I’m always looking to improve my running and if that can be made easier by using some sort of device or gadget I’m all for trying it. So I just had to try the ViViBo Pro, a vibration plate that gives you a full workout. Now I realise it might sound a bit strange to get a work out while standing on a vibration plate, but there is something to it, so let me explain how the ViViBo Pro could possibly make a difference in your run training.
I first came across the ViViBo pro at a convention, back when we still had those.
That was when I was still skeptical, but a sales person urged me to get on and try it out. We talked for a while while I was on the machine and all I did was bend through my knees a little bit and stand on it as he turned up the speed. I was on there for 10 minutes as we talked about my marathon training.
Now even though I didn’t spend much time there and I was well trained, I walked away with muscle ache in my legs. So I figured, there has to be something to this.
The ViViBo Pro is an oscillating vibration plate, which means it moves up and down as well as that it vibrates. The vibrating can give relaxation to the muscles, it can help with blood circulation and improve the metabolism.
The oscillation helps with strengthening the joints, it stimulates the muscles and is said to help with bone density.
Vibration therapy has been used for astronauts and Olympians to improve muscle and bone density since the 1960’s, so with that in mind, my curiosity was peaked and I wanted to try this out for my self.
So the claim is that the machine can help gain muscle mass, it could help you loose weight, it could help with recovery of injuries and it can help you relax. So I wanted to test this out and see how my run training could benefit from using the ViViBo Pro.
I’ve used it for 30 days now and I must say I’ve been surprised in a couple of different ways.
The ViViBo Pro has 4 different Training settings and the Oscillating and Vibration also have 4 different settings ranging from a light shake to hold on to your hat, cause you’re in for a ride.
It also comes with a remote for easy changing of the functions while in use. An attachment seat for specific exercises and two resistant bands.
Now of course you can just stand on it and squad a little bit to get an effect from the ViViBo Pro, but in order to get the full effect and get a good workout there are a bunch of exercises you can do.
The manual shows you all the different positions and exercises you could perform, but it also comes with a USB stick that has 3 workout sessions on it. Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. This is where the real benefit of the machine comes in. In order to get results you need to put in some effort with a workout. But all 3 workouts are only 10 minutes long and you just have to follow along with the video.
I wasn’t sure how hard it was going to be, so I started with the beginner video and at a low training level. The exercises were pretty straight forward and were easy to perform. I didn’t really feel like I was doing all that much. But later in the day I could already feel it in the glutes, there was a bit of muscle ache, so good proof that it was doing something already.
I continued with the beginner video for a couple of days and moved on to intermediate for a few days, all at training level 1 to get used to it. After a week it was time to start playing with the different levels. I came to the conclusion that level 3 was most comfortable, it made it hard enough to get a good workout and level 4 was just shaking me too much with the planking exercises.
The advanced workout felt like a good workout, but I have an issue with my hands that makes the planking and push up exercises a bit painful, so I preferred the intermediate video. It has those exercises too, but less and shorter, so not as tough on my hands.
Before every session I would start with the warm up setting and just stand on it for 10 minutes to loosen up the muscles. I actually really came to enjoy that part and think that could be a great way to warm up your legs before going on a run.
There is also a setting for Relaxing. For this you can just sit down on a chair or on your couch and put your feet on the ViViBo Pro to let it softly shake your legs. It is great for recovery after your workout or your run. I’m not big on massages at all, but I can honestly say I actually enjoyed the relax setting and just having my legs shaken loose by the ViViBo.
The rest of the month I kept switching the training videos and playing with the speed and vibration. The workout video was mostly the same, but the effort of the workout always different.
So did I notice any progress? Is it worth the time and effort for your training?
Like I said the warm up function for me was already a good experience. I would just stand on it for 10 minutes, have a video on on TV and just wait until the 10 minutes were up to start my workout.
For the workout, like any other workout, goes that you get out of it what you put in to it. Meaning, you can do the squads and bend your knees or you can really do the squads and go as low as you can. Make the workout hard for yourself and the machine will work hard for you. There were a few times that I really felt it in my legs afterwards, so it was working for me.
Now it doesn’t replace all other workouts, but it gives you a great basic workout that includes your legs and your core, which is important for runners. Now for me, seeing that I was dealing with a knee injury, I had to rest and couldn’t go out running much. So having something that gives my legs a workout without the strain that running would put on my knee was really great.
The ViViBo Pro is a great asset to add to your training, to use as a substitute when injured, as a recovery tool or for loosening up your muscles before your run. The machine is a bit on the heavy side, but if you can leave it in one place that shouldn’t matter. The price point of the machine is a bit higher than some of the competitors, but this is also cause most other machines just have the vibrating function and not the oscillating function which makes the big difference in the ViViBo Pro.
You can find the ViViBo Pro here if you’re interested in checking one out for yourself. You can get a 20% discount when you use the code 'runarnorun' at checkout The company is based in the Netherlands, but they ship world wide for free. Only thing is that the website is in Dutch, so try and use Google translate for that if you can’t read it.
I love having a way to train even when I’m not able to run, so for me it’s a great addition to my workout equipment and also a great way to speed up the healing process.
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