The Power Plate is a an exercise machine whose base is a vibrating platform. For a Power Plate workout, you stand on the vibrating platform and and do lunges, stretches, squats and the like. The company - which says this product is backed by 40 years of research - promises weight loss success with Power Plate workouts of 10-15 minutes, three times a week.
The "science" behind the Power Plate is whole-body vibration (WBV), to contract muscles 30 to 50 times per second. When you're standing on the vibrating platform you'll tense and relax your muscles to keep your balance. So the idea is that if you're also doing stretches and squats, the vibrations are stimulating your muscles above and beyond the stretches and squats, which causes them to tire faster than they would in a non-vibrating workout. You're going nuclear, basically, which is why you only need to do a Power Plate routine for 10 minutes or so.
Power Plate flew high on the radar a few years ago, when it was reported that fitness fiend Madonna keeps her (utterly amazing at 50) figure toned with a Power Plate routine. While this may be true, we must remember that it is widely documented that Madonna works out several hours a day, every day, with a professional trainer. None of us will ever, ever boast a figure like Madonna's from just 10 minutes, 3 days a week on a vibrating plate. Still, the company's website boasts testimonials from A-list actors (Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank), as well as A-list athletic organizations like the PGA, NBA and NFL, attesting to the benefits they gain from having incorporated the Power Plate into their broader exercise regimens. Note that a recently published study suggests that vibration exercise technology is effective in helping to trim belly fat.
The Power Plate is available at health club chains like Bally Total Fitness, which is probably the only place those of us who are not famous actors, rock stars or athletes will ever have access to one. A personal Power Plate machine will run you anywhere from $2,000 to $10,500.
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