only contract 27-30 times per second at the most.  Weaker or unadapted/untrained muscle takes time to build up to this.  (Hence my comment, muscle can’t keep up)

That is why on a pivotal, the feet start sliding if up “too high for the muscle– so yes reduce the speed, or narrow the stance at the beginning, but muscle and body adapt, very fast on these machines, so let your body movement and speed adapt with it.

Every week, ask for the higher speed, check how your body responds (ie does it keep up in good form and no sliding) and change accordingly.

So to recap:                                                                                      

Yes, when you first start on a premium speed pivotal machine, you probably should be lower than 22Hz, however increase the speed with time, in a progressive way and good form will not only be kept, but muscle reactions and strength increase even more.

And even if never get above 25hz (most don’t) then the extra power in the machine means you are never using the motor at full revs and this makes it last longer, and that is also a good thing.

And it is best not to compare linear and pivotal – they are different.

Side note/

We all know there is a company in the industry that is hammering that high hz and G’s is the only way to train, however as your boss Lloyd knows about us at GravityHQ, we do not work this way.

High Hz has its place along with better training support and correct use.  We encourage the individual to take responsibility for their results by using the information provided and listening to their body.

It is like giving someone a Ferrari knowing it goes over 200km p/h and trusting the individual to drive to their capabilities (which get better with time and practice).  Our customers get the Ferrari, and we teach them how to use it wisely. 

And as you say Di, it is about helping people get results in a safe way. 

Cheers

Dhyana

GravityHQ

Happy New Year to all.

In the last 12 months we have seen a surge of self education from health professionals and consumers in regards to decent Vs crap equipment. And disciplined trainers VS pretenders.

Some companies once producing rubbish have had to up their game because of this public general knowledge. Others have not meet that challenge and faded away. Some produced good machines, but the training was too random. And as predicted, they also collapsed. ( that combo of good unit + disciplined program seems to be beyond some "experts" skill level )

 Some are still using disgusting scare mongering tactics to sell machines. But that will all be exposed in time and it will ruin their name and brand globally . As always it will all "come out in the wash" so to speak ( with a little help from me ).   

Of course the bottom feeders will always be there selling absolute rubbish on late night TV. But second hand sales via the internet has really dampened their honeymoon.

As predicted as we enter our second decade of this young industry the serious players are showing what they are made of.  Those marketers who jumped in for a fast buck are now mainly gone, and true industry players who have never compromised are in a good position to capitalize on all our efforts.


Good luck to the real players. As always, head down, ass up. Remember there is no short cut to real success and respect.

I will continue to help promote you ,while forging ahead with my own business.



                         Kind regards  Lloyd Shaw

If anyone thinks we give "fake experts" a hard time. This is why ....

A tendon in the knee has just been "rediscovered" and its actual function identified. Seems for all these years knee experts where treating two different tendons as one. Even though they quite obviously split off in a Y formation. The quote being " as clear as the nose on your face "  

Why is this important .... Well if you join together two tendons quite obviously designed to go in different directions. They tear themselves apart. Which might account for the beyond logical almost 100 per cent failure rate of ACL operations .

Well now it is logical.

How did this happen ......  The academics who treat their little academic books as the Gospel, just believe and never check. And even if something is obviously wrong, they keep quiet due to "peer pressure" . Yup.. The same "peers" who published the wrong info in the first place.

Why am I writing about it on this forum..  Because this is exactly what happened in cases like Power Plates fake specs scandle. Making a joke of hundreds of studies and academics who "forgot" to test the " facts on the box ". All backed up by experts who are now distancing themselves. As John just mentioned below.

How do you know  when someone is pulling your leg ...  If it does not seem right. Ask more questions. Never just believe. .    

It took a long time but Athletes Performance finally dumped Power Plate as a corporate partner.  The NSCA Coaches Conference is January 9 to 11 in Indianapolis.  Power Plate is still listed on the NSCA site www.nsca.com as a Level 1 NSCA sponsor but is not showing up at the Coaches Conference.  They paid the NSCA 15,000 dollars to be the lowest level of sponsor and yet are not showing up at the Coaches Conference.  Hopefully, the NSCA will come to its senses and dump Power Plate too but they seem to like money without regard to how they obtain it.  But, Power Plate must be in financial trouble in North America like they were in other parts of the world.

John T. Weatherly

Lloyd was right on the money about Power Plate.  Power Plate is no longer a corporate partner with Athletes Performance.  Several years ago Lloyd and I were kicked off one of their websites for simply asking questions.  It was a financial deal.  Power Plate was paying Athletes Performance and Mark Verstegen was on the Power Plate Scientific Board.  It was a marketing and sales not science.  Anyway, check www.athletesperformance.com and you will not see Power Plate listed as a performance partner.

