Athletes are always looking for an advantage, whether it’s a supplement that’ll speed up muscle gain, the best recovery tool, or a lifting hack. It’s true that nothing beats good old-fashioned hard work, but there are ways to speed up progress.
Case in point: the weighted vest. This simple piece of equipment can help accelerate fat loss and make even the simplest of workouts more difficult, thereby making you stronger and quicker, simply by forcing you to carry additional weight.
There are countless varieties, but we like the Everlast weighted vest, which sits comfortably on your body and is secured by adjustable straps. Unlike other vests we’ve tried out, Everlast’s is durable and holds up after multiple uses on hikes, around the gym, or just during everyday life.
We also found that it was comfortable for people of different heights and body shapes, and that there was no problem adjusting it to each person’s needs.
In truth, the same effect could be done by carrying a heavy backpack. But as certified personal trainer Dr. Rick Richey, host of the Omnia Fitness podcast, points out, a vest has some advantages.
“You don’t have that ‘thunk, thunk, thunk’ feeling you have with a backpack as you do when you’re wearing a vest,” Richey, owner of the New York City-based Independent Training Spot, says. “They’re designed to be worn for reasons like that.”
Don’t just take our word for it: There are 30 5-star reviews for the 20-pound version on Everlast’s website.
Here are some of the other reasons why you should invest (see what we did there?) in this simple, but effective, piece of equipment, and some tips on how to properly use it.
It’s pretty simple: If you’re carrying around extra weight, you’ll have to work harder and thus burn extra calories. But you don’t have to be climbing up a mountain or running with a weighted vest to reap its benefits.
Researchers from the University of Gotehnburg, Sweden, conducted an experiment in which they had two groups of obese people wear weighted vest — one group wore a 2.2-pound vest, and another wore a 24-pound vest.
Both groups were instructed to go about their everyday lives while wearing the vest — no special training regimens. At the end of three weeks, the group wearing the heavier vest lost, on average, three pounds more than the other group.
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You’ll work harder, quicker
If you’re one of those people who doesn’t have an hour to workout every day, that’s yet another reason to buy a weighted vest.
“The higher intensity workout you do, the less time you need to exercise,” Richey explains. Just think of how much more effective your push-ups, pull-ups, and other upper-body moves will be if you’re doing them with 10 or 20 more pounds on your frame.
By doing this, you’re also helping your body go into what’s known as anaerobic glycolysis, which is when carbohydrates stored in your body for fuel, rather than the fat. “It shifts your energy system,” Richie explains. “You’re burning the sugar in your metabolic system versus the fat.”
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When to use it
As we’ve previously mentioned, a weighted vest can be worn just about anywhere—but it’s best when you’re doing upper-body work (think pushups, dips, rows, etc.)
It won’t do much for isolation moves like bicep curls, or even a bench press, but it can be advantageous if you’re trying to up your farmer’s walks or squats.
It’s also great for those spring and summertime hikes. “When you start to go up an incline, you’re fighting against gravity and the additional weight,” Richie says. “It can be quite challenging for some people.”
And while it might not add much of a challenge during a walk through the park, it will increase the intensity a little bit.
Richie does stress you shouldn’t use it during runs, though. “You should minimize the stress on your body,” he says.
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Wearing One
You might be looking at the 10-pound weighted vest and say to yourself, “I can do more than that.” And you might be right, but just like with iron weights, it’s best to start off small and then go heavier.
“The safest answer is always progressive resistance,” Richie says. “Start off low and build yourself up.”
