Anyone have experience with Whole Body Vibration (WBV)?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Saw a kiosk in the mall today for Zaaz Studios, and they advertise that 10 minutes on their Whole Body Vibration machine is worth 1 hour in the gym.

Doesn’t pass the smell test, as in too good to be true, but I wondered if anyone has any direct experience. It would be more expensive than my current gym, but it would also save me a hell of a lot of time.

If it matters, my gym goals are primarily served by doing cardio (weight control, general conditioning) and a modest amount of weight work (mostly on core muscles).
Roddy

2

This study looked at whole body vibration vs conventional training for rehabilitation after an ACL reconstruction. They found the WBVT (whole body vibrational training) more effective.

Aside from that, I do not know. Most of the studies online I find are for osteoperosis and rehab, not for cardio and strength training. I didn’t even know the tech existed until this thread.

3

A friend of mine invested in a set of training sessions with this thing. She did all of them and gained weight. I’m sure she ate more because she was under the impression she was burning “the equivalent of an hour in the gym” when she really, really wasn’t.

It doesn’t work. There is no magic, easy to do, 10 minute exercise that equals an hour of cardio.

4

Certainly what I expect to be true (i.e. too good to be true). But the sign didn’t say what kind of hour in the gym it was equivalent to. Maybe it’s supposed to be equivalent to mostly weight training or the kind of body work that I got from a personal trainer.

I dropped by what was supposed to be a newly-opened studio in San Francisco at 520 Montgomery, to find a building closed and shuttered, with no obvious signs of anything coming soon. The company has a letter posted saying that the neighbors at their previous location (701 Sansome) had complained so much that they had to move. It all sounds very iffy. Anyway, I might go back to the kiosk tomorrow to hear what they have to say about their claims.
Roddy

5

I’m a little familiar with using vibration plates for extra strength training in student atheletes. But it’s not a matter of just standing on the plate for 10 mins and then having the benefits of a full workout. What I’m familiar with is intensifying your workout by doing it while on the vibrating plate. So you still do the workout you just do it while vibrating.

Someone selling 10 minutes on a vibrating plate as a replacement for a full workout is full of shit.

And to be honest I am not sure about the whole plate thing altogether. But I’m definitely sure that standing around for 10 minutes is nothing.

6

I hope it’s okay to chime in. I think sketicism and dialog is really important.

Zaaz isn’t suggesting that anyone replace any form of exercise with any other. All exercise is beneficial, and generally the greater the variety the better your health.

When we say “10 Minutes = 1 Hr At The Gym!” we are not trying to convince people to stop exercising and replace it with using vibration. That tagline is meant to express the magnitude of what Whole Body Vibration (WBV) can do for your body in a short period of time.

10 Minutes of WBV = 1 Hr at the gym is based on total muscle activity/oxygen uptake and muscle group engagement, as well as the pulmonary and lymphatic circulatory stimulation that is achieved in 10 minutes of WBV that normally requires 1 hour of cardio to achieve.

For optimal results, it is best to combine WBV with a cardio program and a proper diet. However, if you don’t (or won’t) exercise or just don’t have time, using WBV can provide you with enough activity and exercise to keep you fit and healthy as if you were exercising regularly.

There are other benefits of WBV, like improving bone density, lymph vessel drainage and blood circulation, but since this is a forum, I just wanted to answer the questions presented.

~Johnny [phone number deleted]

7

Without some reviewed citations, this is pretty much vaporware. I sincerely doubt you have any data to back up these claims, which are pretty vague to begin with.

8

Johnny Cavalli, thanks for responding and welcome to the Straight Dope. I’ve taken the phone number out of your post; we’re not here to further your business interests. However, in the interest of permitting a rep of the company to chime in, I’ve left the rest of your post. Please be mindful of our strict rules on spam and otherwise attempting to sell things here, which may be viewed in our registration agreement and FAQ’s in the About this Message Board forum.

9

I do wholeheartedly believe that 10 minutes of WBV is equally as effective as 1 hour of being in a gym.

Provided that being in the gym means sitting near the treadmills and reading a book.

10

Is WBV anything like those old vibrating belt machines that you see in gyms in black and white movies? You know the ones, a motor mounted on a waist-high poll with arms coming out both sides hooked onto a wide, cloth belt. You lean back with the belt around the small of your back and the machine shakes the ever lovin’ crap out of you.

11

(Evil Laughter)Roderick Femm, wouldn’t your partner be able to give you an acceptable version of Whole Body Vibration on HIS MACHINE? And do it for more than 10 minutes?(Evil Laughter):smiley:
::d&r::

12

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

13

I thought of these of those, too! I’m pretty sure I’ve seen them in black and white movies, Three Stooges, maybe. You can do a Google image search for vibrating belt machine and turn up all sorts of historical photos. You, uh, probably want to have safe searching turned on first.

14

C’mon. I just turned 32 and I remember seeing one of those vibrating belt machines at a friend’s house when I was a kid. You don’t have to go all black-and-white about it.

15

The “FDA Approval” is under this section:

*PART 890 – PHYSICAL MEDICINE DEVICES

Subpart F–Physical Medicine Therapeutic Devices Sec. 890.5380 Powered exercise equipment.

(a)Identification. Powered exercise equipment consist of powered devices intended for medical purposes, such as to redevelop muscles or restore motion to joints or for use as an adjunct treatment for obesity. Examples include a powered treadmill, a powered bicycle, and powered parallel bars.

(b)Classification. Class I (general controls). The device is exempt from the premarket notification procedures in subpart E of part 807 of this chapter, subject to the limitations in 890.9.

