Whole Body Vibration - Basic Review

Whole Body Vibration exercise is becoming a popular method of training, and for good reason, not only can vibration training work your muscles in a way that conventional training cannot, but also using a vibration machine has numerous proven therapeutic benefits too.

As more and more companies appear on the market each week, most giving conflicting information, it becomes difficult for consumers to know who to believe. In this article I hope to share some basic information backed by evidence as a guide for consumers when purchasing a Whole Body Vibration machine.

The first thing you need to understand before buying a vibration machine, is that there are basically just two types of vibration machines available, pivotal and vertical. A pivotal vibration plate vibrates from a centre axis in a see-saw like action. A vertical vibration plate vibrates straight up and down in a jack hammer like action. Both machines have proven benefits, and there is very little, if any, evidence to suggest one method is better than the other. As a consumer you will find marketers will tell you one method is better than the other, if you find this, ask for evidence and don't take just their word for it. Personally I prefer pivotal vibration, with vertical vibration I feel there is too much unwanted vibration in the head, however I know others that prefer vertical vibration. I always suggest trying both methods first and see what you prefer. Pivotal platforms are sometimes referred to as oscillating platforms, as vertical platforms are sometimes referred to as lineal platforms.

Both platform types can have two variables that can be adjusted to produce different vibratory effects. The two variables of a vibration platform are,

1. Amplitude (vertical displacement)

2. Frequency (platform speed)

By adjusting either of these two variables we also change things such as, the number of times per second our muscles contract, the amount G force exerted on our body, the degree of difficulty in stabilising, the flow of blood through our body etc. Research and common sense tell us that different frequencies will have different effects on our body. Depending on what effects you are hoping to benefit from, will determine what frequency you should run your machine.

Next it is important to understand the recommended, researched, and safe variables when using each type of vibration platform.

For pivotal vibration the frequency range should be between 1 and 30Hz, the amplitude range should be no greater than 6.5mm (13mm maximum displacement).

For vertical vibration the frequency range should be between 25 and 50Hz, the amplitude range should be no greater than 3mm (6mm maximum displacement).

If you find a platform that has listed specifications outside of this range, chances are the specifications are incorrect, or the machine could likely produce harmful effects.

Today the biggest threat to consumers appears to be coming from the pivotal machine market. For this reason, and for the fact that I prefer a pivotal unit, I will now discuss pivotal machines only.

When purchasing a pivotal vibration machine, you should always ensure the platform has a full range of frequency, many machines being sold on the market today only reach frequencies below 20Hz. Such machines often make claims based on research that was performed on frequencies beyond the limits of their machine. Below is just a small sample of extracts from studies on a pivotal unit, indicating the frequency that was used.

The frequency of the vibrations used in this study was set at 26Hz

Adaptive responses of human skeletal muscle to vibration exposure.

In a parallel experiment (Bosco et al. in press) it has been noted that during vibration at 30 Hz the EMG signal of the biceps brachii muscle reached its greatest activity, thus this frequency was chosen in the present study

Influence of vibration on mechanical power and electromyogram activity in human arm flexor muscles.

The treatment group underwent whole body vibrations at a frequency of 26 Hz

New trends in science: The use of vibrations for enhancing performance

Objective: To test whether training on a high-frequency (28Hz) vibrating platform improves muscle power and bone characteristics in postmenopausal women.

Conclusion: Reflex muscular contractions induced by vibration training improve muscle power in postmenopausal women.

High-Frequency Vibration Training Increases Muscle Power in Postmenopausal Women

The whole vibration stimulus from the sole of the left and right feet was 3 minutes one time (shake frequency 25Hz) X 3 sets with a set interval was 10 minutes

Effect of Whole Body Vibration Stimulus and Voluntary Contraction on Motoneuron Pool

Vibration frequency was gradually increased during the first minute from 0 to 26 Hz and maintained at that frequency for the remaining five minutes.

Acute Effects of Whole-Body Vibration on Lower Body Flexibility and Strength

Vibration was with an amplitude a

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Ab Workout for Men - Basic Best Workout Tips

ByAdrianna Courtney

Every man dreams of having rock solid abs. This is no secret that a well-toned body is judged primarily on the basis of the abs and if you don't have great abs, then it is considered tantamount to ineffective working out.

The problem with abs is that everyone has differing opinions regarding the best abs workout for men. Many people make the fatal mistake of just working out their abs muscles in the hope that this will result in six packs. Nothing can be further from the truth because your abs muscles are covered with fat and if you don't workout to shed off fat, they will forever stay concealed beneath the fat. You need to have a proper workout - one that will enable you to tone and shape your core while burning fat.

One effective solution for this is to incorporate compound exercises in your workout routine. Exercises like dead lifts can be an extremely effective ab workout. Men don't realize how important these compound exercises are for your abs. This is because these exercises are great fat burners, which help you to tone your body and get solid abs at the same time. Compound exercises pull your muscles and really make them work in order to build strength and lose fat.

The crunch is an exercise without which any abs workout for men is considered incomplete. There are different variations of the crunch, which will enable you to work different parts of your abs. You will be able to get excellent results if you focus on form and make sure that you execute the exercise properly. A common mistake that many people make is that they rush through the crunches thinking that they'll get a better workout with more quantity.

However, more is not always better when it comes to your body and especially ab workout. Men don't realize that they have to appreciate the limitations of your body. Furthermore, they should make sure that when they are doing abs exercises, all their focus should be on abs muscles.

Oftentimes, we make the mistake of rushing through the exercise because, let's face it, abs exercises are hard. We can feel the abs muscles burning when we are stretching them and this makes us coax ourselves into rushing through the exercise. When we do this, we sacrifice our form, which results in us using our back and shoulders to do the bulk of exercise for us. This, therefore, makes it extremely important to maintain proper form when exercising.

Adrianna Courtney is a professional writer and have interest in fitness and providing services on ab workout men and on abs workout for men

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert

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Basic Hamstring Injury Exercises

What is a hamstring strain?

A hamstring strain refers to an injury or partial tear of the proximinal hamstring muscles. A hamstring strain is a common sports injury to athletes who are required to perform quick and hard muscular movements. Hamstring injury exercises are caused by violent muscular exertions sometimes tearing away a part of the tendinous origins of the hamstrings especially to biceps femoris from the ischial tuberosity. A hamstring injury is sometimes referred to as "pulled hamstring" which may have caused by a direct blow or accidental punched at the muscle located at the back of thigh. When this happens, there may appear contusions (bruises), swelling, tearing of some of the muscle fibers and rupture of blood vessels, producing blood clot or hematoma, with a feeling of soreness. The degree of the injury sustained can be determined by its appearance and symptoms:

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Tae-Bo Workout: Instructional and Basic (Tae-Bo: The Ultimate Total Body Workout for Men & Women) [VHS]

tae bo vhs basic and instructional set

Price: $14.98

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