Weighted vest training can be for everyone regardless of your level of fitness or weight.
You can wear a training vest almost anywhere. Try wearing one around the house or even while doing yard work. You can vary the weight of your vest. Wearing a weight vest will increase the energy needed for simple movement thus it will increase your cardiovascular strength. Your fitness level will improve faster by wearing a vest. After you have trained in a weighted vest, you feel amazingly lighter and quicker when you take it off.
I wear a vest for all my exercises. The difference in my fitness levels has blasted to new heights. Don’t think vests are just for fitness die-hards; everyone can benefit from wearing one, whatever level you train at.
Another great exercise to try with a weighted vest would side bends. Side bends would help you develop those side divots in your lower admin that women love. With side bends, you could either do quick sets or power sets and maybe a mix of the two. I like to do 20 reps on the side then 20 reps the other in sets of 3. I also love to do these in the mirror – then you can see the actual muscle contracting, and you can see the results right before your eyes.
The exercise weight vest might be the greatest fitness invention since the wheel. There are so many practical exercises you can perform in your house with a weighted vest – it is awesome. My favorite is the possibilities of all the squats and lunges you can do. Before the vest, you would have to own a big bulky dumbbell that would be an eyesore and hard to keep it your house unless you have a home gym.
With an exercise weight vest, you can also burn calories with just walking around the house. How about stomach exercises – think of all the ad exercises you could perform. With an exercise vest instead of doing 100 push-ups, you could do about 30 reps and get about the same effect. If you are on the fencing about purchasing a weight vest for your health think about quickly you could burn fat by increasing the muscle mass you will get from all the squats and lounges.
Using Weighted Exercise Vests in Fitness Training
Using a weighted exercise vest in training is an excellent way to add strength training to a normal cardio session, plus offers many health benefits.
For optimum training success using a weighted exercise vest, follow these useful guidelines when starting a training routine:
1. Always get your doctor’s okay before starting any resistance training program or weight bearing program.
2. Develop a training program that includes exercises that work on all parts of the body. Include pushups, pull ups, squats for the legs, sit-ups, running and jogging, and power walking. Remember, developing a program that only includes exercises and routines you’re able to do.
3. When using your adjustable weighted vest in the beginning, start with a minimum amount of weight. Usually, strive for only 2% of your body weight as a start. Gradually work up to 10% of your weight. I currently wear a 20-pound weighted vest but started with only 6 pounds of weights in the vest. I gradually worked up to 20 pounds. This 20 pound is perfect for my workout routines.
Yes, I could double that weight to a 40-pound vest if I wanted to but that would be impractical for my routines. Using 20 pounds has proven very useful in my fitness routines.
4. Increase your weight in the vest by one or two-pound increments only after you’re comfortable or as necessary to achieve your workout goals.
5. Use your weighted exercise vest daily. The benefits and training improvements will amaze you.
A popular vest on the market is the X-Vest series. My best friend has this vest and swears by its quality and benefits.
Of course, there are many, many vests of superb quality, and your best move is to try on several vests for a fit and style that suits you.