German Soccer Team Resistance Training

[system]

Here are a few vibration related studies:

Bosco, C. : Líeffetto della vibrazione sulla forza muscolare e sul profile ormonale in atleti; Atleticastudi, No. 4/5/6, 1998, pg. 7-14.

Bosco, C.; Cardinale, M.: Nuove frontiere dellí allenamento sportive : le vibrazioni. Effetti sul comportamento meccanico del musculo scheletrico. Coaching and Sport Science Journal, Vol. 3., No.1., 1998, pg. 53-59.

Bosco, C.; Cardinale, M.; Tsarpela, O.; Colli, R.; Tihanyi, J.; von Duvillard, S.P.; Viru, A. : The influence of whole body vibration on jumping performance; Biology of Sport, Vol. 15., No. 3., 1998, pg. 157-164.

Bosco, C.; Cardinale, M.; Tsarpela, O.: Influence of vibration on mechanical power and electromyogram activity in human arm flexor muscles; Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. Vol. 79., 1999, pg. 306-311.

Bosco, C.; Colli, R.; Introini, E.; Tsarpela, O.; Madella, A.; Tihanyi, J.; Viru, A. : Adaptive responses of human skeletal muscle to vibration exposure; Clin. Physiol. Vol. 19., No. 2., 1999, pg. 183-187

Bosco, C.; Colli, R.; Cardinale, M.; Tsarpela, O.; Bonifazi, M. : The effect of whole body vibration on mechanical behaviour of skeletal muscle and hormonal profile; In : Lyritis,G. (Red.) : Musculo-Skeletal Interactions, Vol. 2., Hylonome Editions, Hellenic Institute of Osteoporosis, Griekenland.

There is also a write up in NSIA which i will dig out later.

[james_colbert]

i actually think that the vibration can have a great benefit to power athletes the inherient problem is that everyone has a different frequency at which vibration application will work best and it takes a qualified person to find what that is. as for the huge bosco vibration training station, ive known coaches to use small hand held vibrators and achieve similar results the idea that you need some $10,000 piece of machinary to vibrate is a joke, hell if you have even the simplist understanding u can make a machine that does the same for alot less. i believe there are only 3 factors which effect a vibrational tool, amplitude, acceleration, and frequency. pick up any machinast handbook and u can find the equations to derive these aspects in a given vibrational tool, or search the web for the specific levels required.

[kitkat1]

Bosco was a heavy financial invester/owner of one company that manufactured a type of force platform and most if not all his studies validated that particular platform. I did some reading and spoke to the company that has the franchise for the product Bosco (late) endorsed.

However that doesn’t mean the vibration concept or Bosco’s particular machine(s) was invalid.

I played around on a couple of the platforms and the effect varied, of course, with the frequency of the vibration and the position of the limbs when standing, sitting or doing pushups/vertical jumps on the platform.

One day I brought a female Olympic team weightlifter down to try the machine. She was shocked (literally) by the intensity of the experience through her lower-back, glutes, thighs, calves. Her skin went blush pink for hours!

Then later the same day at her normal lifting session (she only trained once that day, normally it’s twice) she lifted equal PBs and was weeks away from her taper. She and her coach, a triple Olympic team head coach, were quite amazed, but were not willing to fully endorse the equipment based on a single experience. I concur.

But the physiotherapist who had the import rights to this machine said she used them sometimes for rehabilitation/regeneration for specific issues/areas (don’t recall which any more).

I know some big football clubs have bought into the machines, some have set them up in various cities so they can be used as a kind of instant warmup device wherever they play. The vibration accelerates blood circulation, which also has the effect of flushing crap out post-exercise. But the machines are very heavy, especially the ones you would use with some of these giant footie forwards.

Now I remember a bit more about the woman weightlifter. She came in complaining of a stiff back and she had terribly range of movement. After some moments (maybe 30 seconds) on the platform, she could touch her toes again and she was shocked and delighted. So hence the vibration seemed to have a good flush and feed effect in the muscles - restoring muscle function thus optimal length. And as we know, Form Follows Function. kk

[Plook]

I remember reading something about how cat’s purr and this might be why they can recouperate from injuries so quickly.

I also remember in a pro audio store a woman looking for a commercial sub to have low frequencies to help people regen. She worked through her first one quite quickly.

I would like to see some more pics from the training though.

[system]

@kitkat1

sitting or doing pushups/vertical jumps on the platform.

With respect to vibrations for upper extremities, I have it on good authority that this should be avoided with the platform as the arms are not designed to withstand this kind of loading.

Also Nemes have EMG built in so you can check the frequency at which the muscles contract which is apparently different for each individual. Without this the machines are effectivly worthless.

