The Power Plate,
found at more than a thousand gyms, rehab clinics and medical centers across the country, has a vibrating platform that causes deep, involuntary muscle contractions 25 to 50 times per second, according to the company. Holding a pose on the Power Plate engages the muscles significantly more than standing on steady ground, says
Will Caton, a certified personal trainer who devises Power Plate workouts for celebrities (without dropping names, let's just say that Caton had one of his clients at "hello"). One study, published in the journal
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, found that regular static exercises on the Power Plate strengthened women's legs as well as moderate resistance training did.
Power Plate Squat: Stand on the vibrating plate with your feet hip distance apart and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground. You want to make the muscles burn, Caton says, so hold still for a minute and a half (we felt it after just 30 seconds). Stand up, step off the plate and shake out your legs. Do this 3 times.
