Weighted vest guide

The weighted vest

An adjustable weighted vest is an excellent investment if you are serious about your training and want to develop your strength, speed and stamina.

Weighted vests are weight adjustable shirts which can vary from half pound - 30 pounds by adding or removing the attached mini-weight plates. They are the perfect choice for any bodyweight training regime to help increase intensity and maximise development, promoting the gains in lean muscle mass and the burning of fat.

The principle of the weighted vest is simple - weight the body to provide an overload, thereby increasing the calories,?strength and effort required to perform your workout.

They are particularly helpful for people who play sports like football and rugby, where raw power, stamina and explosive movements are essential.

When starting out with weighted vest training be sure to start with a small amount of weight and gradually increase as you get stronger.

Benefits of weighted vest training

One of the benefits of a weighted vest is that the weight is evenly distributed, acting almost as a part of the body as it fits snug against?the torso. This is excellent for allowing you the freedom to perform your workout in increased safety, whilst stimulating strength gains and?weight loss.

Weight vest training also:

• develops elite power, strength, stamina and endurance
• is good for sport specific training to develop explosive movements
• is perfect for fat loss - just remember to take it off when you get on the scales!
• promotes elite conditioning and fitness
  
• can improve vertical jump
• has positive effects on bone density
  

Weight adjustable vests allow you to use a progressive overload program and ensure you are continually challenged and making gains towards?your goal.

What kind of exercise can you use weighted vests for?

Running

Running in a weighted vest adds another dimension to your training and improves performance. Essentially, wearing a weight vest whilst running means you are carrying more weight, the additional load making the run more difficult. As your body responds to the increased resistance and you can match the same pace as before you started wearing the weighted vest, the runs on which you are unweighted will be much faster and easier due to the speed, strength and endurance gains in your fitness. Your body more efficient and using less energy to produce the same pace.

Bodyweight exercises

Try a weighted vest for all manner of bodyweight exercises such as weighted dips, pull-ups, push-ups, squats and box jumps and the gains will come thick and fast.

Plyometrics

The weight vest lends itself perfectly to plyometrics, in which you try to increase the speed or force of muscular contractions, usually with the goal of increasing jump height.

If you are looking to improve your vertical jump we would highly recommend that you invest in a high quality adjustable weighted vest. Adding a vest into your training can add inches to your jump height.

Try performing a weighted squat jump with a weighted vest. This exercise increases overall strength and explosiveness. Simply stand, squat down, and the explode up as high as you can and repeat for desired number of repetitions.

Acceleration training

Acceleration training is moving the body from rest quickly and efficiently. A weighted vest increases the difficulty of acceleration training because of the increase in bodyweight.

Agility and speed training

All agility and speed drills are enhanced with the use of a weighted vest, since it increases body weight and requires additional effort in maintaining speed and reaction changes.

Walking

If fat loss is your goal and you are doing a lot of walking you can increase the calorie cost of the activity by wearing a weight vest. A vest will not interfere with your normal stride (like ankle weights can) or the way you impact the ground, yet increases activity intensity as the load being carried is increased.