Health Benefits

Why add a weighted vest to your training – 7 reasons to consider

Richard

Adding a little bit of salt, pepper, and olive oil to the salad changes the whole taste game. Without them, your salad will taste bland. The same is the case when you have the same workout routine for quite some time. As life demands change, the workout routine also needs some spice. 

It will be best if you have a weighted vest to spice up your training sessions and gyming experience. Yes! It adds more challenge to your regime, and you feel more confident in doing all your favorite exercises.

So, if you wish to know more about the weighted vest, read this article till the end. It has 7 solid reasons to start your training wearing a weighted vest. Let’s start, shall we?

What is a Weighted Vest?

A weighted vest is a wearable gym gear having the shape of a vest with weights and multiple pockets. The weight levels can differ depending on the product. However, it is usually available between 12 to 150 pounds (5.4 to 68 kg).

Most of the weighted vests may take additional bars or plates for additional weight. When doing aerobic, weight training, or muscle-building workouts, a weighted vest provides stress and resistance to the muscles, allowing you to get the most out of your workout. 

Weighted vests are different from carrying weight in a sack on your back since they spread resistance around your body equally. Whenever you put additional weight on your body through a weighted vest, you are left with no option but to expend more energy, leading to several benefits that have been missing for a long time. So, these vests push you to do more and ultimately gain more. 

Let’s move to the main part of the article, which you all are interested to know; why to add a weighted vest to your training!

Reasons to Consider Adding a Weighted Vest to Your Training

Weight vests provide many more benefits than merely making the workout “harder.” Do you want to bulk up? A vest can be helpful. Are you trying to lose weight? Yes, it can assist with that as well. Do you want to move faster? A weighted vest, you got it, can assist! 

There are numerous reasons to wear a weighted vest, but we’ve narrowed them down to the top 7. Here they are:

1. Increases Your Core Strength

There are some stabilizer muscles in the human body. These muscles perform a crucial role when you are into explosive training workouts, including push-ups, planks, and other power cleans. If you want to push yourself to do more and feel like you are not stressing your muscles enough, add weighted vests to your workout.

You will feel the clear difference when you perform whatever strength-based exercises you are wearing a weighted vest. It increases your core strength by pushing stabilizer muscles to perform fully during training sessions. 

2. Improves Bone Mineral Density 

As mentioned above, weighted vests increase your overall strength and enhance bone mineral density. According to research, strength gained using a weighted vest is common in younger individuals and older ones, too and is helpful to bone health. 

Also, they are pretty effective in improving the mineral density of your bones, even if you have bone problems. It minimizes the chance of fractures and bone injuries. 

Good bone health is essential for performing better, and if you are incorporating a weighted vest in your training, you are doing good for yourself. 

3. Promotes Body Balance and Posture

One reason for using a weighted vest during different fitness routines is that it helps to promote better balance and posture. Adding a weighted vest helps your body’s ability to balance due to the extra weight on the upper body.

The vest causes your body to move closer to the ground, allowing your body to adjust more to maintain balance. It is due to proprioceptors. They are body parts that monitor posture changes and enable your body to counterbalance any particular position naturally. When you have additional weight, your proprioceptors have to do much harder to maintain the upright position. Resultantly, once you take off the vest, your body’s ability to balance will be much greater than before.

4. Improves Your Cardiovascular Health

Cardiovascular health has a direct influence on your training and workout. If you have weak blood circulation and a heart condition, it affects your training. So, it is a must, especially for intense training. Weighted vests are one way to improve your cardiovascular health. 

According to research, these vests increase the blood lactate threshold in runners. It means they can withstand higher speeds for more extended periods before becoming fatigued. There were clear improvements while performing sprints using weighted vests.  

5. Helps in Muscle Building

Do you wish to go the extra mile to gain more muscles? Well, a weighted vest is what you need. It is commonly known that resistance training increases muscular hypertrophy. Of course, any resistance exercise can benefit your muscle-building efforts, but working out with a weighted vest may have a significant influence. When you combine bodyweight training with a weighted vest, your training becomes more intense, challenging, and satisfying. 

6. Aids in Metabolizing Fats 

According to a study, adding weights to your training improves your fat metabolism. So, another reason to consider adding a weighted vest in training is its effect on your body’s fat metabolism. We all know that wearing such a vest can help you gain muscle mass. When you have more muscles, your body becomes better equipped to burn extra calories and reduce weight. 

Your muscles burn your calories even when you are taking rest. It means gaining muscles has a significant impact on your ability to maintain a healthy weight.

7. Can Help Modify Workout Intensity

The advantage of wearing a weighted vest during your workout is that it can modify the exercise intensity. Let’s pretend pull-ups are your go-to activity. You can be working out one day and not sensing a strain on any specific muscles or the effectiveness you used to get. Wearing a weighted vest might allow you to feel the needed impact of the exercise by increasing the intensity. These vests with varying intensities allow you to exercise for a shorter period while getting the same benefits as a prolonged one.

So now you know the reasons why to add a weighted vest to your fitness regime. It is important to tell you the precautions of using it.

Precautions for Using a Weighted Vest

Like any other thing, if you are misusing a weighted vest, it can be of no use to you or may become harmful. Ensure you have a well-fitted weighted vest and begin with a challenging weight, but it still allows you to perform the exercise without compromising the proper form and technique. 

Before buying a weighted vest, there are a few considerations, such as the wearer’s fitness level, training activities, and size. People having back or neck issues should seek medical advice before wearing a weighted vest, as the added strain on the spine may aggravate the problem.

Final Thoughts

A weighted vest is an excellent investment. It helps you gain strength, improve muscle mass, and burn fats. If you want to improve your cardiovascular and bone health, a weighted vest will do the trick. These vests are affordable and push you to go the extra mile in your training. 

Moreover, it is easy to use and spices up your boring training, making you mentally and physically fit. So, get a weighted vest and upgrade your training routine to the next level.

However, always ensure that you have the right fit and size of the weighted vest and try to increase the weights gradually. That’s how you will get the most out of it!

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