Don’t just take my word for it! Internationally renowned Supermodel and mother, Claudia Schiffer says: "I love using a Power Plate machine as part of my fitness regime as I can do a really intensive work out in such a short space of time. As a working mother with a hectic work schedule exercising on a Plate machine helps me stay in shape without having to spend hours in the gym."

Have you heard of acceleration training? Maybe you’ve seen machines called Power Plate in your local gym, retail outlet or in a private studio?

These machines are acceleration training devices, medically approved, that deliver all the benefits of regular exercise - increased muscle strength, tone, flexibility, increased blood flow, lymphatic drainage and bone density - but in a fraction of the time with minimal impact and stress.

What’s more, they deliver far more as well. For those ladies reading, it will fight that stubborn cellulite that no amount of running will shift! Guys, why not utilise these acceleration platforms to pre-activate your muscles before a heavy lifting workout or sprint session for maximal strength gains and performance. For me, acceleration training allowed me to rehab my injured knee safely and effectively and essentially allowed me to run again.

Interested? Well I’ll be bringing you everything you need to know about acceleration training, as well as top tips and exercises to try for yourself.

In this first edition, let me explain exactly what acceleration training is. Ready for the science?…

Acceleration training uses advanced vibration technology to create involuntary or unconscious muscle contractions. By simply standing on the vibrating platform in an exercise position such as a squat or lunge, the muscle receptors (muscle spindles) detect the vibration and send a message to the muscle fibers to contract rhythmically and automatically at the speed you have set your machine to. This can be between 30 and 50 times per second! So the muscles are working faster, and what’s more, more muscle fibers are activated to further strengthen and tone your body.

The position you stand on the platform determines the results that you get (no, you can’t just sit on it and get fit!). If you pre-tense your muscles by doing a squat, lunge or even push up position, then you will activate your muscle fibers to contract and they will develop strength over time. If however you stand in a stretch position on the platform, such as a calf or hamstring stretch, the tension receptors in your muscles are activated and act to relax the muscle bringing about relaxation and improved flexibility much faster than with conventional stretching.

But it gets better… if you lay a body part (inner thigh or quadriceps for example) on the platform passively, i.e. with no tension or stretch, then the vibrations will massage and release tension, flushing out the toxins and waste products from the body as a result of the increased blood flow and lymphatic drainage that is created. So you can achieve strength gains, flexibility and relieve tension with one machine!

A typical session lasts 30 minutes and comprises holding different poses (strength, stretch or massage) for up to 60 seconds at a time. Different positions target different body parts so you can tone and hone your entire body.