Vibration training is a new way to enhance performances. Carmelo Bosco Phd has done a lot of research on the effects of vibration training on elite athletes. he has come with a device called NEMES (NEuromuscular MEchanical Stimulation) and it has application in speed and power training. Check the following web sites for more information:
www.elitesportservices.com
and www.nemes.nl
Both sites are official distributors of NEMES - BOSCO SYSTEM
Check the old forum for a discussion on vibration training.
Here is the link to the-
Neuro- Mechanical Stimulation
Thread
http://www.charliefrancis.com/board/philboard_read.asp?id=239
TG link didnt work
linarski, what is the protocol you use?
Here is some info you might be interested in… direct from Henk Kraaijenhoff:
Using it (Nemes) before competiton:
I used it on Patrick Stevens, (Belgium.
He did not run indoors for 4 years, because the risk of injuries, but in 2000 he was more or less forced to run the European indoor in Gent(Belgium). He did not prepare for the 200 anyway.
Heat: normal warming up-no vibration (didnt have to go all out) 20.92
Semi-final: normal warming-up and 4x 1 mninute vibration before going into the call room!:
20.65 equally belgian record and ran relatively easy.
Final: did not want to bother him: normal warming-up, no vibration, second place, 20.72.
Lanes did not make the difference, same lanes in semifinal and final.
So at least I can state that vibration immediately did not negatively influence performance! Now tennis players, socer players and other athletes are using it before competition too
I just came across this: http://www.soloflex.com/index.asp?m=toolbar&d=wbv&sd=about&p=1
Looks like a low cost (US$395) vibration platform. Has anyone seen or used one? How does it compare to some of the more industrial strength macines?
It certainly looks intriguing, especially at that price. The problem is that the Bosco systems use very precise frequencies based on individualized assessments. I don’t know if that is just advertising hype, but I’m hestant to ignore it outright. Also note that the Soloflex device doesn’t have any handles to hold onto, while the Bosco system does. I don’t know if the Soloflex system uses powerful enough vibrations to be effective. I doubt the Bosco platform has handles just for window dressing.
Having said that, I’m also very interested in knowing if someone has gotten good results from the Soloflex system. I’ve been interested in vibration training for several years but would rather not drop a couple thousand on a unit.
Yes Nemes uses EMG to check when the muscles are actually turned on… Again quoting Henk:
The main factor to be effective however are the vibration cahracteristics and the protocol.
Since the original Nemes became very succesfull, quite a few people tried to build something that vibrates. Well, that’s easy, isn’t it? Just take a potatosortingmachine and sit on it.
Unfortunately, the window for effective vibration is pretty narrow, if the vibrationcharacteristics are too low, nothing happens, like sitting in the laundromat.
If it is too strong: lots of damage can be done, vibration is serious ergonomic problem in chainsaws, drilling equipment, tractors, helicopters, etc.
Also sitting and lying down on a platform, like is promoted on some of these copymachines, will in the long-term cause terrible trouble for all tissues!
Note that not a single scientific research was done with these copymachines, but all relate to Bosco’s work or work done with other applications.
How does one measure if it works or not, easy by EMG. The higher the EMG, the more muscle fibres are involved.
This is also the method Bosco developed a way to establish the individual optimal frequency which is the main factor. The test, running from 20-55 hz in 5 Hz steps for 5 seconds and measuring EMG will measure and store the individual optimal frequency.
Yes, this is probably my biggest concern with the unit. I was hoping to get some feedback from an athlete on the forum that has used it. (From the marketing literature I’ve seen, the Soloflex system seems to be targeted at non-athletes or recreational athletes at best.)
Having said that, I’m also very interested in knowing if someone has gotten good results from the Soloflex system. I’ve been interested in vibration training for several years but would rather not drop a couple thousand on a unit.
My thoughts exactly!
We have used a vibration system developed by nemes.nl aka Nemesis BV. Squat rep ranges have increased by sizeable amounts and so have squat max. Acceleration has been the biggest gainer.
Martn, what sort of training protocol with the vibration unit have you been using to make those gains in strength and acceleration? Have you had to adjust the volume of any other training units since introducing the additional load from vibration work?
No adjustments made. Frequency of 3-6x25Hz chosen with 30-45 sec durations on high amplitude with 60 sec rec. Usually done every day. Large increase in muscle tone immediately after treatment. Big strength gains experienced without a change in volume of normal training.
martn please be more specifc
- at what point in the workout do you use it?
- what positions, static or dynamic?
- any sets b4 speedwork or weights to increase MU synchro?
I do 2 sets b4 dynamic warmup
30hz/high amp/30sec static squat
" " lying hip ext feet on vibration platform
then i do another 2 sets, same protocol b4 speed work & weights
I can “feel” my posterior chain “fired” up during these activities then when i dont use it
http://www.nsca-lift.org/Perform/article.asp?ArticleID=221
Whole Body Vibration Training Offers No Benefit to Sprint Trained Athletes
The use of whole body vibration as a training modality is gaining popularity in a variety of settings. Little data exists exploring the effects of integrating whole body vibration training into the training practices of sprint trained athletes. Recently, researchers from the Department of Kinesiology at Katholieke University Leuven, in Leuven, Belgium investigated the effects of the addition of whole body vibration training to the training practices of sprinters on speed-strength performance. Twenty highly trained sprint athletes were recruited for the present investigation and divided into two equal groups. The five week sprint training program for these athletes consisted of
- Interval and speed training (2 – 3 sessions weekly)
- Speed training drills (2 sessions weekly)
- Plyometrics (1 session weekly), and resistance training (3 sessions weekly)
This training regime was designed in a periodized fashion in accordance with guidelines set forth by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. The vibration training group also performed a series of 6 exercises designed to work the lower body for a total vibration exposure of 9, 13.5, and 18 minutes. The vibration frequency ranged between 35 – 40 Hz. Results of this investigation revealed that their was no difference between the vibration group and the non-vibration group after the 5 week training regime for 1) isometric knee flexor strength, 2) dynamic knee flexor strength, 3) start time, 4) horizontal start acceleration, 5) counter movement vertical jump performance, and 6) 30 m sprint performance. Based upon this investigation it appears that the utilization of whole body vibration offers no additional benefits to the sprint athlete who is undergoing a periodized training regime which incorporates resistance, plyometric, speed training, and sprint interval training.
Delecluse C, Roelants M, Diels R, Koninckx E, Verschueren S. (2005). Effects of whole body vibration on muscle strength and sprint performance in sprint-trained athletes. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 26:662 – 668.
Thoughts?
Bull, it offers benefits I can atest to that. Strength increases markedly, leading to an improvement in acceleration.
The frequency range used if you notice is way too high. 25-30 Hz is more than enough for most responders.
We keep do the vibrations away from the main event. We found that there was fatigue if done within 1 hour before an intense sprint workout. The biggest training effect seems to be on the quads. A right angle and deep squat postion is used. We restrict each “rep” to 45 secs as 60 secs seems to be too long causing fatigue akin to a mild burn in the muscles. NO dynamic exercises are used as they cause more fatigue to fast fibers.
I have read alot of Delecluse’s work in the past but I have to say that from experience this particular study is flawed. If the treatment freq was not set individually using an emg machine then you got to be sus about the whole study. I may point out that the vibration training is NOT some miracle thing but it definitely has a significant effect on strength and power, it cuts down the time it would take to get the same effect with just traditional methods we are talking months here from experience.