[no23]

@kitkat1

Bosco was a heavy financial invester/owner of one company that manufactured a type of force platform and most if not all his studies validated that particular platform. I did some reading and spoke to the company that has the franchise for the product Bosco (late) endorsed.

However that doesn’t mean the vibration concept or Bosco’s particular machine(s) was invalid.

I played around on a couple of the platforms and the effect varied, of course, with the frequency of the vibration and the position of the limbs when standing, sitting or doing pushups/vertical jumps on the platform.

One day I brought a female Olympic team weightlifter down to try the machine. She was shocked (literally) by the intensity of the experience through her lower-back, glutes, thighs, calves. Her skin went blush pink for hours!

Then later the same day at her normal lifting session (she only trained once that day, normally it’s twice) she lifted equal PBs and was weeks away from her taper. She and her coach, a triple Olympic team head coach, were quite amazed, but were not willing to fully endorse the equipment based on a single experience. I concur.

But the physiotherapist who had the import rights to this machine said she used them sometimes for rehabilitation/regeneration for specific issues/areas (don’t recall which any more).

I know some big football clubs have bought into the machines, some have set them up in various cities so they can be used as a kind of instant warmup device wherever they play. The vibration accelerates blood circulation, which also has the effect of flushing crap out post-exercise. But the machines are very heavy, especially the ones you would use with some of these giant footie forwards.

Now I remember a bit more about the woman weightlifter. She came in complaining of a stiff back and she had terribly range of movement. After some moments (maybe 30 seconds) on the platform, she could touch her toes again and she was shocked and delighted. So hence the vibration seemed to have a good flush and feed effect in the muscles - restoring muscle function thus optimal length. And as we know, Form Follows Function. kk

Interesting, very informative.

I’d love to try them - I do think there may be potential in terms of regeneration.

I also think there may be effects on the joint capsule and surrounding tissues that haven’t been studied or understood.

Like I say - I haven’t looked into it.

[We did have one very good authority on the platforms here a while ago (I haven’t seen them on here for a good while) and they would be better able to discuss its effects.]

[quarkthedark]

Vibration training can also have problems if the frequencies that are used happen to correspond to certain resonances (which can do damage to internal organs). What type of magnitudes do these machines produce?

[duxx]

@quarkthedark

Vibration training can also have problems if the frequencies that are used happen to correspond to certain resonances (which can do damage to internal organs). What type of magnitudes do these machines produce?

You are right about it, but I think the freqs of powerplates are far above resonant freqencies of all tissue… but I might be wrong!
It is shown that truck oscilations when driving, can cause spine disk resonance and injury… So, there is special design in seat dumpers for drivers to prevent this. There is excellent chapter about this in “Life Science Physics” textbook!

[Mike_Thiehe]

@devils

I’m not a soccer expert by any measure,but I do believe that the fitness training is led by M. Verstegen (sp?)'s group.
He did an excellent presentation on the German team’s preparation, and the difficulties setting everything up at the 2006 NSCA sport-specific convention in Dallas…I have the CD that came along with it, but I gave it to our soccer coach !

Yes it’s Mark Verstegen…sadly, the mass media here in Germany is more focused on making fun of anything that has to do with therabands than to really inform…
I read Verstegens book, heard some things from their physical therapists and Klinsmann talked a little bit about the training they are currently doing (watered down for the general public), but - along with some tv sequences - there aren’t a lot of informations…to say the least.
If You had time to fill me in about the German team’s preparation…please do so

[martn76]

@velocegatto

Ill start using vibration plates when Gorillas and Cheetahs start using them.

Before using a vibration platform purchased from Henk’s brother Hans, one of my athletes was squatting 170Kgx3, now its more like 170kgx6. So why not have gene therapy and turn yourself into a gorilla? By the way acceleration increased… I guess you will probably change your mind if you heard that a top sprinter used it extensively to run fast times. Other benefits of using the plate include faster recovery and greater flexibility and definitely more explosive strength. The exposure to weights can also be decreased to accommodate the stimulus.

[martn76]

@james_colbert

i actually think that the vibration can have a great benefit to power athletes the inherient problem is that everyone has a different frequency at which vibration application will work best and it takes a qualified person to find what that is. as for the huge bosco vibration training station, ive known coaches to use small hand held vibrators and achieve similar results the idea that you need some $10,000 piece of machinary to vibrate is a joke, hell if you have even the simplist understanding u can make a machine that does the same for alot less. i believe there are only 3 factors which effect a vibrational tool, amplitude, acceleration, and frequency. pick up any machinast handbook and u can find the equations to derive these aspects in a given vibrational tool, or search the web for the specific levels required.

