What is it? It is a vibrating platform used for exercise. The base of the platform will vibrate up and down approximately 1 to 2 mm between 20 to 50 times per second. The motion makes exercise positions more difficult to hold because the force of gravity is exaggerated. The Power Plate is available in several different models, most of which retail for around $10,000. Since 1999 when the original Power Plate was marketed, similarly styled products have emerged. Most notable of the imitators, there is the Vibe Plate, which is just the vibrating platform base, available in different sizes to accommodate different functional exercises. The Vibe Plate has the added benefits of durability, larger sizes and a much smaller price tag. Most models are under $2000.
What’s the Deal? The Power Plate claims to do the work in ten minutes what it would take an hour to do performing conventional exercise. What these manufacturers fail to mention is that there are simple proprioceptive devices that cost very little or nothing which do the same thing. Airex pads, DynaDiscs, half a foam rolls, Bosus or balance balls can provide the same challenge to one’s core and stabilizers. Heck, standing on one foot picking up cones will challenge even the strongest athletes’ balance and neuromuscular control. The question remains, would you spend between a grand to ten grand to create the same effect that athletes and gymnasts have been training with for virtually no cost?
Why all the Buzz? Why is Madonna all ripped and raving about this Power Plate? Why does Dwight Howard endorse McDonald’s? They are paid to because it is one of the most effective marketing techniques of all time. If someone gave me a free Power Plate and then a million bucks, you could bet that I would promote that thing like it saved my life. Why are gyms and private studios stocking their facilities with these machines? They know you want them. If all I have to do to sell you a car is throw in seat warmers….brother, they’re going into the assembly line. The truth is no one is raving about this thing other than people trying to sell it to you.
What’s the Verdict? Should you buy a vibration plate exercise device? Probably not. However, if you have the money, space and penchant for collecting gadgets, then by all means, you are the target audience for this product. Do not let the celebrity testimonials be the swaying factor. Did you let Suzanne Somers sell you a Thigh Master twenty years ago? That is not to say you shouldn’t use this product if it is available to you. Is there a power or vibe plate at your gym or do you already own one? Don’t throw it away. Work one or two stations of your circuit on the plate or perform your squats, lunges, dips or pushups on there when it’s not occupied to stimulate those stabilizer muscles. It’s an effective piece of equipment for activating muscles, but not for the amount of benefits it provides and certainly not for the price. People are in love with the idea that they can get into great shape without performing any real ‘work’….and folks, that is simply not the case.