One of the other secretaries has been telling me about "Flabby Loss".

Apparently you stand on a machine which shakes you and hey presto! you lose weight without having to do anything at all.

Have Flabby Loss re-written the laws of physics?

I was thinking of having a go, could do with losing 2k before Big Dog and Kielder…

ha these were about in the 50s and were stupid then.

I think you'll find it some BS marketing aimed at podgy people looking for a way to loose weight without doing anything
There's a tanning place near me that advertises it alongside the fish that nibble your feet.
Excellent punning name though I agree "Flabelos"

I've seen those! Walking past the gym to play 5-a-side you see women standing there gently jiggling. I bet it works a treat!
I suspect they sit on the washing machine at home too for the same purpose…

[edit] Nice pic there CK! – strangely not one of the women look like that.

See, if this actually worked…… then Chunk would never have been able to do the truffle shuffle!

Sort of like standing up on the tube? – or getting really cold and shivering?

I am sooooo sceptical, how come this sort of thing is allowed? Have you read the claims? helps prevent varicose veins, osteoporosis, tightens skin, anti-ageing … really?

I am sooooo sceptical, how come this sort of thing is allowed? Have you read the claims? helps prevent varicose veins, osteoporosis, tightens skin, anti-ageing … really?

There is EU legislation (since 2006 or 7) in place to guard against this sort of thing, though not sure whether equipment like this is covered. It's been quite controversial- companies now have to submit evidence to support their marketing, and I think around 80% of claims so far have been rejected. Slimfast may have to change it's name, and Danone is having problems with probiotic yoghurts. The trouble is that there's so many claims to be submitted, and the deadline is a long time (a decade or so?) into the future… google EFSA health claims for more..

'Academic' references provided by the food industry to support applications under the EU health claims Regulation included excerpts from the Old Testament, Wikipedia, a Tea Association press release, a Royal Air Force report and the American Heritage Dictionary, it has emerged.

Sounds more like a PowerPlate than what CoffeeKing has posted.

Dunno if they work (assume not) but all manner of people use them at my local gym to do weird half press-ups and crunches on whilst being vibrated. Some fattos do just stand on them.

Assume it's supposed to make you work to keep your balance or somethign?
edit: this is the thing:

I can see how it would work as you would surly resist the shaking, but it's not going to help your cardio. In fact I know a couple of lasses who reckon they are decent not that they were particularly out of shape anyway.

It's not going to get you from a 16 stone KFC eater into jessica ennis but I can see why you would add it into a gym routine.

Sounds more like a PowerPlate than what CoffeeKing has posted.

Same principle. Same tosh.

I can see how it would work as you would surly resist the shaking

No, because unless it's totally random action and large displacements your body will just select an average balance point and stabilise itself there, allowing minimal input of energy. It's what the human body does well, adjusting for situations and using as little energy as possible to do it. These are just yet another attempt at trying to get people suckered in by telling them they need to do nothing and can still lose weight.

I am sooooo sceptical, how come this sort of thing is allowed? Have you read the claims? helps prevent varicose veins, osteoporosis, tightens skin, anti-ageing … really?

It's almost up there with the tat that wiggle now sell.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Power_Balance_Hologram_Core_Pack/5360050664/

or getting really cold and shivering?

I guess similar which I'm sure would use energy (calories) doing press ups/sit ups sounds good a bit like a swiss ball.

I'm all for them if it gets more people working out they might end up actually trying a treadmill or rowing machine.

Coffeeking – Member
Sounds more like a PowerPlate than what CoffeeKing has posted.

Same principle. Same tosh.

I can see how it would work as you would surly resist the shakingSame principle. Same tosh.

No, because unless it's totally random action and large displacements your body will just select an average balance point and stabilise itself there,

Have you used one?

I've not used one personally but they certainly look to wobble the plate enough that you would need to constantly rebalance.

Not used one, but seen them in action at the local gym. Unless there's a super mode that no-one uses they look pretty tame bit of kit?

28 seconds in, not much in the way of motion

I thought the power plates were designed to help aid muscular recovery rather than promote weight loss?

Well I've also seen a lot of fattos just standing on them with no visible exertion. Still, at least you can't hoff cakes while you're on them so they are doing some good.

Unless there's a super mode

Lol!

"Heeeelllpppp mmeeee oooouuutt ooofff controolllololololol!!!"

Well I've also seen a lot of fattos just standing on them with no visible exertion.

And that's exactly it, if you don't come off it feeling tired (either muscularly stressed or cardio streched) then it's not doing anything other than giving you vibration white foot and making you look stupid. Take it up a notch to those fun mechanical rodeo bulls and I could see the benefit.

Power Balance® is a performance technology that uses holograms embedded with frequencies that react positively with your body's natural energy field.

Might have to send that one to Ben Goldacre.

There is one at my Gym – few people using them recently. A lad there who is muscular and fit tried one and he said they are really quite harsh to use – his abs and quads when you do certain manoeuvres really get a work out. I think they are for core type toning. Not gona give you a hard workout but it might not harm for 10 mins at the end of a hard workout.