Yes you are right you could probably build one that is controlled by a programmable chip to limit the vibration range.

The frequency can be set individually using an emg machine. An inexpensive model could be bought for this purpose. The ideal vibration is where there is the greatest activity recorded. So for example, the lower frequency rnages are all that is needed by us.

[duxx]

What I see as a problem with power plates is that some gyms started to open having only them!!! So, you change clothes, warmup on power plate, do the workout on power plate, recover on power pate and stretch on it, and it the gym policiy allows dry your clothes on it! This is BS!

But, lazy people love it. You just stand there and “workout”.

The qustion is:

• can the power plate replace old-school barbell and dumbel? What the hell, can it prelace the machines?
• how does people with structural dicrepancies & imbalances (kiphotic, lordotic, scoliotic, short hip flexors, insuficient glutes, weak serratus, back pain etc) improve on it without adressing this issues with old-school means?

[Wannagetfast]

It has its place! It’s not the end all but it has value. Each athlete in my facility responds differently to it. A quick example. My elite athletes seem to be stimulated by it when they warm up (proof is immediate increases in vertical leap) younger, less efficient athletes seem to be fatigued by it. Can’t produce the same vert numbers after use. From here we have devised ways to help each athlete complete a successful workout. It has taken awhile to understand the differences in athletes, frequencies, and time spent on it and how it fits into each athletes program, but nonetheless it works for us! I have had it at least three years and I am still seeing different responses to it. Recovery…for sure!

[duxx]

@Wannagetfast

It has its place! It’s not the end all but it has value. Each athlete in my facility responds differently to it. A quick example. My elite athletes seem to be stimulated by it when they warm up (proof is immediate increases in vertical leap) younger, less efficient athletes seem to be fatigued by it. Can’t produce the same vert numbers after use. From here we have devised ways to help each athlete complete a successful workout. It has taken awhile to understand the differences in athletes, frequencies, and time spent on it and how it fits into each athletes program, but nonetheless it works for us! I have had it at least three years and I am still seeing different responses to it. Recovery…for sure!

Can you please summ up your experience and make some suggestion? This would represent a solid starting point and I hope that everyone will be thangfull. What to avoid, what to do, how to plan, with who what to do etc. Thanks in advance!

[quarkthedark]

@martn76

Yes you are right you could probably build one that is controlled by a programmable chip to limit the vibration range.

The frequency can be set individually using an emg machine. An inexpensive model could be bought for this purpose. The ideal vibration is where there is the greatest activity recorded. So for example, the lower frequency rnages are all that is needed by us.

If the frequency range and magnitude range were known, it would be very easy to build cheaply. It sounds like there would be a lot of money in reverse engineering that particular design…

I am still somewhat concerned about the effects of long term useage though. (The lower frequency vibration problems do not happen overnight).

[martn76]

@quarkthedark

If the frequency range and magnitude range were known, it would be very easy to build cheaply. It sounds like there would be a lot of money in reverse engineering that particular design…

I am still somewhat concerned about the effects of long term useage though. (The lower frequency vibration problems do not happen overnight).

As you are probably aware there is extensive research on the occupational hazards of vibration in factory settings and other environments. The research has shown that it is the resonant frequency of bones and tissue that causes the damage. Long term use of the frequencies generated by vibration machines WILL NOT cause damage. The frequencies used are much higher than the very low frequencies that can be dangerous to humans. You standard more chance of damage from a woofer on a high quality high amp car system that is capable of generating say 4-10hz of bass if you are sitting in a car whilst the system is on at full blast. Get ready for bowel movements nad kidney shifts.

[quarkthedark]

@martn76

As you are probably aware there is extensive research on the occupational hazards of vibration in factory settings and other environments. The research has shown that it is the resonant frequency of bones and tissue that causes the damage. Long term use of the frequencies generated by vibration machines WILL NOT cause damage. The frequencies used are much higher than the very low frequencies that can be dangerous to humans. You standard more chance of damage from a woofer on a high quality high amp car system that is capable of generating say 4-10hz of bass if you are sitting in a car whilst the system is on at full blast. Get ready for bowel movements nad kidney shifts.

The stuff that you have mentionned is to what i was referring. What frequencies are we talking about for these machines? (ballpark)

[Wannagetfast]

30-50 hz is the range on power plate

[quarkthedark]

@Wannagetfast

30-50 hz is the range on power plate

Thanks. I wonder what magnitudes they are using. It cannot be too high (as then there would be issues with displacing the athlete. I will have to look up my references on human vibration…

[kitkat1]

German defender Phillip Lahm resistance sprint in training, 27 June 2006