Have you ever heard the phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none”? Vibration machines that have more than one vibration method have been shown to produce only low levels of vibration regardless of which method is operating. Isn’t it better to use a machine that does one thing really great, than a machine that does two things poorly?
Worse than that, dual mode machines often produce a method of vibration termed “spiral” or “circular” vibration. Spiral vibration is only a new idea from Chinese designed machines and has no scientific basis. In a 2015 study from the University of Calgary, Canada, scientists found that spiral vibration did not create any increased muscle activation and published the following regarding their findings on the spiral mode being ineffective:
“The results of this study suggest that trainers and therapists should advise their clients to exercise on WBV platforms that induce vibrations mainly in the vertical plane such as side alternating (Pivotal) or vertical synchronous (Lineal) platforms.
Dual mode platforms are another option, although it needs to be considered that the additional costs and resources required for the accelerations in the horizontal plane do not seem to be necessary.”
Download that study here, and challenge any supplier of dual-mode machines to send you a peer reviewed study showing that dual-mode machines will actually work.
| PLATFORM TYPE | |
|---|---|
| VMAX Pulser | Moderate Range Pivotal + Spiral |
| Hypervibe | High Range Pivotal |
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Frequency refers to the number of times per second the platform travels up and down through 1 complete cycle of movement. Research has shown that different vibration frequencies have different effects on the way forces are transmitted to the body. Dual mode machines have a range of frequency in each of their modes, but since it is too much an engineering challenge to produce high levels of vibration in each mode, the pivotal mode frequencies (the only mode that matters) of dual mode machines do not reach high levels. A large number of the 800+ studies on Whole Body Vibration research use frequency higher than this. If you want to achieve the scientific proven benefits of Whole Body Vibration, it is important the machine you purchase is capable of operating at the same settings used in the scientific research. Scientists have noted that insufficient vibration frequency could be the reason for failed outcomes.
| PIVOTAL FREQUENCY RANGE (SPIRAL FREQUENCY NOT CONSIDERED AS SHOWN TO BE INEFFECTIVE) | |
|---|---|
| Dual Mode Machine | Up to 20Hz |
| Hypervibe G17 | 5-35Hz |
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G force refers to the intensity of the vibration, the more G force placed onto the body, the greater the body responds to that force. The VMAX Pulser advertises a maximum G force of 13.5g, whereas the Hypervibe G17 Pro has been independently tested to exceed the 17g capacity it advertises, and of course can be set at much lower levels too.
G force can be calculated based on the frequency and amplitude settings of a machine via a mathematical formula. Based on the advertised frequency and amplitude settings of the VMAX, there is no way to calculate 13.5g using this formula. Other dual mode machines have been tested by engineers to produce below 10g. How would you know if this is 13.5g or not?
Here is a copy of our engineering report.
Ask for a copy of theirs!
| G FORCE RANGE (SPIRAL FREQUENCY NOT CONSIDERED AS SHOWN TO BE INEFFECTIVE) | |
|---|---|
| Dual Mode Machines | Below 10g |
| Hypervibe G17 | Up to 17g |
Watch the video
As we already discussed, frequency is an important factor in Whole Body Vibration, it is used to control different effects and benefits. For example, 6 to 8Hz is best suited for balance, 10 to 12Hz is best suited for relaxation, and 20-45Hz is best suited for training. With this being said, when you use a vibration machine it is important that you get a frequency reading from your machine so that you can target the benefits you are wanting to achieve.
Dual mode machines don’t give you any indication of the frequency setting on the control panel, instead the machine displays a range of speed levels from 1 to 50 that don’t really give you any idea of what frequency the machine is operating at.
When a company make claims that their product is supported by scientific evidence, it would not be unreasonable to expect such evidence can be provided. There are over 800 scientific studies on Whole Body Vibration, dating back over 20 years, however, not a single one of those studies was performed on the Zaaz machine.
You might think, well it doesn’t really matter what brand of machine was studied, what really matters is that there is scientific proof that Whole Body Vibration works, right?
Well no, when scientists conduct a study, there are many factors they choose which can cause a study to be successful or a study to fail. In Whole Body Vibration research, such factors include, how many times per week they use the machine, what exercises will be performed on the machine, how long each exercise will be performed for, and importantly what vibration settings will be used. If the vibration levels are too low, the forces placed onto the body can be too low to cause any benefits, alternatively, studies have shown that as forces are increased, the response from the body increases. Therefore, if a machine has not been used in scientific research, it is important to make review studies to make sure that the alternative product can produce the same levels of vibration used in the research.
Peer reviewed studies using Hypervibe equipment, able to produce vibration levels used in majority of the research.
No peer reviewed studies showing benefits, unable to produce vibration levels used in majority of the research.