John T. Weatherly

Letter I sent today to a local "therapy" business .....


To whom it may concern,

                   Mortician and the designer of Vibra-Train.

A couple of positive studies regarding Vibration Training.....

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24276295

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24192442


Both basically conclude it does the job of any other standard strength and conditioning training. If not better because of the time factor involved.

Pity they still obviously have no idea how a Vibration platform actually works. With the typical , longer faster and higher BS idea attached ... 


Eg.....   " Vibration training protocols with higher frequencies, higher amplitudes, longer exposures per session and longer training periods are more likely to enhance muscle power ".

Absolute proof academics ares o far behind the real science  It is like explaining physics to a monkey. 
 

A message to all Vibration Trainers out there.

Vibration Training is a discipline of exercise like no other before it. The shear amount of reps and resistance involved far exceeds most peoples imagination. Which is why it almost sounds like magic.

But always remember it is a "discipline" not some sloppy magic trick and should be approached as such. Perfect form being the norm, not the random behavior and bad positioning we see at our local gym.

If you want to be taken seriously. Then YOU take it seriously first.     

We don’t usually use this board to advertise our own services but – Vibra-Train have a new company launch we want to tell the industry about – Symbiosis Slimming

http://www.symbiosis-slimming.com/

Using commercial grade equipment (some of which is designed by us from scratch and as yet not replicated by any other company globally) – A symbiosis of innovative and combined technologies – Ultrasound Cavitation and Radio-frequency along with Vibra-Train, to help customers reach their goals.

Lloyd Shaw has had this idea and the planning has been happening for some 8 years, waiting for some of the technology to be ready for what he wanted to do with it. It’s not new but, at last, it’s ready – top of the line. The Vibra-Train machines, as we know, he planned and designed himself.

The launch this week – takes place at 5 locations, two of which have been using the equipment for a few months already with very satisfied, happy customers.

Finally the CV9 is available in Canada!

There has been much interest in the CV9 on this forum for quite some time,

We are pleased to announce that the CV9 is now available in Canada, the brand name has changed to CompleteVibe9 and the machine has been reengineered to reach a True 28hz, as Hypervibe have done such a great job in promoting high acceleration we felt it necessary to choose this version, unfortunately the original machine would not reach 28hz under load (unlike the original 22hz model that does hold its top speed under load)

We would like to thank David Grey and Cardiotech for designing this great machine and for the support they have given us in bringing it to North America, We are The Authorized Agent in Canada and with 35 units sold in the first week, We are sure this machine will be a raving success as it is in Australia!

Check out the full specs and comparison at completevibe.com

www.completevibe.com

With one serious attack a week on this site, you know Lloyd et al. are doing good work.

John T. Weatherly

ADMIN MESSAGE TO USERS .....

If you are finding it difficult to directly type a message into the comments box and it not posting , it may be because our anti-hacker coding is not liking your computer ( nothing personal )

Try this....

Type something up in another program ( email or word etc.. ). Then copy and paste in comment space.

If another second blank comment box comes up, copy paste into that.

Then click OK.

Then full out your name, fill in anti-spam code.  


Sorry for it being a bit difficult. But it has been very effective at stopping attacks on this site ( we get about one serious attack a week )

This article is to explain exactly why its so hard to hold a static pose on a High Energy Vibration Training device. Because it may seem obvious, but its not until you break down the reality of what you are doing, does it make sense why someone would move around so much when you ask them to stay bloody still.

To start out I have to tell you that there is no such thing as "holding your pose" on a true Vibration Training platform. You are instead in a fight to "correct your position"  for every second you are on the plate. ..


How to explain this to someone else is .....

If I asked you to run a mile , in a squash court , you would have to run back and forth like an idiot instead of in a straight line . If someone walked past and gave you a quick glance , it would appear you are going nowhere fast , but looks can be deceiving. Its totally irrelevant how the distance is covered , just that it is.

  Any High Energy Platform will be lifting your feet clear off the deck in the top part of the upward thrust. So you kind of just slightly leave the ground , hence becoming weightless, which allows your muscles to completely relax , completing the "stretch reflex" , sounds great but only one problem. Have you ever tried to jump up and down exactly on the same spot ? its actually physically impossible. There will ALWAYS be some variation in the place you land. And that’s not just your feet but all your limbs cant go back to exactly the same spot as before.

Or....