28 seconds in, not much in the way of motion

43 secs in looks like a bit more wobble, but that looks nowhere near as much as I recall (I was surprised when I noticed the movement as I had previously assumed they actually did nothing at all – like most of the other trendy tat they keep installing in Virgin Active gyms)

Well I've also seen a lot of fattos just standing on them with no visible exertion.

And that's exactly it, if you don't come off it feeling tired (either muscularly stressed or cardio streched) then it's not doing anything other than giving you vibration white foot and making you look stupid. Take it up a notch to those fun mechanical rodeo bulls and I could see the benefit.

Quite, but you could say that of any equipment. There are plenty of chubbers who will happily use the cycles for 5 mins with no resistance, walk at 1.5kph on a tread mill for 5 mins, then shuffle onto the lifting machines and do that with no resistance, etc etc

I've seen people get off treadmills and bikes without any sign of exertion. Doesn't mean they're bad equippment 🙂

A simple test is how much more you have to breath. All the lost fat has to leave via your lungs after metabolism

Ignore barnes 🙂

I've seen people get off treadmills and bikes without any sign of exertion. Doesn't mean they're bad equipment

So you're supposed to run about on the vibro plate?

Ignore barnes

you're saying it isn't true ? Where else might the fat go ? Not counting blackheads and assorted secretions, earwax, babies and liposuction it's the only other path out of the body…

[through the lungs as CO2, obviously]
and I forgot blood donation and amputation and milk

I can think of two other bodily waste products

It's not going to get you from a 16 stone KFC eater into jessica ennis

Out of interest, what would get a 16 stone bloke into Jessica Ennis? Just theoretically, like.

Barnes.. you can be burning fat nicely (from my own experience) without puffing and blowing much.

Amazing, because the woman opposite me (who is a fan) swears that she has lost inches here and there and "probably about 6 lbs"… I can't grill her too much about how scientific her methods were for various reasons, but she's convinced. Good marketing eh?

you can be burning fat nicely (from my own experience) without puffing and blowing much.

no you can't – it's called stochiometric chemistry. Each carbon atom needs an oxygen molecule (and each 4 hydrogens need one too) and they come from the air you breathe.

I'm burning fat now and not puffing and blowing..! Still breathing, I just don't look like I'm trying hard. Likewise if I ride up to say 180W I don't look puff and pant either.

I do planks and squats on the powerplate at the end of my weights session. It makes it much harder than doing a normal plank. Have also used it for press ups and it's pretty hard work. Have read that you are meant to lose fat faster on the powerplate due to muscles contracting faster to help you balance but that's not why I use it. Most of the women I see appear just to stand on it.

Dirtygirl, what is a plank? What do you use the powerplate for? Do you do lots of weights? To help with cycling?

Yes, according to the woman at work, you just stand on it. She was getting pissed off with me for grilling her yesterday. Apparently it "dislodges the fat" – I'm afraid I laughed out loud at that …

"dislodges the fat"

Hahahaha does that mean you develop cankles before you get skinny through using a powerplate?

Coffeeking, do you have any more pics like the one you posted above? very good

If I put the turbo trainer on a power plate will it feel like I've been on a real ride?

Underground trains give a really bumpy ride – do you think, if you were fat, that if you stood up from, say, Morden to High Barnet on the Northern Line, that you would be really thin when you got there?

What would happen if you were thin to start with? 😆

Dislodging the fat is usually what happens 30 seconds before a fatal stroke or heart attack.

karinofnine, sorry for the delayed reply – iphone wouldn't let me post on here for some reason.

The plank is a core exercise – the photo retro83 posted is how to do it on the powerplate, although i put a lot of step boards under my feet to raise them to the same height as the powerplate and do a plank from there. Yes, i do a lot of weights – 2 or 3 times a week, mainly high reps, low weights. I do it to help with running and cycling, i find it helps me ride and run for longer if i'm stronger – i'm only 5'2 and 8 stone, so i like the extra strength weights gives me. I've also had a few injuries/muscle imbalances over the years, and weights has kept me strong/helped me recover from them. I also enjoy lifting weights too.

I usually do all my weights on machines/free weights first, and finish with 20mins/4 sets of squats and planks on the powerplate, mixed up with ab work on the bosu. I'm not sure why i started using the powerplate – i avoided it for ages when they were introduced at my gym, mainly because a lot of the people that used them were fully made up women who just used to stand on them and not look like they were working out at all.

I've read various things about them, mainly in running mags, about how they force your muscles to work harder due to the vibration making the surface uneven, and something like a 30min powerplate workout is meant to give you the same results as an hour long weights workout. I can fully agree with that – the first time i did squats on the powerplate, my legs were sore for days afterwards – yet i can do squats with weights or using the swiss ball and my legs are fine afterwards. I've also noticed a difference in upper body strength since doing the plannks on the powerplate – its the only thing i've changed recently, but the number of press ups i can now do has jumped a lot. Despite the women who just stand on the powerplate, it can be a pretty hard workout if you try/do it properly – for example, i can do 25 proper press ups on the ground, but struggle with my form after 8 on the powerplate, and there's no way i could do my usual number of reps and sets on it.

Anyway, you have probably got bored by now or have forgotten about the thread so I'll shut up now 🙂