Why weight vests are helpful for fitness
Weight vests are helpful for fitness, because they provide additional resistance, meaning that the wearer has to work harder to perform an exercise. This resistance causes calorie burn and overworks the muscles, building strength and burning fat which can result in weight loss.
The right kind of weight on your shoulders
Weight vests, popular with personal trainers, generally follow a similar design - a strong fabric vest to which you can attach weight plates. Some people do this with regular sports backpacks. However, this can be dangerous as bags of this type are typically only stress tested for 10 to 15kg, and not under the same stresses as you might experience during an exercise such as running.
What does a weight vest do for you?
As previously mentioned, a weight vest is designed to add additional weight to your body to increase the load on your legs and core. This increase in body weight increases exertion on major muscle groups, helps improve endurance and burns more calories, and they are a catalyst for change.
Weight vests can help by:
Increasing exercise resistance
Building strength
Burning calories
Providing results quickly
Engaging various muscles
Good value
Easy to store
It can be used outside
Do weighted vests build muscle?
Yes, they do build muscle like all other exercises. Using a weighted vest will exert force on the thigh muscles, core and calves, building endurance, strength and resulting muscle mass. Some professional athletes use weighted vests, especially runners. Using a vest creates resistance and works the muscles harder during exercise. The results for them become improvements in explosive energy, endurance, muscle development, and strength.
Does a weighted vest burn fat?
Yes, a weighted vest burns fat because it increases the effort your muscles make to do the task you’re performing. This means that more energy is burned during a workout resulting in fat burn.
Is it ok to run with a weighted vest?
Yes, it’s perfectly ok to run with a weighted vest as long as you warm up, ensure the vest is correctly fitted and work with an appropriate weight for your fitness level. Many serious runners use weighted vests to increase explosive energy and muscle development during training. This resistance gives them greater stamina and strength when they run in the competition. Using a weighted vest to lose weight at home or with a personal trainer is fine; running with the vest is encouraged to burn more calories in a shorter period.
When should you wear a weighted vest?
In recent years more people have chosen to walk with weighted vests to burn more calories over longer periods while they complete walks. Most will use a weighted vest during a cardio session with a personal trainer like us, or when in the gym performing pull-ups, squats, or even running a treadmill. Some weighted vests provide a fixed weight, and others allow you to add weight as required. If you are still deciding what you need best, either speak to us directly or buy a product like Mirafits adjustable vest, which allows you to increase or decrease weight according to your exercise needs.
Are weighted vests worth it?
We think they are and often use weighted vests as part of our training with clients. Weight vests are a good way to burn calories fast and build muscle through the legs and back. A great feature of weight vests is that they can add a secondary dimension and a huge amount of resistance when performing a variety of key bodyweight exercises. They are particularly useful for outdoor training.
If you are considering a weight vest for your training, then get in touch. I can help design the right exercise for your fitness levels and preferences. If you enjoyed this blog, find more on this website.
See you soon, Alan.
