You’ve mastered your calisthenics, perfected your TRX routine, and your yoga flow is seamless. But if you’re seeking new challenges or ways to elevate your fitness game, it’s time to take another look at weighted vests. These aren’t the clunky contraptions of the past – modern weighted vests are sleek, comfortable, and surprisingly versatile.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced athlete, adding extra weight can amplify any exercise and make it more intense. From HIIT, bodyweight and calisthenics workouts to yoga, running and power walking, weighted vest workouts can make any physical activity more challenging and rewarding. Not only does weighted vest training provide an intense physical challenge, it can also improve your balance and posture as well as your overall functional fitness.
We think it’s time to give weighted vests another shot. They deserve a spot in your home gym, and we’re here to tell you why. Stick around as we dive into how these versatile tools can shake up your routine, push your limits, and maybe even become your new favorite fitness buddy. Trust us, your workouts are about to get a whole lot more interesting.
11 Benefits of Using a Weighted Vest
1. Weighted vest training can help you burn more calories and lose weight
For those looking to burn calories and reach their weight loss goals, the weighted vest is an excellent choice. By wearing a weighted vest, you increase your calorie-burning potential and start losing weight quicker than ever. Not only do these vests provide comfort while exercising, but they also have the added effect of making any workout more difficult since they increase resistance.
A weighted vest can also kickstart your metabolism and torch calories after you work out. That’s right! Even after your workout is complete, your body continues to burn energy – a process known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) or more popularly referred to as the “afterburn effect”. This process occurs as the body works to restore itself from an increased level of metabolism and oxygen consumption post workout. To return to its pre-exercise state, EPOC works diligently to repair and recover your body from all the effort you just exerted.
Furthermore, weighted vest training can improve muscle mass and strength, and the more muscle you have the more calories you burn.
2. Weight vests can improve your strength and endurance
Weighted vests are proving to be a beneficial addition to running regimens, as they can help runners increase speed and shave time off their runs. Recent research revealed that adding extra weight of 11% or more body weight while running could give you an edge in velocity and shave precious seconds off your runtimes – all the way down by 9.4%. While future studies are needed for exact details, it’s clear there’s great potential when training with some added resistance.
Strapping on a weighted vest is also an effective way to accelerate your strength, muscle development, and power. Whether you opt for push-ups, squats, pull-ups, or any other exercise available in the gym – adding that extra weight will exponentially increase the intensity of every workout; forcing muscles into overdrive as they work harder than ever before.
With regular use of a weighted vest, you might also be able to workout longer. That’s because a weight vest can increase your body’s ability to withstand fatigue. A research study with endurance athletes revealed that their muscular strength and stamina were noticeably improved due to the vest-induced improvement of the anaerobic metabolism in leg muscles during intensive exercise. With weighted vest training, you can build up a tolerance for lactic acid so you can push yourself further than before.
3. Wearing a weighted vest can increase bone density
Hefting a weighted vest is an effective way to challenge your body and boost its bone mineral content and overall bone health. As you move around with the extra load, specialized cells called osteoblasts are activated which kick-start synthesis of hydroxylapatite – a key component in building strong bones.
As you work out, your bones become increasingly robust to support the extra weight. Your muscles and connective tissue gain strength in tandem with each other as part of a unified musculoskeletal system that works together for maximum impact. This can help prevent breakage or fractures in later years. Young athletes in particular should consider adding this tool to their training regimen for optimal bone strength and long-term safety.
4. Ideal for weighted calisthenics and bodyweight exercises
While the benefits of calisthenics include building a lean, athletic physique, you might be looking to push further into muscle building and hypertrophy training. This is where weighted calisthenics shine. Not only do they add extra resistance for more intense workouts, but they also help develop strength in a way that non-weighted bodyweight exercises simply cannot provide.
By wearing a weighted vest and aiming for 8-12 reps per set at your absolute maximum strength level, you can combine the functional fitness benefits of calisthenics with the muscle-building potential of resistance training.
5. Weight vests can improve coordination, body awareness, and balance
Weighted vests can be a great way to improve coordination and balance – both of which form the foundation of many physical activities. Not only do they challenge your body in ways that regular exercises don’t, they also help to develop core strength and proprioception (the ability to sense where your body is in space). The added weight alters your center of gravity, challenging your sensory receptors called proprioceptors (which we rely on to stay upright and balanced) to constantly adjust and maintain balance. This continuous feedback loop between your body and brain sharpens your proprioceptive senses, leading to improved coordination and overall body awareness. This might sound familiar to you if you do suspension training, as it’s one of the key benefits of TRX training. It’s also great for Yoga, everyday activities like walking up stairs, riding a bike and maintaining our stability as we age.