Try running in a perfectly straight line , you cant cant you , it’s a constant process of correction. If you allowed you body to "drift" to the left or right without correction you will end up running in a big curve. Even half an inch in each step out and in 100 meters you end up nowhere near your target.


Well times all those small variations in each limb by 43 a second. And it doesn’t take much to make an arm, leg, elbow or knee to appear to magically move about 2 inches in 10 seconds.


  And if that was not bad enough, you are fighting fatigue the entire time , which makes the constant "correction process" of putting your limbs back into position harder the longer you try and hold the pose. Almost an impossible task near the end of a minute for most people.


So you put all the above together and you start to understand how someone right in front of you ( our yourself ) can get so out of pose you have to turn the machine off to correct them. Here are a few of my favorites ... 

(a)    Knees coming together in squat.

(b)   Elbows tucking back towards ribs in push up.

(c)  Chest dropping in push up while your rear end starts to stick out the back , making it look like you are a devotee to some middle eastern religion.

(c)  Legs straightening quickly and chest/head dropping down in squat , making it look like you are trying to stick you own head up your backside ( I think attitude and pose is actually promoted by Power Plate )
 

Why is it important to know the above, because upstanding the causes of something does help you counter it yourself  and stops you getting complacent about the forces we are dealing with. Education always makes you safer.

Interesting comment but  Riddle me this

Why is it that if allowed at higher speeds, I have  to correct Vibration Training Instructors – ones that have access to machines each day and can practise all day long if they want (within safe, allowable parameters of course).

Many platforms simply throw you off.  Rubber matting or similar, permanently attached as part of the design of the platform, sometimes helps but, like the type of shoes worn, not always.

In this industry we make the the positions -- and speed and amplitude when using a pivotal machine-- safe, suitable and beneficial for the 99%.  There will always be 1% who can go faster or harder but are they holding the position PERFECTLY?  That’s the rule at Vibra Train where I work , SAFE, Hard Training in PERFECT positions to get the VERY BEST RESULTS. 

Most people cannot hold correct form on a pivotal above 22Hz!

The machines I mostly train on are set at 43Hz and I hold perfect position so obviously its nothing to do with my muscle not keeping up.

Dhyana of GravityHQ

Hi everyone,

I would like to give a comment on Di’s observation of feet slipping around at the higher speeds.

Having taught vibration on a pivotal machine for 10 years (various machines) my experience is that if your feet start sliding, then your muscle is not keeping up with the plate and this creates an out-of-sync movement making the feet slide.

This only happens if your muscle is not ready for that particular pose at that particular speed YET and as Di says is more likely to happen at the higher speeds.

I have had 90 year olds squatting at 22hz perfectly on their first go, and 20 year olds only able to get to 17hz at a squat before their feet move or they lose form.  It is not your shoes, or your age, or sex, or how muscle bound or “fit” you are.  The fact is if your nervous system doesn’t pass on messages fast enough to your muscle, it will simply not keep up.

However, that is not the end of the story.

The solution is to drop the speed a few notches, until you can perform the move in correct form without your feet moving. Then over the next week (with a minimum of 3 sessions in between) increase the speed one speed at a time.

You will notice that if you give a few sessions on each level, you will soon be able to achieve good form in the higher speeds without your feet sliding.

This is how the body adapts, and with repetition your muscle will adapt to this naturally.

You will also be pleasantly surprised how quickly this can happen.

NOTE- there is no point sliding around trying force yourself to do things at the high speeds straight away.  Life is not in a rush, start where your body is at RIGHT NOW and build from there.

SO TEST, AND MEASURE PEOPLE, it’s your body, listen to what it tells you about where it is at in any form of training and act according to that.

I hope this helps some of you using high level machine like the Revolution at home.

Keep moving and have fun

Dhyana

No issues. I am the easiest person to get hold of. Email me at lloyd@vibra-train.com

Will show you around and give you a rundown on the industry in general. A bit of experience certainly helps with good decision making. 

Live in Colorado, but will be in Auckland next April. Would love to visit with someone like Lloyd orsomeone well versed in

types of Vibro machines...so I can make a responsible purchase when I return to US.  

Body Shaker..... Reason.

The guy behind Body Shaker is old school passionate engineer type.

The guy now behind VibroGym would sell his mother for $5 .

Hi Lloyd and everybody!

Good day! I currently own a pivotal machine and I am thinking of purchasing a lineal machine. I’ve narrowed my search to two brands, BodyShaker and VibroGym. I just want to get an opinion on which of the two would you recommend. Thank you in advance and any feedback is appreciated.

