A weighted vest is a training aids designed to be worn while exercising to increase the intensity of your workouts. When you wear a weighted vest, you effectively increase your body weight and therefore the amount of work your muscles have to perform. Weighted vests are usually adjustable so that you can add or subtract weight to suit your fitness level. Initially load your vest with 5 percent of your body weight and build up to 10 percent over a period of weeks and months to gradually acclimatize your body to the increased demands of wearing a vest while working out. There are a variety of ways you can use your weighted vest.
Body Weight Exercises
If you wear a weighted vest while performing exercises such as push-ups, squats, and lunges, you will make these often-easy exercises much more demanding. You can wear a weighted vest for almost any body weight exercise except those performed in the lying position, as the vest will prove uncomfortable. Wearing a weighted vest can turn a muscular endurance exercise into a strength exercise by significantly increasing the amount of resistance your muscles have to overcome. Because most vests are adjustable, you can gradually increase the weight of your vest to progressively make your workouts more demanding and effective.
Cardio
Wearing a weighted vest when you perform your cardio will increase the challenge for your heart and lungs and result in a greater calorie expenditure which is very useful if weight management is your exercise goal. Walking, jogging, group exercise classes, cycling and stair stepping will be more challenging wearing a weighted vest. You should take care if you are performing high-impact activities such as running; however, as the added weight may increase the stress transmitted into your feet, ankles and knees and could lead to injury. Make sure you wear cushioned, supportive shoes if you are incorporating high-impact activities into your workouts.
Sports Agility Training
Many sports require agility which is best described your ability to react quickly to a stimulus. Diving to catch a baseball, dodging an opposing team member in football or changing direction quickly to lose a marker in soccer are all examples of agility. According to Thomas Battinelli, wearing a weighted vest during your agility training will make your workout more demanding and will make performing the same skills feel much easier when you repeat them without wearing your vest.
Daily Activities and Chores
According to Lyssie Lakatos and Tammy Lakatos Shames, you can significantly increase your daily energy expenditure by wearing a weighted vest while performing your chores and regular activities. Washing your car, walking the dog, playing with your kids or gardening can all become effective calorie burners. To avoid becoming overtired, gradually increase the length of time you wear your weighted vest over a period of weeks.
About this Author
Patrick Dale is an experienced writer who has written for a plethora of international publications. Also a lecturer and trainer of trainers, he is a major contributor for Ultra-FIT magazine and has been involved in fitness for 22 years. Other than a five-year service in the Royal Marines, Dale has always worked in health and fitness and never intends leaving.
