Power Plate EssentElle's

By now you must know that I work at a great studio in Central London teaching Power Plate classes, right?!

Said studio kindly donated a free class to each of the attendees at my keep it simpElle Supple Strength class and a couple of questions were raised as a result so I decided to scribble a few answers down here!

class vouchers

Beginning with what is a Power Plate…

Power Plate is a brand of vibrating platform used as exercise equipment. It consists of a vibrating base, which may vibrate up and down approximately 1 to 2 millimetres 25 to 50 times per second. wikepedia, 2013

this is a power plate

So when we talk about Power Plates (PP’s) we are actually referring to whole body vibration training which is just another method of working out to get the results we want.

What results do we get from whole body vibration training, I hear you ask!

The list is exhaustive! PP’s can be used in a medical setting, for rehabilitation and then all the way through to professional athleticism.

The point of this method is that you get results, but FASTER! In today’s day and age who would (could) turn that down?!

So all the usual…weight loss, increased muscle tone, increased strength, increased flexibility can all be achieved using PP’s …in a shorter space of time than ‘regular’ training.

Other benefits include:

Healthier bones (increased bone density)
Increased circulation 
Relaxation 

Generally, studios will offer 25 – 30 minute classes which, believe me, is enough! Each drill will last somewhere between 30 seconds and 1 minute depending on the type of drill.

power plate display

you can use equipment too 🙂

Wear regular gym clothing, preferably something made of a technical fabric to wick sweat and keep you feeling comfortable. No shoes are required – just socks –  ones with grip on the bottom are ideal. Take along your water bottle and a small towel too if you tend to sweat a lot! Nothing else is needed, except a smile & some enthusiasm…

example session plan

As with all forms of exercise, there are precautions to be taken. One is to not overtrain on PP’s. I’d recommend a maximum of 3 – 4 sessions per week. You need to give your nervous system (that sends the messages to your muscles & back) a rest after working so hard sending messages like crazy when your muscles are contracting 30 times per second!!

I always suggest yoga as a great complimentary form of exercise for PP’s and virtually everything else! If you want to increase your cardio side of things, running and / or spinning are great options too.

Next time you pass the PP machine sitting there lonely in the corner of the gym think about all the potential we have just explored…

Get yourself to a studio class, get some ideas and then incorporate them into your regular training schedule…

Classes generally are not cheap but most places offer great intro deals…free first session or a month or so for around £30 – £40.

Up for giving it a go?!

Elle