Power Plate

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Hi

Quick one, i have a friend, who like me is very over weight..and she goes to Weight watchers, but tends to cheat a lot and never really looses anything, well.. she has now joined a gym (for how long we'll see) and intends to go on the Power Plate. But i am so confused how this is going to do her any good? She hates to sweat (?!?) and thinks this power plate will drop her weight without any real effort on her behalf.. i think she's expecting it to shake the calories/fat away? Call me thick but i thought the whole point to trimming down was putting in the hard work and sweating and moving? She goes to an aqua aerobics class once a week which i think is a waste of time too? I have tried to help her but i dunno what more i can do.. I don't live close to her so can't take her to any classes with me unfortunately.. she was on here but only logged in 1 time..i realistically don't think she's in the right frame of mind to loose weight atm..but surely this power plate aint gonna do anything?

Thanku!

Replies

  • JulieBoBoo
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    Aqua aerobics is actually a work out. The power plate I know little about though I do have a friend who says it has helped her restless leg syndrome.
  • Kminor67
    Kminor67 Posts: 900 Member
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    Aqua aerobics is a good way to lose weight, especially for those who cannot do high-impact exercise. That being said, I don't know how much one class a week will help, especially if she's cheating herself. BUT it is a step in the right direction.

    I don't think that the power plate is going to help much. It is said to improve runners' performance due to stimulation of the leg muscles, but I don't think it will do much without the exercise afterwards. Good luck to her. When she's ready, she'll do it. And if she is never ready, not your problem.
  • jansus
    jansus Posts: 58 Member
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    Have you tried a power plate? Quite a lot of athletes use them. If you do it properly it can give you a good work out.

    Try doing push ups on one then you will see what I mean.
  • jansus
    jansus Posts: 58 Member
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    but I agree she has to get the eating thing under control as a priority - if she thinks the power plate is going to be easy and give fast reults she will be in for a shock.It needs effort like any other form of excercise
  • clareypen
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    I use powerplates as part of my workout, mailnly I do core exercises- like the plank, and I like it for my stretches, its quite massagey! My personal trainer said I had to do weights first then my cardio workout. Short of surgery there is no quick fix!
  • gargust
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    Hello!

    I have trained extensively with the Power Plate and have used it with some of my clients. It has many uses and benefits, but simply shaking weight away is not one of them. Power athletes often use the Power Plate to stimulate fast-twitch muscle fibers and to activate the neurological connection between mind and muscle. The theory, simply put, is that the movement of the plate forces your muscles to flex and unflex numerous times per second, strengthening the neural connection and allowing for better muscle recruitment during strenuous exercises.

    That isn't really what we are looking at here though. Most people will use the Power Plate as a way to add a bit of instability to an exercise. Doing pushups or squats on the Plate is much more difficult than without. The Plate's movement forces you to use numerous, tiny stabilizing muscles with greater intensity than you normally would.

    Used properly, the Power Plate is a dynamic part of a workout regimen and offers something that is difficult to emulate elsewhere. It won't just shake the pounds off of you, however. Just standing on it is a waste of time - at least hold a squat (like a wall sit)!!
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
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    I used a power plate (after physiotherapists recommendation) as part of my rehab after an injury, basically to encourage neurons firing again etc, but I can't see it burning a lot of calories if she's not prepared to sweat.

    I would leave her to do what she's doing. You keep doing what you're doing!! She'll soon see who's approach produces results.
  • marber
    marber Posts: 118 Member
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    We have a power plate at the gym I go to and it is supposed to be good for muscle strength and also a lot of people who have had strokes or other injuries use it.

    I can't though. There are actually a lot of medical contraindications on the power plate and people don't realize it.

    They let me try and use it once just to see if I was ok and I had such a bad migraine afterwards I never went on it again!
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
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    At my gym you have to have an induction by a trainer first, who takes an assessment (due to the various contraindications), teaches you how to use it and also tells you what NOT to do on it...

    It's great for recovery. I did a hard leg weights session this morning and could barely get up the stairs. Trainer put me on power plate and gave at first hamstrings then quads a good buzzing through, and they felt a lot better afterwards.