Weighted vests are not just used by athletes during workouts — anyone can benefit from a weighted vest just by using it for daily activities. Adding a little extra weight while you complete your daily tasks can help with weight loss and increase bone density.
Take a look below to see the benefits of wearing a weighted vest and top brands to consider.
What Is a Weighted Vest?
A weighted vest is a vest that is worn while exercising to help you burn more calories by adding more resistance and extra weight. There are many different styles of weighted vests, but the three most commonly worn vests types are: shoulder holster, tactical, and torso covering.
- Shoulder Holster: This style fits like a hydration pack when cycling or hiking and has buckles in the front. The weight is distributed through the upper back and shoulder strap area.
- Tactical: This is a military-style vest. This style allows you to put plates in the carrier pockets of the vest so you can adjust the amount of weight in the vest for different activities or changes in your physical strength.
- Torso-Covering: This is a vest that only covers your chest. The vest is affixed by using velcro straps.
Many people like wearing weighted vests while doing body weight exercises or running, but weighted vests are also beneficial when doing free weight exercises as well.
How Can a Weighted Vest Help Me?
There are many benefits to wearing a weighted vest, both during workouts and your daily activities. Some studies show wearing a weighted vest may improve your bone density, help increase fat loss, speed up your running pace, strengthen your endurance, build muscle mass, and enhance your workouts to achieve your fitness goals.
Let’s discuss.
A Weighted Vest Can Improve Bone Density
Wearing a weighted vest while walking or exercising has shown significant improvement in bone density measurements. Results showed significant improvement in hip stability and balance, especially in women who wore a weighted vest while vigorously walking or exercising.
A Weighted Vest Can Increase Fat Loss
Wearing a weighted vest has helped people increase fat loss while still maintaining their muscle mass. A study showed that individuals who wore heavier loaded weighted vests saw a more significant reduction in their body fat than those who did not wear a weighted vest while exercising.
The even more surprising result was that while those wearing the weighted vest reduced their body fat, they sustained their muscle mass.
A Weighted Vest Can Improve Your Running Speed
Want to be a faster runner? How about improving your running endurance?
Studies show that wearing a weighted vest while running significantly improves your running abilities. It’s been found that wearing a light weighted vest while running will help increase your endurance when running over long distances. Those who wore heavier weighted vests while running improved their speed when focusing on sprinting.
A Weighted Vest Can Help Build Muscle
Are you looking to take your fitness to the next level? Wearing a weighted vest can help you reach those muscle gains you are looking for.
If you wear a weighted vest while completing your lifts, or even just bodyweight movements like push-ups and pull-ups, the vest will force your muscles to work harder and in return will help you build more muscle mass.
The Best Weighted Vests and Their Cool Features
Rogue Plate Carrier
The Rogue Plate Carrier vest is one of the more popular choices amongst CrossFitters and powerlifters. This vest features velcro straps with reinforced stitching for a strong hold. It also gives off a tactical feel and comes in three adjustable sizes.
The Rogue Plate Carrier is highly functional with a stabilized fit that doesn’t add any bulkiness. Another significant feature of this vest is the material which helps prevent chafing and discomfort — an invaluable quality when moving and exercising.
Hyper Vest Elite
The Hyper Vest Elite has a very sleek design which makes it super easy to pack and store in your athletic duffel bag for easy transport to your CrossFit gym or outdoor workout.
You can put small weighted plates in the plate carriers which can hold anywhere from 10-20 pounds. This vest is very durable and has breathable qualities, making it reliable for those looking to use a weighted vest while running. Even though this vest is fantastic for running, it can also be used for functional fitness and weightlifting as well.
Hyper Vest Fit
The Hyper Vest Fit is very popular amongst women. Much like the Hyper Vest Elite, this vest is very sleek and durable. However, this vest only holds about 5-10 pounds and is very form-fitting.
Many women like to use the Hyper Vest Fit to add a little extra weight to their daily routine or light training regime. It’s particularly interesting to note that this vest was designed by women specifically for women.
Ruck Plate Carrier 3.0
If you are looking for more of a backpack-style weight, the Ruck Plate Carrier 3.0 is the weighted vest for you! This weighted vest allows your chest to stay open and feels less restrictive. The material has a zero-friction burn feature which means you can use it shirtless or pair it with your favorite workout t-shirt.
Kensui EZ Vest
The Kensui EZ Vest is loved by many powerlifters, CrossFitters, and other athletes. This vest features military-grade ballistic nylon and aircraft-grade aluminum for superior durability. The Kensui EZ Vest holds the heaviest weight of any vest around — holding up to 300 pounds of added weight. This vest is also very lightweight and easily transported in an athletic duffle bag.
Having the Right Equipment Is Essential
There are many different things to consider when choosing a weighted vest, such as when you’ll use it, as well as the design and the weight capacities. It is essential to do your research when it comes to purchasing a weighted vest as you want to make sure it fits to your style of fitness.
Many people can benefit from utilizing a weighted vest when working out. Whether you are an avid walker, sprinter, long-distance runner, CrossFitter, or powerlifter, a weighted vest can help add a little more spice to your workouts and to maximize your fitness goals. So start with our list and do your own research to find which vest will fit your needs and goals!
At Haven Athletic, we know there is nothing more crucial to meeting your fitness goals than having the proper equipment alongside you to meet your needs. A vest can be a valuable tool for achieving your goals, but it is only one part of the equipment puzzle.
Depending on your workout, you’ll also need jump ropes, weights, bands, as well as snacks and drinks to keep you hydrated and fueled throughout your workout. That can be a lot to find and store in a cluttered, jumbled gym bag. That is why we offer organized gym bags to help you get your best workout with easy, fast access to all your gym tools.
Sources:
Reduced obesity for weighted-vest wearers | ScienceDaily
Weighted Vests for Bone Health | American Bone Health
Weighted Vests: Benefits, Considerations, and Exercises to Try | Healthline
The Longitudinal Effects of Resisted Sprint Training Using Weighted Sleds vs. Weighted Vests | The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research
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