» Wave: Power Plates
Zara Baker looks at the benefits of a Power Plates class at Revitalise
A longside the familiar equipment in the local gym stands a Power Plates machine. At some centres, there is an additional charge on top of the membership fees to use them; at others, the waiting time can be huge. At Revitalise in Hove, Power Plates group classes are offered weekday mornings, lunchtimes and evenings, and Saturday mornings too. Regular classes are easy and possible for visitors as they now have a studio housing four Power Plates machines.
In a gym, I wouldn’t have known where to start with the Power Plates machine, or the best exercises to try out. An instructor can take me through the technicalities, but it is through a tutored class that I really benefit.
A free trial class at Revitalise on these machines introduces clients to a new world of half hour workouts. In just half hour on the Power Plates, I feel like I’ve done double the amount of time in the gym. The results are quicker and the time is halved. This is down to the vibrating plate. Be it a lunge, squat, sit-up or plank, the intensity of any excercise you perfom is multiplied by the vibrating of the plate. Put simply: do one sit-up on the machine, and it’s the same as doing three standard ones.
The free trial class introduces you to the machines. Attending regular classes is where it gets really interesting. Fed up of exercises that became stale too quickly – fitness DVDs, unmotivating runs, and hours slogging away in the gym – I find with Power Plates I have no time to get bored.
“The free trial class introduces you to the machines. Attending regular classes is where it gets really interesting”
This is mainly down to the qualified Power Plate trainers at Revitalise, who devise each half hour session so I get the most out of my workout. Beginners start on the 30Htz setting; more experienced trainers go for 40Htz. Each trainer has a different approach, which is nice, but they all incorporate exercises for the legs, abs and arms into 30 minutes.
What I loved most of all is how many exercises can be done using Power Plates. Without the classes, I wouldn’t have thought to have done half of the moves I’ve been introduced to. Step-ups provide a burst of cardio exercise; the plank position strengthens the abs; a tricep dip to the floor diminishes ‘bingo wings’.
Then, the accessories are introduced: bands (tough to control, but well worth the effort), ball (supporting the lower back for sit-ups and great for leg-toning exercises) and hand weights (great for toning and shaping the arms). The fan and air con unit in the studio is welcome, as half an hour later the whole class is exhausted. Power Plates was always the workout marketed as ‘no need for a shower; no need for a change of clothes.’ But the programmes the Revitalise teachers run through make gym wear an essential – along with a shower afterwards.
The increased strength in my arms and legs from working out on these machines is apparent, and I get a fantastic energy boost. The other good bit? Each class winds down with a few minutes of massage. The machines are set to high (50Htz) with the calves, upper thighs (a great cellulite shifter) and back (great for increasing bone density, preventing osteoporosis) given a glorious massage.?A wonderful end to any workout.
Revitalise, 86 Church?Road, Hove, 01273 738389, www.revitalise-u.co.uk
