Weight training vests are an extremely useful yet often overlooked training tool which can be used for a variety of purposes to create improvements in performance. According to sporting goods expert Jeff Wilson, one of the best all-around weigh training vests on the market as of March 2011 is the MiR 100-lbs. Pro Adjustable Weighted Vest, which retails for around $290.
Purpose
A weight vest adds extra resistance to a variety of exercises. As you advance in your physical training, you will find that many exercises become too easy for you to perform without an added load. You can hold a dumbbell or barbell to increase the load, but wearing the MiR weight vest instead allows you to keep your hands free, and doesn't stress the upper-body joints. The vest can be particularly useful if you have hand or arm injuries, yet still want to add weight to lower-body exercises.
Convenience and Comfort
The MiR Pro Adjustable vest has a double layer of padding throughout the body and over the shoulder straps, meaning that even if you load it up to its full 100-lb. capacity, it will still feel comfortable. You can adjust the length and width of it as you need to, and it can be folded up small enough to fit in a gym bag.
Progression
Many people plateau when weight training because they try to add too much weight to their exercises too quickly. This vest adjusts in 3-lb. increments all the way up to 100 lbs., which allows you to make small increases to help sustain your progress -- and 100 lbs. of added resistance should be more than enough weight to sustain all but the most advanced trainees.
Exercises
The vest works well for any exercise where you need to keep your hands free. Plyometric and speed exercises like box jumps, sprints, and clap pushups are ideal to do with the vest, as are body-weight exercises such as chinups and dips. When you first use the weight vest, start with a small amount of weight added and work your way up as you feel comfortable. Do not try to increase the weight too soon, as this can lead to fatigue, performance plateaus and injury.
Member Comments