# Gym wonks:  Ever see a Power Plate (TM)?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-wonks-ever-see-a-power-plate-tm/374678>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 29, 2006, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-wonks-ever-see-a-power-plate-tm/374678 "2006-09-29T23:48:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-wonks-ever-see-a-power-plate-tm/374678/1 "2006-09-29T23:48:47Z")

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I go to several branches of my health club, and they all have something called a Power Plate. The idea is that you perform various excercises, which may be calisthenics (like pushups), or stretches that move into and hold, or other movements that you do with resistance tubing, all while standing or seated on this vibrating platform that sounds like a small diesel engine. Supposedly, this the vibrations are supposed to impart more strength and flexibility, but if I’ve ever come across something that smacks more of Victorian era quackery, I can’t recall it. More than anything it reminds me of the scene from _Flowers For Algernon_ where Charlie is flashing back to his boyhood, when his mother took him to a quack who hooked him up to a loud vibrating machine, and when it was over said, “There now, Charlie. Don’t you feel smarter already?”.

Anyway, so what’s the deal with this Power Plate? Is it really any good?

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gym-wonks-ever-see-a-power-plate-tm/374678/2 "2006-09-29T23:58:44Z")

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I have just read about this, but can’t for the life of me remember where. The summary was, it may actually be of some benefit. I will do my best to remember (or likely, someone else will have a better answer before I remember.)