Info for buyers of High-Speed Pivotal Home Vibration Machines – my experience:

I’ve tried many pivotal platforms – the larger, high-speed ones I’ve trialled are:
Cardiotech - CV9 ,  the  Hypervibe - Performance ,  and the newer  Gravity – Revolution  (Also tried several Healthstation machines at Sports Shows but never for long enough to make a true assessment – the salespeople keep talking and demonstrating instead of letting me try out properly)

Hypervibe – Performance:  I was new to high-speed pivotals, very tired and had a knee injury when I first tried the Hypervibe - Performance and I found it challenging and different  (at high speed, jarring on my injury. In fact, lower speed could have helped it).  The trainer set it to maximum speed to try to impress me - I was impressed but still I said at the time that it was no match for the Vibra-Train Lineal machine I was training on regularly in studio.  I’ve had a few very short trials since and concluded it’s a good enough home machine.  My husband (fit, athlete) did some advanced poses (suggested and guided by the instructor) and he could not hold them correctly or safely but was still let to complete them (not good!) He was very sore the next day. This was suggested to be a good response, movement as with a pivotal machine can make you feel a bit achy but no one should have pain.

Intending buyers of this brand must ask – where is the machine made? Was it honestly designed from scratch, in Australia by a team of experts (ask for their names and contact them). Is a mat provided (it’s needed for some positions)? What backup is provided? Can I phone the machine designer/company owner if I can’t get a problem sorted? What on-going support is provided to guide me in using the machine?  How easy is it to access this support or do I have to pay extra for it.  When will this support end?

Ask similar questions about any brand of vibration machine you try. Ask who actually designed the machine and if you can contact them about it if you wanted to.
For years Hypervibe has been promising a full commercial version suitable for gyms. We’ve waited and waited and so far every promised deadline and release date has come and gone.

Cardiotech CV9:  The next large, high speed pivotal I tried was the Cardiotech CV9.  I have one of these in the studio where I work.  The platform is very large, a lot larger than the Hypervibe- Performance and it’s accessible on all sides, with a single corner column going up to the control panel. Powerful motor.  I’ve used this machine many times, following the recommended Pivotal training program. http://www.vibration-training-advice.com/consumer-guide-and-safety-program/lineal-and-pivotal-safety-programs.  I find this machine very suitable for training (building fitness and strength).  Cardiotech is an Australian fitness goods company. This machine was designed locally and has trusted, full local back-up.

The limitations are only those similar to All pivotal machines – you must set the machine speed selectively for different poses (ie. Legs can generally cope with higher speed pivotal than arms). This is an attractive looking machine that wouldn’t look totally out of place in your study or lounge.  (Note:  in the Vibra-Train studio where I work the CV9 is used for therapy, manly for people who have problems with balance. We use the Vibra-Train lineal machines for fitness training ).  

Currently the Cardiotech CV9 is my choice of high-speed pivotal but I might yet be swayed by

Gravity – Revolution: The latest High Speed Pivotal on the market.  This machine is locally designed. It also has a large platform - essential for positions such as push-up.  The motor is the most powerful of the 3 I’ve reviewed.  Also the machine weight is high at 60Kg. The speed range is wide – from 5Hz (therapy and relaxation) right through to 30Hz (high fitness training). Personally I haven’t been able to hold pose correctly on a pivotal machine above 22Hz, slipping can become a major problem but I’m told it is possible on this machine with its non-slip platform. I have tried it but only for a limited time. I’m planning to do a full session quite soon.  I can already recommend this machine, and it has full local back-up plus full access to help with poses and program and any specific needs you have. This machine is readily available in New Zealand.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR (a few suggestions) - Accurate Specs (ask who designed it and where it’s made and to who controls the manufacture and testing), Program guide, specific to any injury or needs you have (someone to actually contact not just a sheet of exercises. Ongoing guidance, an actual person not a vague email address), Platform size (bigger is better. Try it), Weight of the machine (not essential but currently a machine that is higher in weight is generally more stable). Think of a 70Kg person in a squat position holding the machine handlebars. If they lean back, out of balance, will the machine topple over?, Speed range and amplitude (this may be more or less important depending on what the machine is to be used for- therapy and/or training - but if wanting serious fitness training on a pivotal machine it must reach a true 18Hz (22hz is considered optimal). At the lower end 6Hz is a useful tool for balance therapy, proprioception, circulation and relaxation. Don’t underrate these uses), Maximum user weight (not a problem with the 3 machines reviewed but be sure to ask). ABOVE ALL ELSE: Try out the machine before you buy. If buying online make sure you know someone with that machine or you have a written guarantee of money back is not happy with your purchase.