There are two variables which can be adjusted on a Whole Body Vibration platform, the amplitude (the distance the platform travels in a vertical direction), and also the frequency (the speed at which the platform cycles). By adjusting either of these two variables we also change things such as, the number of times per second our muscles contract, the amount G force exerted on our body, the degree of difficulty in stabilising, the flow of blood through our body. Research, and common sense tell us that different frequencies will have different effects on our body. Depending on what effects you are hoping to benefit from, will determine what frequency you should run your Whole Body Vibration platform.

All Whole Body Vibration platforms fall into one of two categories, lineal (often refered to as vertical) Whole Body Vibration platforms, and pivotal (often referred to as oscillating) Whole Body Vibration platforms. There are some variants of the the lineal type, such as 3D vibration. Lineal type vibration machines work on a higher frequency with lower a amplitude, whilst pivotal platforms work on a lower frequency with a lower higher amplitude.

When looking at pivotal Whole Body Vibration platforms, you should always ensure the machine has a full range of frequency, many Whole Body Vibration platforms being sold on the market today only reach frequencies below 20Hz. That is fine if you only want to use your whole Body Vibration platform for therapeutic purposes or some light vibration training, but if you are after a good workout, you need a Whole Body Vibration platform that will at least get up to around 25Hz. Below are extracts from Whole Body Vibration research on a pivotal unit, indicating the frequency used….

The frequency of the vibrations used in this study was set at 26Hz
Adaptive responses of human skeletal muscle to vibration exposure. source

In a parallel experiment (Bosco et al. in press) it has been noted that during vibration at 30 Hz the EMG signal of the biceps brachii muscle reached its greatest activity, thus this frequency was chosen in the present study
Influence of vibration on mechanical power and electromyogram activity in human arm flexor muscles source

The treatment group underwent whole body vibrations at a frequency of 26 Hz
New trends in science: The use of vibrations for enhancing performance source

Objective: To test whether training on a high-frequency (28Hz) vibrating platform improves muscle power and bone characteristics in postmenopausal women.
Conclusion: Reflex muscular contractions induced by vibration training improve muscle power in postmenopausal women.
High-Frequency Vibration Training Increases Muscle Power in Postmenopausal Women source

The whole vibration stimulus from the sole of the left and right feet was 3 minutes one time (shake frequency 25Hz) X 3 sets with a set interval was 10 minutes
Effect of Whole Body Vibration Stimulus and Voluntary Contraction on Motoneuron Pool source

Vibration frequency was gradually increased during the first minute from 0 to 26 Hz and maintained at that frequency for the remaining five minutes.
Acute Effects of Whole-Body Vibration on Lower Body Flexibility and Strength source

Vibration was with an amplitude a=1.05, a frequency of 26Hz, and hence a peak acceleration of 147 ms, or 15g.
Acute Physiological Effects of exhaustive WBV exercise in man source

As you can see, the Whole Body Vibration research suggests that using Whole Body Vibration platforms at higher frequency is beneficial for increasing muscle and strength. Therefore it is this one of the benefits you are looking for, it is important your machine can produce these higher frequencies. Not only that, but as you can see below, Whole Body Vibration research also suggests that the higher range of frequencies have far more benefits than the lower frequency range.