A 50-lbs. vest is a sleeveless upper-body garment, used for physical training, with a weight-laced interior. The vest adds resistance to every movement and wearing one, over time, increases physical ability in many areas. The weighted vest is utilized in a number of applications. By adding this type of intensity to your workouts, you can advance your fitness level and become better able to execute certain tasks.
Firefighters
The Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) is the physical fitness examination that each professional firefighter must pass, before he or she can be considered for active duty. The test is a sequence of tasks, each one replicating some activity commonly encountered in the field. In order to pass the CPAT, each firefighter must complete an entire training course while wearing the weighted vest. Cadets are timed while climbing stairs and ladders with equipment, pushing and pulling lodged doors, dragging an adult-sized mannequin and carrying a heavy fire-hose.
Running
Competitive runners often train while wearing a weighted vest. Distance athletes find the added weight to significantly improve overall endurance. On the other hand, sprinters benefit from the explosive leg power generated once the vest is removed. Wearing a weighted vest also enhances cardiovascular function, as the heart works harder and progressively strengthens to sustain the workload.
Climbing
Another sport in which the weighted vest can improve your performance is climbing. Scaling a cliff or synthetic wall requires a tremendous amount of strength and muscular endurance, both which can be advanced dramatically with the weighted vest. While in training, wearing a 50-lbs. vest will also toughen connective tissue within the body, enabling a climber to hold and maneuver his weight more skillfully across an ever-changing terrain.
Balance
Osteoporosis, a medical condition in which bones become brittle and break easily, can be meliorated by wearing a weighted vest. This disorder is most prevalent among post-menopausal women. There is a direct correlation between muscle strength and bone thickness. As muscle power develops, through wearing a weighted vest, the bone-density loss associated with aging is slowed. The vest also improves balance by strengthening the smaller stabilizer muscles that line your abdominal core. This lessens the risk of falling, an occurrence which commonly leads to fracture in the elderly.
Member Comments