knitwit Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 The belt massager.In my gym, they are always being used. There is a line for the belt massagers. I am a gym n00b and know little about gym equipment, but I watch these people and have to wonder. What is the benefit? I had always assumed the belt massager was some relic from the 1950s that con-men sold to housewives under the pretense that it would slim them down if they simply used it for 10 minutes a day.Is there a legitimate use for this machine, or have my fellow gym goers been duped by pseudoscience? What other equipment must we be weary of? *coughweightmachinescough* Quote Link to comment
ETFnerd Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 it turns me on... Quote i don't care what u think of me. unless u think i'm awesome. in which case u're right. Intro - Workout Log - ABS Log - Fitness Philosophy - Accountability - NERDEE - Weight Maintenance Link to comment
m00se Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 I believe the theory is twofold - firstly, the vibration belt rubbing on your flesh stimulates blood flow to encourage the removal of 'toxins' (always be wary of anything promoting that most fluffy of ideas), and secondly that if you're being pulled in one direction then your body contracts muscles to keep you in one place, thereby representing some sort of exercise.I couldn't find any evidence whatsoever that this actually works, and my summary is that you'd be better off spending your money on a good sports massage or just walking about a bit. Quote Link to comment
knitwit Posted January 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 bwahaha. So maybe the belt massager feels good, perhaps that is why people are lining up? Whatever floats your boat! Quote Link to comment
knitwit Posted January 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 I believe the theory is twofold - firstly, the vibration belt rubbing on your flesh stimulates blood flow to encourage the removal of 'toxins' (always be wary of anything promoting that most fluffy of ideas), and secondly that if you're being pulled in one direction then your body contracts muscles to keep you in one place, thereby representing some sort of exercise.I couldn't find any evidence whatsoever that this actually works, and my summary is that you'd be better off spending your money on a good sports massage or just walking about a bit.Hmmm, very pseudosciency! I'll stick to walking about. Quote Link to comment
Grosby Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 Okay, so what about those ones you see peddled in shopping malls (but never at a gym - well not one I've seen) the ones were you stand on and some plate vibrates at your feet. The other day on the cal-counting site I use someone burned some ridiculous number of calories (I'm talking in the thousands) in 40 minutes on one of those - that can't be right... can it? Quote Link to comment
Oz. Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 Okay, so what about those ones you see peddled in shopping malls (but never at a gym - well not one I've seen) the ones were you stand on and some plate vibrates at your feet. The other day on the cal-counting site I use someone burned some ridiculous number of calories (I'm talking in the thousands) in 40 minutes on one of those - that can't be right... can it?I believe you are referring to what we call a Power Plate in the UK, One of these:[ATTACH=CONFIG]1383[/ATTACH]I think the general idea is that you do exercises on it, i.e. step ups, push ups lunges and so on and so forth and the vibration causes you to use more of your stabilizing muscles than normal.Probably not as many as if you were squatting in a squat rack with 100kg on your back, but there we go. I have tried one, it made me feel funny, I did not use it again.Oz. Quote Link to comment
Grosby Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 That's the one, I had no idea that you do stuff on them.. except I guess I've seen some guy in a mall doing a poor-form squat on one, he looked like he was trying to poo in a bush. I imagine it'd make you feel very funny, I have trouble walking when I get off a treadmill, let alone getting off one of those. Quote Link to comment
aj_rock Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 I've heard of the power plates being good for stretching.They were right. My imagination got a verrrrrrrrry good stretch from thinking about that.Also: WHAT ABOUT THE SHAKEWEIGHT tots effective u guyz. Quote Why must I put a name on the foods I choose to eat and how I choose to eat them? Rather than tell people that I eat according to someone else's arbitrary rules, I'd rather just tell them, I eat healthy. And no, my diet does not have a name.My daily battle log! Link to comment
CalvinHobbes Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 I'm a nursing student and during my first rotation in the emergency department we had a guy come in with a broken nose because the shake weight somehow hit him in the face.... on his discharge paperwork I really thought about writing down for him this website Quote Link to comment
Guest guest4729 Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 They still have those belt massager things? I've never seen one in person but I always thought they were like...used by people 20-30 years ago to "lose weight" or something. Kinda like the shake weight mentioned above, or those ab-coaster things or all those other ridiculous things you see on TV. Quote Link to comment
sylph Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 They still have those belt massager things? I've never seen one in person but I always thought they were like...used by people 20-30 years ago to "lose weight" or something. Kinda like the shake weight mentioned above, or those ab-coaster things or all those other ridiculous things you see on TV.This is exactly what I thought! Especially since I saw one on Storage Wars awhile back. Who knew they were actually still in use anywhere! Quote Link to comment
Gainsdalf the Whey Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 Ah the shake weight. I've given it as a prank gift many times now to people I know have seen the South Park episode. The best was when I gave it to a female friend of mine and her dad snatched it up and starting instructing us in its use. Quote Massrandir, Barkûn, Swolórin, The Whey Pilgrim 500 / 330 / 625 Challenges: 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 34 35 36 39 41 42 45 46 47 48 49 Current Challenge "No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. " ~ Socrates "Friends don't let friends squat high." ~ Chad Wesley Smith "It's a dangerous business, Brodo, squatting to the floor. You step into the rack, and if you don't keep your form, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." ~ Gainsdalf Link to comment
adampm Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 Wow. The first thing I thought of when I saw the shake weight commercial was that somebody is going to break their face. I was guessing concusion, not broken nose though. Quote Link to comment
CalvinHobbes Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 Wow. The first thing I thought of when I saw the shake weight commercial was that somebody is going to break their face. I was guessing concusion, not broken nose though.Actually we first tested this guy for a concussion because he stated he could not remember what happened. Turned out it was embarrassment from the accident, not a loss of memory...I felt bad for him overall... Quote Link to comment
The Tin Man Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 Wow. The first thing I thought of when I saw the shake weight commercial was that somebody is going to break their face. I was guessing concusion, not broken nose though.If that's the first thing you thought of your mind isn't in the gutter as much as 95% of the people I know. Quote The Tin Man: Cyborg Ranger Tin Man's Out of Date Epic Quest I am what I do. Link to comment
Grosby Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 And then there's the doesn't LOOK as seedy as the shake weight, but the ad sure does! Quote Link to comment
ebm1224 Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 Have any of you seen the fake snow ad for the shakeweight? Hilarious! Ill have to find it and link it later. Quote Link to comment
ebm1224 Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 Blah should have snl ad. I need to learn how to type on this thing. Quote Link to comment
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