by Lloyd Shaw
This article is only meant for people using the machines for a standard workout, Physios etc.. may have good reasons to vary from this advice.
Understanding the rules to body placement with Vibration Training is more important than memorizing all the poses. By this I mean letting customers know from day one that "random" or "rushed" is not a term that fits into responsible and safe use of this equipment in any way. There is only being in position or being out of position, no in between poses and EVERYTHING done on a Vibration Training unit is done slowly and deliberately , and in the right order , no matter how long they have been doing it .
Drill that into their head from day one. If you wait until their 6th session its too late. People pick up bad or good habits very quickly . Your choice as a trainer which way it goes.
A good example is in the very first pose of the safety program...
http://www.vibra-train.com/exercises-explained.html
The Basic Squat starts... Feet must remain 'flat' and exactly 'straight' at all times.--> At hip width apart.---> Drop down to a half squat.
To do this properly a person finds their hip "bones" and places their feet directly below them so both legs are parallel to each other . And their feet are facing straight ahead in the middle of the plate.
If a person does not do this and their feet are too wide apart, which is easy to spot because they look like this from behind / \ rather than this I I , or their feet are crooked, they don’t get to lower down into the squat. The amount of people I have seen forget to "go through the motions" in their correct order to end up in a totally out of position pose .They get told by me to get off the machine slow down and do it properly or go home. They know they are being sloppy and start to concentrate straight away.
Important to note... The average human hip width is only 30cm ,If you are measuring the actual space between the feet its only about 18cm. If you get taller this does not change , if the person puts on weight this does not change. Unless the person is a giant or a very small person everyone's feet should be the same distance apart.
If you let them lower into the pose without the above being exact first , what you are teaching that person is putting your feet "around about there" is Ok, that randomly putting their feet in whatever position they "feel" like putting themselves in is Ok. Well its not. I know it all sounds very pedantic but if you do not take reasonability for something happening right in front of you then you are not only teaching a customer bad habits and risking them injury, but making the next trainers job behind you that much harder.
BIO-MECHANICAL MARKERS...
These little points of reference are called "Bio-mechanical Markers" These are points on the machine , a mat , or on you that never move and allow precise poses to be achieved every single workout. In the above case we used your hips to start with . If you go through the safety program you will find these little markers mentioned in every pose, if used in combination with the correct order given there is no way a person can be out of position. I can not stress enough the importance of teaching people to use this kind of system no matter what machine you are using . Not only does it mean they are doing it properly in your environment but they will take that information with them to gyms or other places they come across Vibration Training , so that education and confidence will keep them safe for a lifetime. If you give them enough confidence to show others you also help people you have never met to be safe. Education is the good cancer.
The arguments I hear about the above...
" But that’s not my job !! " If you are introducing someone to this technology then YES IT IS. If you don’t understand the responsibility you have taken on , you should not be a trainer.
" But everybody is different" No they are not ..I have been pulling people apart for years and I have never come across extra bits I had not seen before. Everyone's basic skeletal and muscle structure is exactly the same , we all have 2 arms , 2 legs and 1 head. Any small variation is not enough to change the overall design and function.
Note: If someone is missing some of these things listed above then you start thinking outside the above parameters.
