Power Plate - Worth The Hype?

So there I was, standing on a black platform, covered in sweat, everything jiggling at a million miles per hour. And when I say jiggling, I mean JIGGLING. I don’t think there is a girl out there who would welcome their thighs and ass moving like Miley Cyrus twerking in fast forward, let along in public. Did I mention that even my face was wobbling at full speed?

Why would I subject myself to such embarrassment, you ask? Turns out I was trying Power Plate – a machine that you stand on while performing strength and Pilates-style exercises whilst the machine transmits waves of energy throughout the body, activating muscle contractions between 25 and 50 times per second, enhancing overall performance.


These vibrations create instability in the body, as with each vibration the body is forced to perform reflexive muscle actions, multiple times per second, meaning each squat you do feels 10 times harder and the vibrations force you to engage your core for stability, giving you an intense workout in a short amount of time.

I’ll put my hand up, I was super sceptical (*cough* understatement *cough*), and must admit thought it was a bit gimmicky, but one of my besties, Eli had sung the praises of the Power Plate, so much so that she actually has one in her house! This girl has the most incredibly toned abs, to the point where you want to punch her and her sickening abs, but your knuckles would probably shatter into a million pieces because her midsection looks like it is carved from stone. Whilst I will never even come close to having a tummy as flat as hers, I was willing to give it go.

Commence major envy in 3, 2, 1

As someone who likes to keep fit, I thought that thirty minutes would be a piece of cake and that I’d have it in the bag, and stroll out of there with a smug look on my face throwing up deuces to everyone I passed on the way out. Turns out I had a delightful trainer who gave me one on one coaching the entire time and pushed me well beyond my limits with various weights, kettle bells and Pilates circles. I was knackered by the end. Seriously. I hobbled out of there like I had just got off a horse.

The creators of the Power Plate claim that the machine has a host of benefits, ranging from an immediate improvement in blood circulation, to increased muscle strength and flexibility, improved range of motion, decreased cellulite, increased bone mineral density, reduced pain and soreness and faster recovery. I must concede I am hooked.

I have been going to The Perth Pilates Studio in North Perth, where they currently have an introductory offer for 1 month of unlimited Power Plate for $109. I have been going about 4 times per week, and you have a trainer guiding you through the workout every single time, so it’s basically the cost of 2 personal training sessions for unlimited training for a month. A single session would normally cost $36 a pop, so it’s really great way to try it out and see if it’s right for you. Even after my trial month is up, I think I’ll incorporate it once a week for strength training, I give it two thumbs up and a jiggly nod of approval.

The Perth Pilates Studio is located at 6/299 Charles Street North Perth or check them out at www.perthpilatesstudio.com.