The Benefits of Using Vibration Plates for Muscle Building

If you’ve ever wanted to truly amp up your workout, one piece of exercise equipment that you shouldn’t miss out on is the vibration plate. These machines can help you in a multitude of ways and they are scientifically backed to give you the ultimate health, exercise and workout results. In particular, vibration plates are excellent for muscle building. And if this is one of your workout goals, then it should not be skipped from your routine. But what exactly are vibration plates and how can they help you strengthen and build your muscles? This article takes a closer look.

What are vibration plates and how do they work?

Vibration plates are a piece of exercise equipment that is increasingly also being used in a medical setting. Much like the name suggests, these are machines that have a platform, which can vibrate at different frequencies and these frequencies make your muscles contract and relax at faster rates, with the rate of relaxation between the contraction and relaxation being limited in time. This means that if you want to get double the workout in half the time, a vibration plate is the answer.

Benefits of using vibration plates for muscle building

In this section, we’ll cover some of the most frequently encountered benefits of vibration plates for muscle building, as supported by scientific research. Let’s take a closer look.

• Increased muscle activation: above, we briefly alluded to the fact that vibration plates emit high frequencies that make your muscles contract and relax at faster rates. And while this is true and backed by science, it’s also important to note that a regular exercise workout will only work out around 60% of your muscles. However, there are deeper muscles in the core and back of the body, which are much harder to get to. With a vibration plate, those “deep muscles” are activated much faster and more precisely, meaning that more muscles in your body get worked out and are activated. A study done in Rome among female athletes is a prime example of this. Of the two groups tested, the one using vibration plates showed greater strength in the legs of the athletes and higher jumping heights achieved. But in addition to this, vibration plates are also excellent for older adults who are experiencing muscle atrophy and those with sarcopenia.
• Improved muscle strength: with a vibration plate for muscle building, you are also much more likely to build muscle strength and gain greater muscle control. A study that was carried out on healthy adults, for example, indicates that this type of training “enhanced the neuromuscular coordination in the legs and produced higher increases in muscle strength than conventional exercises”. Perhaps the reason behind this is that by increasing muscle activation, more muscles are recruited and there is a higher oxygen intake that is distributed to the muscles for their greater isometric strength and effectiveness.
• Enhanced muscle recovery: another important benefit of a vibration plate workout is enhanced muscle recovery. The reason behind this is that the high-frequency vibrations not only improve blood circulation and flow but also oxygen and nutrients, which are transported to the damaged muscles and tissue. And this means that muscles are able to recover that much faster than after a conventional exercise workout. It’s also been studied that the use of vibration plates for muscle building can reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and inflammation. The latter study was carried out on athletes who reported positive results in terms of muscle recovery.
• Reduced risk of injury: and last but not least, vibration plates for muscle building reduce the risk of injury. This is because there is an extremely low (if any) impact on the joints and as such, when people with fragile joints use vibration therapy and do vibration exercises, they can get the full benefits of a full workout in less time while enjoying the same results (if not greater, due to the deep muscles that are also activated). In addition, the fact that the deep muscles are activated means stronger posture, balance and coordination and this, in turn, means that people who are prone to falling are less likely to do so because of increased core and back strength to keep them balanced and upright.

Other benefits of using a vibration plate

Apart from the benefits of vibration plates for muscle building, there are numerous other perks to using this handy little platform for a couple of minutes every other day. Consistent use, and when combined with other exercises, can yield incredible benefits that include but are not limited to:

• Greater flexibility and range of motion (to lower the risk of injury and speed up muscle recovery)
• Increased balance and coordination (proprioception)
• Weight loss, fat burn and reduced cellulite
• Stronger bone density (particularly important for those with osteoporosis)
• Helps people with hypertension to lower their blood pressure
• A boosted immune system due to better and optimised lymphatic drainage and flow
• And a whole lot more!

How to incorporate vibration plates into your workout routine

First things first: although you might be tempted to use the vibration exercise routine for as long as you would normally carry out your exercise routine, this is not recommended. As with all things, moderation is advised and in this case, you should start off slowly with five to 10 minutes per session as a beginner and then possibly move up to 20 minutes when you become a more advanced user.

Meanwhile, regarding the frequencies, the recommended ones are 1 – 12 Hz for muscle relaxation and cool down; 12 – 20 Hz for muscle coordination and function; and 20 – 35 Hz for better muscle performance and strength.

As for exercises that you can perform while working out on your vibration platform, these are almost endless. A short list of just some of these includes:

• Squats
• Lunges
• Heel lifts
• Leg crunches
• Leg biceps
• Planks
• Front raises
• Biceps curls
• Triceps dips
• Rowing
• Push-ups

With all of these options available to you, your exercise routine just got leaner, better and faster. However, it’s always advisable to perform all exercises in moderation by following the time limit and ensuring that you give yourself sufficient recovery time between sessions so that you avoid placing unnecessary strain on your body and muscles.

In conclusion

And there you have it! All the major benefits of working out with a vibration plate. These incredible platforms are exceptionally powerful and scientifically proven to help with not just muscle strength and muscle building (especially when used in conjunction with other exercises) but they’re also great for bone density, lower blood pressure, a strengthened immune system and a whole lot more. The low-impact exercises are also perfect for people with fragile joints and bones and this means that even the elderly can and should give a vibration platform a try. If you have always wanted to get more out of your workout, then a vibration plate is the answer.

Resources:

https://eurapa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s11556-020-00247-5
https://theconversation.com/standing-on-a-vibrating-platform-could-deliver-some-of-the-same-benefits-as-exercise-177771#:~:text=The%20vibrations%20generate%20an%20electrical,muscle%20strength%20and%20physical%20function.
https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19543818/truth-about-vibration-exercises/

By: Nikolay Terziev