Body weight exercises are a safe and effective way to get in shape, but sometimes your own body weight just doesn't provide enough resistance. Weight vests come in handy when you can already do pullups, pushups, squats and other calisthenics with ease. They can also be used to increase the intensity of your cardio workouts, and are safer than holding dumbbells because they evenly disperse the extra weight across your upper body, taking the load off your joints.
Finding the Right Vest
Weight vests typically range from 5 lbs. to 40 lbs. Some are adjustable, allowing you to add and remove weight, while others are not. If you're new to performing body weight exercises and just want a little extra resistance, start out with a light vest. If you're used to lifting heavy weights and are focused more on bodybuilding, try a heavier vest -- one that can hold 20 to 40 lbs.
Pushups
Pushups are one of the best body weight exercises for developing upper body strength and stability. Some would say they are the best body weight exercise. The only problem with pushups is that at some point you are going to hit a plateau. For example, if you can do 50 elevated pushups in a row, working your way up to 75 or 100 isn't going to make you stronger, per se -- it's just going to increase your anaerobic endurance. Doing pushups with a weight vest on is like adding weight to a barbell when you're bench pressing.
Pullups
The basic pullup, using just your body weight, is already one of the most challenging exercises for any individual. Most women cannot perform a single pullup and most men cannot perform more than one or two in a row. To score 100 points in the Marines for doing pullups, you have to be able to do 20 in a row. If you're already able to perform 10 or more pullups in a row, try doing your normal pullup routine with a weight vest on. This will increase the strength of your arms, shoulders and back, which will ultimately increase the number of pullups you can do.
Sqauts and Lunges
Squats and lunges are two effective exercises for strengthening the muscles of your legs. The quadriceps are among the strongest muscles in the human body, so unlike pushups or pullups, most people can perform several squats and lunges in a row without any fatigue. Wearing a weight vest while you perform these exercises is like doing squats with a barbell, or holding a pair of dumbbells while you do lunges.
Sprinting
Sprinting with a weight vest on creates an overload effect on your lower body. Normal sprinting, unlike running or jogging, is already an anaerobic exercise without adding any additional resistance. When you sprint with a weight vest on, you're working the fast-twitch muscle fibers of your legs in a way they're probably not used to. It is a great way to increase your speed and acceleration on the track.
Cardio
You can wear a weight vest while you perform any type of cardiovascular exercise to increase the intensity of the workout. The extra weight will force your muscles to work harder, which will force your heart to pump more blood, causing you to burn more calories in less time while also getting stronger. You can wear a weight vest while you run, jog, jump rope, do step aerobics, climb stairs, or just about any other type of aerobic exercise you can think of.
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