Vibration training may have been championed as a new kind of workout several decades ago, but now Power Plate® is on a mission to show how its equipment provides the ultimate warm-up and cool-down tool for any workout. Head of UK commercial sales for Performance Health Systems, David Williams, explains

Power Plate® has recently undergone a significant rebranding. What was your intention behind this process?
Power Plate as a brand has been around for over a decade, and vibration training as a concept for longer than that. However, we realised there were still misconceptions about what vibration training is and how it should be used.

We want to spread the message that Power Plate is not just something to simply work out on for 30 minutes – it’s a highly effective warm-up and cool-down tool to enhance preparation for exercise and faster recovery for everyone. In addition it can optimise performance when integrated effectively with other training tools.

Too many pieces of vibration equipment are being used incorrectly, or else they are standing idle in gyms.

What did your rebrand consist of?
We’ve spent the last six months working on a brand reposition with the marketing agency M&C Saatchi Abel.

Our key objective was to demonstrate how Power Plate makes a difference to its users, whether they’re an elite athlete, regular gym user or weekend warrior.

Everyone wants to be great ­– whether that relates to their performance, or how they feel or look, etc. Our new brand position looks at highlighting the gap between good and great, and how Power Plate can help people ‘Close the Gap’.

For an elite athlete, that may mean shaving a millisecond off their personal best, while for a 40-something Tough Mudder first-timer it might mean being able to finish the course and not be too sore to go to work the next day.

What do you feel Power Plate brings to the fitness market?
There have been many trends in the industry over the last 10-15 years, whether that’s heart rate training and wearables, functional training and HIIT, or power measurement.

However no one has really focused on the bookends of training, which are the most important – correct warm up and correct cool down. Preparing the body to move, and recover after training are two of the most important aspects of training.

How does Power Plate benefit the body exactly?
Power Plate causes a reflex response in the body to stimulate the neuromuscular system and increase blood flow.

The vibrating surface of the Power Plate creates a dynamic environment that challenges the body’s natural reflexes to react and stabilise to maintain balance. This results in a significant increase in muscle activity, in other words more muscles, doing more things, more often

These actions also promote lymphatic draining to reduce DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) in recovery and reduce the risk of injury – meaning Power Plate users will feel better and ready for their next session sooner. So whether people are training with cardio or weights, are in the studio or on the tennis court, or taking part in a triathlon, their performance will be enhanced by using Power Plate pre- and post-workout regardless of their ability.

Why should clubs work with you?
Today’s health and fitness market is extremely competitive with the arrival of high quality, lost-cost facilities and it’s becoming harder and harder for equipment to be a differentiator.
The challenge now is what we describe as harnessing the power of marginal gains to offer the difference between good and great – and ultimately give the end user the results they want.
Power Plate is a tool that works along side your existing training techniques and effectively closes the gap between good results and great results.

It’s not there to compete with other pieces of equipment or training methods in the gym, it’s there to enhance them.

What sports and fitness companies are you currently working with?
We assist with the training of numerous World Cup, Grand Slam and Superbowl stars and winners, along with many Olympic athletes, to mention just a few.

In the UK, we’ve been working with David Lloyd Leisure and Everyone Active to promote the benefits of movement preparation and recovery and how Power Plate is a tool that can serve to amplify these benefits, along with accessories such as foam rollers.

In addition, we’ve been working with operator Everyone Active to role out integrated fitness programming where the Power Plate is used alongside other functional tools such as medicine balls and ViPR® to optimise results.

What’s the company’s strategy going forward?
We’re really focused on resetting the perception of Power Plate in the health and fitness sector by engaging much more with the end user.

We’re currently developing a new app, and are working with Wexer on new virtual training programmes.

We've also recently aligned our practical application message with the three dimensional movement principles from our education partners the Gray Institute, a leading authority on Applied Functional Science and human movement.

What changes do you see happening in the fitness market, and how will Power Plate help serve those needs in the future?
We have an ageing population, and people are sitting longer and becoming more obese. There’s now a real shift towards health and prevention, not just fitness.

Health clubs need to target those who are sedentary and may have never tried exercise before, and just get them moving.

With Power Plate even a chair-bound individual can increase their circulation and receive lower body muscle stimulation by simply placing their feet on the plate.

Likewise someone who sits all day at work can go and do three minutes of movement on the Power Plate in their work clothes, to help prevent the dangerous effects of sitting disease.

We feel that our brand is uniquely positioned to enhance what we term the health-style of the population.

Whether that means the difference between them winning or losing, running a 10k in under an hour, reaching a healthy weight or having the strength and balance to play with their grandchildren in the garden, Power Plate will continue to ‘Close the Gap’ for them.