Fundamentally, weighted vests offer a unique benefit that other types of exercise don’t by adding resistance to our natural and everyday movement. As you continue to practice with the vest, you are developing better control of movements and improved awareness of your body allowing for greater accuracy and stability when you move.
6. Deepen Your Yoga Practice
The benefits of adding weights to yoga go beyond improved balance and body awareness. Weighted vests intensify each pose, promoting faster strength gains and improved endurance, particularly in your core and stabilizing muscles. This added resistance allows you to achieve deeper stretches and hold poses for longer, enhancing the calisthenics-like aspects of yoga. The increased load also amplifies isometric muscle contractions, leading to greater strength development throughout your practice.
Unlike hand weights used in traditional yoga sculpt classes, weighted vests leave your hands free. This freedom allows for more natural transitions between poses and enables you to maintain proper form and alignment. For those exploring yoga sculpt or looking to boost calorie burn, weighted vests offer an excellent option.
7. Weighted vest can improve functional fitness
Similar to the benefit of coordination, wearing a weighted vest is a great way to improve functional fitness, which refers to the ability to carry out everyday physical activities with ease. This type of fitness focuses on activities that are required in daily life such as walking, climbing stairs or carrying objects and weighted vests can help strengthen muscles and simulate these movements. While wearing a weighted vest doing functional core workouts or just performing everyday tasks, individuals can strengthen their major muscle groups and gain increased physical and mental endurance to further enhance their overall strength and comfort when completing normal activities.
8. Strengthens core muscles and improves posture
Wearing a weighted vest is also an effective way to challenge your core muscles and improve posture. When you increase your upper body weight with a vest, it creates extra resistance that forces you to engage the deep abdominal muscle groups in order for proper balance. This allows users to engage their muscles in a more natural way and also reduces slouching and fatigue caused by poor posture. Weighted vests have been shown to improve alignment of the shoulders and spine, resulting in better posture and increased strength. With consistent use, you’ll be able to stand taller and feel more confident in no time.
9. Weighted vests can improve lung and cardiovascular capacity
Wearing a weighted vest during your workouts isn’t just about building muscle – it’s also a powerful way to boost your respiratory and cardiovascular fitness. As you move with the added weight, your lungs and heart have to work harder to supply oxygen to your muscles. This increased demand leads to adaptations over time, enhancing your overall lung capacity and cardiovascular endurance. Studies have shown that training with a weighted vest can improve VO2 max, a key indicator of aerobic fitness.
10. Time-efficient workouts with weighted vests
In our busy lives, finding time for lengthy workouts can be challenging. This is where weighted vests truly shine, offering a solution for time-crunched fitness enthusiasts. By adding extra resistance to your body, a weighted vest instantly amplifies the intensity of any exercise, allowing you to achieve more in less time. A 20-minute HIIT session with a weighted vest can deliver results comparable to a much longer traditional workout. This increased efficiency means you can maintain or even improve your fitness level with shorter, more focused training sessions.
11. An inexpensive and versatile home gym essential
A weighted vest is an essential piece of equipment for anyone looking to make their home gym complete. Not only are they relatively inexpensive, with prices ranging from $50 to $200 depending on the type and weight, but they are also incredibly versatile. Weighted vests can be used in HIIT workouts, calisthenics, as well as core and strength training; furthermore, their cozy design allows them to be worn while practicing yoga or brisk walking. Best of all, weighted vests do not take up much space and can easily be stored away when not in use, making them an ideal addition to any minimalist home gym. Whether you’re just starting out or have been consistently working out for years, investing in a weighted vest for your home gym should be a priority.
To Wrap Up: That’s What Weighted Vests Are Good For
Turns out, weighted vests are pretty versatile fitness tools. They can amp up your calisthenics, TRX training, and even yoga practice. By adding some extra resistance to your moves, you’re looking at better strength gains, improved endurance, and a solid core workout. Plus, you’ll torch more calories and give your bones a density boost.
Ready to give it a shot? Start light and short, then build up as you get comfortable. Whether you’re stuck in a fitness rut or just want to shake things up, a weighted vest might be your ticket to the next level. Remember, fitness is all about challenging yourself, so why not strap on a vest and see what you can do?
