Why Weighted Vests Are Excellent for Anyone

Already walk, run, or workout and find vests semi-fashionable? Take your routine to the next level both in style and intensity. Because weighted vests add weight to your body, they make any activity—from walking to jumping rope to pull-ups—a lot harder. 

Using a weighted vest is comparable to exercising while holding hand weights (kettlebells or dumbbells), but the weight is dispersed across your torso in a piece of clothing. This is great for many reasons, but one benefit is increased strength. It can be a very worth-it investment if you want to get stronger from home because it can turn bodyweight movements into hard core strength-builders. The weight in a vest is closer to your natural center of gravity than other forms of external weights, so wearing one is an extremely efficient way to do loaded movements. It also gives you the chance to hit your strength potential if your actual strength exceeds your grip strength. If you feel like you can step up the weight in your farmer’s carry, but don’t think your hands can take it, load on a 40lb vest and carry the rest. 

Another benefit is the extra calorie-burning impact. For those of you interested in fat loss, working out with a weighted vest can be a great tool for improving your body composition. Even just while walking, the added expenditure of energy that comes from wearing the vest will absolutely give you more calories burned for your time! “Nothing will spike your heart rate quicker than wearing a weighted vest and climbing on a treadmill or stair master” (Joel Seedman, Ph.D., owner of Advanced Human Performance).

Weighted vests are also great for speed training. A study conducted by the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport found that runners who warmed up with 10-second sprints wearing a weighted vest were able to improve their speed and performance on a treadmill test given immediately following the sprint drills. Vests can be used to achieve many specific performance goals such as to jump higher for basketball or reach your mile time goal, so whether you’re looking to step up your walking game or gain muscle mass, a weighted vest is a great tool to consider.