Weighted vests offer a convenient way to add weight to your workouts while leaving your hands free. The vests distribute weight evenly around your torso and contain removable weights, so you can easily adjust the amount. Start with a light load and add more weight as you grow accustomed to the extra burden. Choose a vest that fits your frame size, because an ill-fitting vest can be uncomfortable.
Build Endurance
A weighted vest can help you build endurance. H. Rusko and C.C. Bosco studied 24 athletes, half of whom wore weighted vests for four weeks while training. At the end of the experiment, the athletes who wore weighted vests could run farther without tiring. They also demonstrated great oxygen uptake, which allowed them to work out longer without tiring. The participants in this study, which was reported in 1987 in the "European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology," wore vests that added about 10 percent of their body weight.
Jump Higher
Practice jumping with a weighted vest. Once the vest is removed, you will feel lighter and may jump higher. A 2007 study reported in "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" that women who wore weighted vests during warmup exercises before participating in a vertical jump jumped higher than women who rode a stationary bicycle or performed the same warmup exercises without wearing the vest. Subjects in the study by the University of Massachusetts Department of Exercise Science and Physical Education who wore a weighted vest during warmups also jumped greater distances in the long jump. A similar study of female high school athletes reported similar results in the 2006 "Journal of Athletic Training." The 2006 study noted the best results when athletes wore a vest that equaled 2 percent of the athlete's body weight.
Run Faster
Runners who train wearing weight vests may be able to increase their speed.. In Rusko and Bosco's experiment, the subjects who wore the vests ran faster on flat ground and up stairs. As you run with a weighted vest, your body builds the muscle and strength necessary to carry the load. Once you take off the load for a competition, the muscle development and strength remain, which should allow you to run faster.
Build Bone Density
Weight-bearing exercise is one way to build bone density and decrease your risk of osteoporosis. Women, especially older women, have an increased risk of fracture and falls due to brittle bones. Wearing a weighted vest while working out or even walking around the neighborhood helps build bone density. Christine Snow and Janet Shaw of the Oregon State University Bone Research Laboratory developed an exercise program in 1994 for older women that includes wearing weighted vests. Along with wearing the vests, the women in the OSU study did an aerobic workout that included lunges and jumps. Their bone density and overall strength improved. Oregon State University continues to host exercise programs for post-menopausal women that feature weighted vests and the study's exercises, as of 2011.
References
- Oregon State University: Lunging For Life; Nick Houtman; January 2009
- "European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology"; Metabolic Response of Endurance Athletes to Training With Added Load; H. Rusko and C.C. Bosco; 1987
- "Journal of Athletic Training"; Dynamic Warm-Up Protocols, With and Without a Weighted Vest, and Fitness Performance in High School Female Athletes; Avery D. Faigenbaum, et. al.; 2006
- "Journal of Strength Conditioning": Acute effects of different warm-up protocols with and without a weighted vest on jumping performance in athletic women; A. G. Thompson, et. al.; 2007
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