Weight vests are popular workout tools with elite athletes and recreational exercisers alike. Usually constructed out of tough nylon or a similar material and secured in place with Velcro or buckles and straps, weight vests are worn over your regular workout clothes to make your exercise program more challenging. Most weight vests are adjusted by adding or removing the metal ingots held in pockets on the front and back of the vest. When working out wearing a weight vest, start with around 10 percent of your bodyweight in the vest and increase gradually as you become more accustomed to the extra load.
Benefits
Wearing a weight vest while working out makes most exercises more demanding. The increased weight increases the workload on your muscles, heart and lungs, which can result in increased fitness benefits. Exercises such as push-ups and lunges, which are traditionally considered to be muscular endurance exercises, become strength exercises when you wear a weight vest. If you play a sport wearing a weight vest, you will feel lighter and faster when you remove it. A weight vest also increases the energy expended while you work out and can help with weight management.
Aerobic Workouts
To improve your aerobic system, that is your heart, lungs and circulatory system, you can wear your weight vest while performing a variety of cardio exercises. Walking, jogging, running and cycling will all be more demanding when wearing a weight vest. Some models are also suitable for use in water and can be used for deep water running and other water based workouts. However, for safety reasons, they are not suitable for swimming. You can also play your favorite sport, such as softball, soccer, basketball or touch football wearing a weight vest to improve your aerobic fitness.
Strength Workouts
Wearing a weight vest when you perform calisthenic exercises will increase the demand on your muscles. If you don't have access to a bench press station, for example, performing push-ups when wearing a heavy weight vest will provide your chest, shoulders and triceps with a significant overload. You can develop a good level of all-around strength by performing push-ups, squats and pull-ups while wearing a weight vest.
Increasing Your Calorie Expenditure
Losing weight is all about burning more energy than you consume. To lose one pound of fat, you need to expend approximately 3,500 calories, so to lose one pound a week, you need to create a 500 calorie a day defecit. Although some of this deficit can come from eating less, to avoid being hungry all the time you should aim to "work off" some of the energy required for weight loss. Wearing a weight vest while performing physical chores such as cleaning, washing your car, walking your dog or playing with your children will result in greater than normal calorie expenditure and will promote weight loss.
Weight Vest Caution
The extra load placed on your body by wearing a weight vest is mostly beneficial, but in some cases may prove detrimental. If you have back, hip, knee or ankle problems you should exercise with caution when wearing a weight vest.
References
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2009
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
- "Ultimate Stair Exercises for Fitness & Weight Loss"; Virgil Aponte; 2006
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