by Lloyd Shaw
Now this may sound like a strange subject to write about but it needs to be covered , because people need to be taught how to use these machines correctly , it does not come naturally. And some of the technical points should be general knowledge about using electronics, but seems to be missing from certain portions of the populations. So literally draw a 1 meter circle around your machine and never enter that space without going into Vibration Training Mode.
(1) Never ever move quickly ........
This means everything from..
(a ) Getting on the machine ......... Take your time getting into the pose , go through the motions in their correct order as per the safety program. If you do not do this every time, you will start to miss some of the little hints and markers built into the program to ensure you are safe. Never get arrogant enough to think you don't need to do this. And if you are an instructor you need to set a good example. Practice what you preach. If you see someone jumping up and just getting straight into the pose without "going through the motions" switch it off and tell them to start again.
Note: Older customers are quite often the culprits of this. Keep the same standards for EVERYBODY.
(b) Correcting your poses midway through an exercise........... if you need to correct the pose do not panic and jump around like an idiot , just slowly and methodically move back into place. Moving quickly on a machine while it is going is considered a random movement, and random x 40Hz x 6 of your body weight is not a smart calculation by anybody's logic. If you are instructing someone tell them loudly as an example " slowly straighten up your feet " if they move quickly tell them to slow down.
(c) Even stepping off the machine ..................... This should also be done in a slow deliberate manner. Act almost like you are injured. The reason ? Normally you muscles help support your joints when stepping off something, but if you muscles are fatigued the entire load will have be taken by the knees. This is an accident waiting to happen. Which is why at the end of a squat you stand upright and rest for a few seconds. Never sit down or jump off the machine, no matter how much you want to rest or go home.
Electronics.....
(1) Drinks and electricity........ These two do not mix well , so never put your drink or allow someone else to put a drink near the machine. I have seen people actually put their drinks on the plate and walk away. This is mind bogglingly stupid but I promise if you run a studio or gym you will see it happen right in front of you. So be firm about this from the first visit. The drink can go on the other side of the room. Insisting on water bottles instead of open cups is also a smart move. Important note: A warranty will not cover this kind of accident.
(2) Treat the electronics with a little bit of respect, classic examples of people not doing this...........
(a) Overturning dials. This is when someone does not feel or listen to the dial they just jam it around as far as it will go until it stops turning. This is uncalled for and shows a complete lack of understanding of how dials are built. Considering they are all around us there is no excuse to not know the following. Every time you whack the pin with force that stops the dial at "high" you stress it. The laws of physics say one day it will just snap , and then you have a dial that just keeps turning. And no it wont go higher it just stops working properly.
(b) Pushing a button 10 times quickly instead of only the 3 it really needed. This is the same pattern of behavior as above. Slow down and think about what you are doing. Only push it the exact amount of times it is needed. Electronic buttons actually have a "push breakdown rating" It will come with some specs saying "10,000 pushes " or something like that. So you randomly going nuts on the pushing does nothing but lower the life of the electronics.
So to recap , there is no need to act randomly or move quickly when using these machines . In fact everything about them tells you to STOP , THINK , and then METHODICALLY go about your business. RESPECT what you are dealing with.
A note to instructors : Make sure you drill in this mentality from day one and always enforce it.