[48 FR 53047, Nov. 23, 1983, as amended at 61 FR 1125, Jan. 16, 1996; 66 FR 38818, July 25, 2001] *

So, the machine is approved as a “powered exerciser” machine. Note, that the “FDA Approval” has NOTHING to do with any of their claims.

( Establishment Registration & Device Listing )

Claim from their website:

*Does it replace exercise?

WBV can complement any physical activity or exercise regimen and provides unique benefits that are difficult to achieve in any other way. For people who do not exercise at all, using WBV seven to ten sessions per week can provide a fundamental level of activity their body needs and can provide many of the benefits that traditional exercise does.
*
( http://zaazstudios.com/faq/ )

I call BS on this one. I routinely mow using a tractor over very rough ground (think those large ag tires + really lumpy fields). IF standing on a device that is vibrating (see their faqs, they don’t say any activity is required) is not only the same as exercise, but 10 min = 1 hr, then by my calculation 30 min on my tractor should equal 1hr in the gym and I should look totally ripped like some sort of iron man.

16

I could see a device that is large enough to do some sort of jogging helping with fast twitch muscle development (maybe?), but you’d get the same thing jogging down steep hills. Unless this thing is really moving you around a lot (like a very brisk vibrations of nearly 1/8 inch) I don’t see how it would do much from a strength exercise aspect.

They sell these for your home as well. I’d love to see the effect this thing would have on an unsupported floor area. My living room is 25’ across and the people who built is undersized the stringers… If I put something like this on it for 10 minutes, I’d probably go crashing into the basement.

17

SCAM ALERT: ZAAZ WHOLE BODY VIBRATION Markets their vibrating machine as FDA approved and Nasa technology. Well, it’s not FDA approved. I spoke to FDA today and also received an e-mail from them. The product is an exercise machine not a medical device. It’s made in China not Canada. On their website http://zaazstudios.com/faq/ they claim the following:

“ZAAZ machines are FDA approved at registration #3007722048 and are also approvedby Health Canada as an exercise machine and a medical device. Recent additions to our lineup may still be in the FDA approval process.”

Please look at this link from FDA regarding registration #3007722048 :

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfRL/LDetails.cfm?LID=183474

Registration number 3007722048 is for a powered nasal irrigation devise.

I notified FDA and received a letter back confirming that ZAAZ Machines are not FDA approved and misbranded.

The Letter Reads:

BEGINNING OF LETTER

"Thank you for contacting the Food & Drug Administration’s Division of Small Manufacturers, International and Consumer Assistance (DSMICA). We appreciate your diligence in alerting us to the issues raised in your email. I have included detailed discussions on “cleared vs. approved,” determining a medical device’s clearance or approval status, determining prescription/restricted/over the counter use, sales of prescription/restricted use devices, and online sales. It is advisable that you pay particular attention to the discussion regarding References to FDA in Labeling and Marketing.

I conducted a brief search in the FDA Registration & Listing Database, and “3007722048” appears to be the Registration Number matching a company named "T-Zone Vibration Technology:

This appears to be an entry for a Canadian company listed as a Specification Developer and Foreign Exporter to the United States of a Class I (low risk), Product Code BXB, 510(k) exempt, GMP non-exempt medical device. Note that a low risk medical device is not “FDA Approved” …

References to the FDA in Labeling and Marketing:

Since 510(k) Clearances are for lower to moderate risk devices, the labeling of such devices as “FDA approved” (reserved for high risk devices) is misleading and constitutes misbranding (FD&C Act, Sec 502). Per the actual text in the US Food Drug & Cosmetic Act, Sec. 502 (21 U.S.C., Chapter V, Section 352):

A drug or device shall be deemed to be misbranded–

(a) False or misleading label. If its labeling is false or misleading in any particular.

Thus, a claim that a device requiring a 510(k) (low to moderate risk) is “FDA Approved” (high risk) is misleading and prohibited."

*** END OF LETTER***
These vibration machines are an updated version of the CRAZYFIT branded Vibrating machines sold for $200. These machines cost less than $100 from the manufactures in China. Don’t get SCAMMED for over $2000 for these machines. THE SELLING POINT is that they are FDA approved, AND THEY ARE NOT!!! FDA is looking into the matter right now.

If you have already purchased this machine, you should call FDA and notify them of the false advertising.

Owner of the company lives in Canada.

My issue is: you can sell it for whatever price you wish to sell it for, but don’t claim it’s FDA approved to help you make the sale. There are other vibrating machines out there you can purchase between $200-$800.

Don’t believe me? Do your own homework before purchasing this machine, CALL FDA and verify for yourself or write them an e-mail.

18

All very interesting, matok83; my original question did not have to do with buying such a machine, but with joining a gym-like outfit where one uses the machines as much as one likes. Therefore, I was more interested in the effectiveness of this product, rather than its value relative to the cost.

But I appreciate your research.
Roddy

19

Jackhammer operators should be the thinnest / fittest guys on the planet.

20

I use the Zaaz 20K Whole Body Vibration Machine. My model is a 12 minute program. I’ve been using it for a little over a month. Very noticeable results. I use it to tone up, work my core, and get some daily exercise because I hate going on the gym. My neck and shoulder problems are helped enormously, and after just a few sessions, my posture noticeably improved. I use hand weights on it, which quadruples the weight. So if I’m using a 3 lb weight, I am really getting the effect of 12 lb weights – provided I am using a speed that’s for exercise.

It’s a light cardio workout. Depending on what you do on it, you’ll get different benefits and results. I haven’t lost weight because I don’t need to nor want to. I get super hungry because I use it 2-3 times a day. So I am eating more. If you want to lose weight, you still need to be mindful of your diet. I sleep great. I dream great. My skin is looking wonderful. I feel more alive than ever. As far as I am concerned, it’s my fountain of youth.