DOES IT WORK?

Q I’VE READ THAT VIBRATION TRAINING IS AS GOOD AS THE TREADMILL. WISHFUL THINKING? ADRIAN, DEVON

From headlines hailing miracle drugs to gimmicky gadgets that do your training for you, one might suppose that the sports science community is engaged in a tireless quest to do away with honest workouts altogether. The trouble is, they don’t always get it right.

Vibration plates work by increasing the frequency of muscle contractions. In a study published in Endocrinology, obese mice subjected to 20 minutes of intense vibration saw similar results to those given 45 minutes on the treadmill.

But you, Adrian, are not an obese mouse. What’s more, the study authors don’t even believe healthier mice would see similar benefits – let alone hardy humans such as yourself. So, by all means, work the plate into your regimen; the added oscillation will intensify your press-ups and squats. But as a sub-in for cardio? In short: you can’t shake it off.

Q DO I REALLY NEED TO COOL DOWN AFTER MY WORKOUT? FINLAY, MAIDENHEAD

When your day’s workload looms large, a gentle spin on the bike to cool down after a morning session can seem like wasted time. And you’d be right: this training bookend is past its shelf life. “There’s no scientific evidence that the traditional cool-down aids recovery,” says Ashley Capewell, fitness coach at Performance Ground. “The body will always regulate back to a steady state. A proper warm-up is more important.”

So how best to precede? Capewell recommends an acronymic structure known as RAMP: Raise, Activate, Mobilise and Potentiate. Kill two birds with one stone by raising your temperature and activating your muscles with bodyweight moves such as lunges and press-ups, followed by mobilisation stretches that take your joints through their full range of motion. Potentiating means building up intensity, and it can be as simple as progressively loading the weight on your barbell. You may lose five minutes in bed, but your physique will be better for it.