Scientific progress over the last hundred or so years has added immensely to our modern day knowledge of health, fitness and how to achieve maximal results. Irish athletes like Dr. Pat O’Callaghan were the first to apply the principles of physics as opposed to sheer brute strength to hammer throwing in the 1930’s. Some of the top coaches in Germany would travel to Ireland to record him and these films would form the basis of the Soviet Unions scientific approach to weight throwing, taking Irish man Pat Ryan’s 1913 world record of 57.77m to 86.74 in 1986, distances which were beyond imaginary 70 years beforehand. The knowledge possessed by lifters such as Sandow or Atlas is as legendary as their strength and today the best within our industry are almost always the brightest, possessing numerous qualifications and years of study as well as training. Some don’t even train but apply their knowledge to others!

But what has changed in the last century? Sets, reps, nutrition, the way we lift, when we lift but not what we lift. Take out the high fangled machines which could only be developed in the modern era and my local gym looks little different to the gym of the Imperial Russian Court in the late 1800’s (though it's full of a lot more kids bench more then they can deadlift and can hardly bench the bar). The tools of the ancients: barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells and clubs; while they may rise and fall in the estimations of the public they have survived 100 years and as many attempts to destroy them, outright lies and bizarre mechanical machines designed to replicate their movements. And so a century which has bought us scientific advancement unparelled to any other time in our history has bought us in fitness two important lessons in relation to the equipment we use which are law:
1. The old ways are perfect.
2. Perfection can not be improved upon.

A number of years ago a man regarded as one of the top throws coaches in the country declared that a new method of weightlifting had been developed in America. It was revolutionary and as he told me about it (I’m afraid I’m rather gullible at the best of times) I saw my entire world collapse before me. 15 minutes a day, he said, and with this new method world records in both throwing and lifting would fall. It was the end of squatting, the end of deadlifting (all the things that gave my life purpose!) and the end of long training sessions. With fear I awaited for this idea to disseminate to Ireland. 7 years later I am still waiting, though without as much fear. Though he never said what this training method was, I think it has arrived. I think he was talking about vibration training…




I have no intention of criticising vibration training; though I have never tried it I think that within an isolated number of applications power plates and such are excellent devices. There are many articles about its ability to increase bone density, stave off osteoporosis and also its benefits to the lymphatic system. People with severely restricted range of motion and the elderly have also benefited from this type of training and it is a must for the large section of the Irish population that want to become astronauts. I would however be suspicious of its capabilities to help athletes gain strength, sport specific or functional strength or power/speed. This is due to the slow nature that the exercises have to be executed in and the relatively light weights required to allow such movements. Also, it is of absolutely no benefit for cardio. This link (PDF) is for a cardio session using a power plate, a series of body conditioning exercises interspersed by and “active interval” i.e. the actual cardio, which is a series of step aerobics and exercise to music moves performed OFF the plate!.

Why attack vibration training? Because some genius has came up with putting the two biggest trends of the last decade together. Introducing the vibrobell!

Though various versions of this contraption have been around since about the start of this year it was only in the last week I found out that one of the Irish suppliers is stocking not one but two different brands of this utensil (utensil may be the wrong word, that indicates it has a utility!) Weighing in at a staggering 3kg (adjustable if that’s too heavy, you can bring it down to a more manageable 1kg) it’s €89 price tag (down from 99) puts it in the same range as a 28kg competition kettlebell! While the above video is in Spanish or one of the Latin languages you can pick up the general idea. The booklet at the 40 second mark shows what appears to be a clean and a snatch as well as tons of conventional lifting exercises but considering the weight is so light I assume you’re meant to break every rule of kettlebell lifting when doing them. Anyway, hammer curls? Seriously? Is that not the definition of too light?

If you didn’t find that video entertaining enough here is one from China showing the benefits of training with the vibro/abell. (notice the guy at the start is wearing gloves…using a 3kg….) Vibration training is very big in Asia at the moment and in one forum a trainer in Singapore who wanted to start a kettlebell class was asked if he could teach them on a power plate.

Looking more like a cross between R2-D2 and a vacuum I can’t imagine that we will see these implements around in another 100 years, unlike the kettlebell of yesterday and today. In its simplicity the kettlebell has achieved perfection as a training tool (I’m sure you can find a coach in your locality to explain why!) and as stated above perfection can not be improved upon. While vibrating training has its benefits it will never overcome the iron game of Saxon and Apollon et al.