We’re always on the lookout for the latest gear and the freshest routines to push our bodies to the next level. If you’ve been considering the benefits of a weight vest and what it does to your body, you’re on the right track. So why should you workout with a weighted vest?
Weighted vests add extra resistance to any form of training you perform. That means you work harder. And that means better results.
They have small pockets that hold weights, usually in the form of sandbags or small metal plates, and they fit snugly to your body which helps the additional weight feel natural. Some vests come in fixed weight classes, and some are adjustable – meaning you can add or remove weight.
The RUNfast/max Adjustable Weighted Vest is our top rated vest at STE.
Things to Consider
There are several ways you can reap the benefits of training with a weighted vest, but consider the basics before you begin:
· Fitness Level
It’s important to know your personal limits – how much your body can handle and how much it can take. There’s always room for improvement, but trying to go too hard too quickly, or adding too much weight too fast will only result in injury, further preventing you from reaching your goals.
· Workout Profile
What kind of workout schedule are you are currently on? Is it something you can incorporate a weight vest into? Are you looking to build muscle, shed fat, or improve your cardiovascular endurance? These are questions you need to ask yourself to determine if a weighted vest would be beneficial.
· Starter Weight
Again, it’s important to start slow. Begin with the lowest amount of extra weight that you feel comfortable with and work up from there.
· Master Your Technique
With any form of exercise comes a potential risk of injury. Adding more weight to your body only increases this risk. Maintaining proper form is key to preventing injury and staying on track to reach your goals. This is most important when it comes to strength training – master the mechanics of any lift before adding extra weight.
How to Use a Weighted Vest
Weighted vests can be used for strength training or cardio, but they’re particularly beneficial with certain forms of exercise:
· Body Weight Exercises
Push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and burpees rely on your bodyweight for resistance. But once you reach a point where performing these with just your bodyweight becomes easy, you hit a plateau. You have to gradually add more resistance to make any more progress. Wearing a weighted vest gives you that ability
· Walks and Hikes
Walking and hiking are low-impact exercises, and they’re more focused on endurance and stamina. Wearing a weighted vest will improve both of these factors as well as increase your overall calorie burn.
· Sprints
Short sprints are one form of what’s known as HIIT – High Intensity Interval Training – and they burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. Wearing a weighted vest while doing any form of HIIT will drastically increase the overall effectiveness of your workout.
· Cycling
If you’re training for an event, try cycling while wearing a weighted vest. When you go back to your normal bodyweight for the event, your endurance and stamina will be significantly increased.
· Household Chores
If you just want to burn a few extra calories all day long (and who doesn’t?) wear a weight vest while you’re out mowing the lawn, vacuuming the living room, or playing with the kids. Simply having more weight on your body forces it to work harder. That translates to more calories burned no matter what you’re doing.
What Are the Benefits of Wearing a Weighted Vest?
While there’s quite a variety of weighted vests to choose from, they all offer the same benefits:
· Boosts Cardiovascular System
Additional weight resistance from a vest means that your body needs to work harder to support the added weight. It does that by circulating oxygen-rich blood to your muscles faster by increasing your heart rate, boosting the function of your entire cardiovascular system.
· Improves Breathing
Having an increased heart rate means that your lungs need more oxygen to deliver blood throughout your body. This process increases your VO2 max and improves your cardiovascular health, even after you take the vest off.
· Increases Metabolic Rate
Your faster heart rate and increased lung function require a lot of energy (calories) to maintain. This signals your metabolic system to work harder and faster.
· Improved Weight Loss
Having a fast metabolic rate means that your body uses more fuel to produce the energy it needs. That fuel comes from the calories you eat. The faster you burn through those calories, the more weight you lose.
· Improves Endurance
Performing any exercise while wearing a weighted vest forces your body to adapt to performing that exercise with the additional weight. When you remove that weight, performing the same exercise becomes significantly easier. This is particularly noticeable in endurance based exercises – long distance running, cycling, etc.
· Develop and Tone Muscles
The foundation of strength training and building muscle is progressive overload – gradually lifting more and more weight so that your body is forced to adapt by building bigger, stronger muscles. A weighted vest allows you to do this while performing any type of exercise.
· Improves Bone Strength
Strength training not only develops muscle mass but bone density as well. Bone mass is increased during strenuous exercises which not only helps prevent injuries, it also creates denser bones and a stronger skeletal system.
· Develops Core Strength
In the same way weighted vests help you build muscle with bodyweight exercises, they can also help develop your midsection. Try adding a weighted vest to your ab routine. You may be surprised how much of a difference a few extra pounds can make
It’s clear that adding a weight vest to your workout can be significantly beneficial, regardless of what your goals are. Just be sure to add weight gradually and work towards your goal. Check out our top ten picks for a list of some of the best weighted vests available today.
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