Vibration plates are gaining more popularity as anecdotal evidence shows their efficacy for weight loss, increased strength, lower blood pressure, and improved body composition. Many experiments attest to these results.
So, should you purchase a power plate?
This article investigates the science behind vibration plate weight loss. We study how power plates help you lose weight and belly fat, how many calories they burn, and the right speed for the job.
Keep reading below!
Table of Contents
Do Vibration Plates Help You Lose Weight?
Studies show that using a vibration plate helps you lose weight. Here’s how it works:
In an experiment cited by WebMD, participants underwent six months of dieting plus another activity, such as:
- Conventional fitness
- Swimming
- Power plate vibration
The fourth control group used jus calorie restrictions.
After six months of this regimen, participants were advised to continue their routines at home, giving it their best shots. The subjects were retested after a year with these results:
- The diet group couldn’t maintain a long-term weight loss.
- After six months, the diet + conventional fitness group lost 7% body weight. After another six months, these people were at the 6.9% weight loss limit.
- The diet + vibration plate group lost 11% body weight during the first six months of the study and kept a 10.5% weight loss after the whole year passed.
As you can see, using a vibration plate can help you keep those pounds away. But don’t get yourself carried away.
Remember that you need to:
- For optimum results, keep up the vibration plate training for at least 6-12 months.
- You can’t slack off on your aerobic training because you still need to keep your heart and lungs healthy.
How Long Does It Take to Lose Weight Using a Power Plate?
According to Full Body Vibrations, you will see results within 2-6 weeks of using your power plate. However, other factors influence your before and after results:
- Body composition: The larger your muscle mass, the more muscles your power plate activates. As a result, your body will burn more calories.
- Biological sex: Usually, males lose weight faster than females, provided they’re the same age and don’t have any preexisting hormonal imbalances.
- Diet: If you limit your calorie intake and eat only healthy foods, you will accelerate your weight loss.
- Speed and duration: Vibration plate speed and duration increase muscle activation. As such, these lead to more calories burnt.
Warning:
Even if you see some improvements after the first month, it’s essential to keep training for at least six months for long-term results.
Calories Burned on Vibration Plate
A small 2018 study shows that using a power plate while doing regular exercises increases calorie burn by approximately 20%.
Let’s see what that means:
According to a calorie calculator, a 150-pound person doing mild to moderate callisthenics for 30 minutes burns about 120 calories. Callisthenics includes exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups, sit-ups – the usual deal.
If you’re doing these exercises on a power plate, you’ll burn 144 calories in the same half an hour.
Here’s what that means:
- Simply standing on the vibration plate helps your body burn calories at a 20% faster rate too. So, if you’re burning 60-130 calories/hour just sitting, a vibration plate increases that calorie burn to 72-156 calories/hour.
- You’ll see faster results. A 20% increase in calorie expenditure means you’re gaining another workout with every five sessions.
- You can accelerate your weight loss process by working out on your power plate. Choose a vibration plate that supports your entire body weight and ensure you can do exercises on it.
- Remember: Always set your fitness goals before choosing any gym equipment. Then, double-check each feature of the potential products to see if they fit your purpose. It’s what we do in all our articles, including this one about the best vibration plates.
- The study above is small and limited to men only. Therefore, your final energy expenditure may be lower than 20%.
Here’s something more important than calorie expenditure hidden in this study:
Using a vibration plate increased participants’ metabolic rates by 5.5%. That may indicate that you can keep losing weight faster even after your power plate workout.
How Many Calories do You Burn in 10 Minutes on a Vibration Plate?
If we’re to take the numbers above, a 10-minute session on a vibration plate burns:
- 48 calories if you’re doing callisthenics
- 14.4 calories if you’re only sitting
Note: These values are for a person weighing 150 pounds.
Best Speed on Vibration Plate for Weight Loss
The higher the speed on your vibration plate, the more weight you’ll lose. So, the value is technically up to you and how much your power plate can handle.
Remember:
- Choose a high-vibration plate if you want to accelerate weight loss. Fast-vibrating plates are excellent, especially for those who plan to use their plates without any exercise.
- Pick a vibration rate that doesn’t destabilise you during your workout. If you want to use the vibration plate standing or exercising, make sure you still keep your balance. It’s easy to get injured otherwise.
How do Vibrating Plates Help Lose Belly Fat?
In a 2019 review across seven studies and 280 subjects, whole-body vibration determined significant fat loss. However, participants noticed essential changes in body composition only after six months of constant use.
That means vibrations help you lose belly fat because:
- You burn more calories
- Vibrations eliminate deep-tissue fat stores
These two results help you lose deep, visceral fat from your whole body, including your belly.
However, the best results are noticed if you also eat healthily and stay active throughout the day.
In Conclusion
Research shows that vibration plates accelerate weight loss because they increase muscle contractions. As your muscles work harder, your body needs more fuel – aka calories.
However, you have to choose a suitable vibration plate for your needs.
Before buying your power plate, consider your weight, the time you have for daily exercise, and how you’re going to use it. For example, if you have a larger frame and want to work out on your vibration plate, you need a sturdier one. But if you only need one to activate your muscles while you’re on bed rest, you need to focus on higher vibrations.
- How To Avoid Weight Loss Plateaus - July 9, 2024
- 5 Common Weight Loss Mistakes - July 9, 2024
- Walking vs Running: Weight Loss, Fat Loss, Life Span AND MORE - July 9, 2024