Weighted vest why

But once you reach a point where performing these with just your bodyweight becomes easy, you hit a plateau. You have to gradually add more resistance to make any more progress. Wearing a weighted vest gives you that ability.

Wearing a weighted vest will improve both of these factors as well as increase your overall calorie burn. Wearing a weighted vest while doing any form of HIIT will drastically increase the overall effectiveness of your workout. When you go back to your normal bodyweight for the event, your endurance and stamina will be significantly increased.

Simply having more weight on your body forces it to work harder. Additional weight resistance from a vest means that your body needs to work harder to support the added weight. It does that by circulating oxygen-rich blood to your muscles faster by increasing your heart rate, boosting the function of your entire cardiovascular system.

Having an increased heart rate means that your lungs need more oxygen to deliver blood throughout your body. This process increases your VO2 max and improves your cardiovascular health, even after you take the vest off. By distributing the weight across your shoulders and back, weighted vests engage your core muscles and help strengthen them as you work through different bodyweight exercises.

These vests also help you develop better balance since the extra weight requires your body to provide a natural counterweight. In other words, the proprioceptors in your muscles and tendons fire up and work to keep you balanced, strengthening your center of gravity.

Working out while carrying extra weight means your body will use up more energy. Burning more energy means using more calories, which can lead to increased weight loss when coupled with an appropriate diet and fitness routine. When you wear a weighted vest, you burn more calories while exercising and can work faster toward your weight loss goals. Added weight forces your lungs and heart to work harder to move oxygenated blood to your firing muscles.

Exercising also strengthens your lungs and heart since these organs are working hard under healthy strain. As your body pumps more oxygenated blood to your body, you increase your physical performance and your maximum oxygen intake VO2 max. Want to start low-key and build intensity into a nice slow burn? What about a warm-up followed by a high-intensity workout?

When you exercise wearing a weighted vest, you can switch up your routine and intensity. Push-ups with a weighted vest feel different than those without, as do jumping jacks or squats. So, you can vary the intensity and keep your routines from sliding into the ho-hum realm. What is a sure-fire way to increase your fitness? Start doing exercises with weighted vest gear. Bodyweight workouts like dips, lunges, pull-ups, push-ups, inverted rows, and split squats are ideal for reaping the benefits of a weighted vest.

All of them use your body weight as a base, so they become harder and more muscle-taxing when you add more weight. There are even more ways to enjoy the benefits of weighted vest workouts.

Apr 12 Written By Sergio Pedemonte. Introduction to the Weighted Vest For the non-well versed, weighted vests pretty much sound like battle armor worn by men who are all battle-ready, ready to take on the enemy. What Is a Weighted Vest By definition, the standard weighted vest is actually what it sounds like. Increased Bone Strength Another benefit to using weighted vests is that it can help improve the overall strength and density of your bones.

Cardiovascular Benefits Perhaps one of the less well-known benefits you can get from weighted vests is the cardiovascular help it can give you. Variable Intensity This is perhaps one of the biggest benefits you can get from weighted vests.

Like this Article? Email Address. If you choose to go one step further and incorporate a weight vest into your core workout, over repeated use, you will see huge improvements in core strength and stability as you target these muscles with added weight. Always consult a professional before adapting your fitness program to include the use of a weight vest.

Your email address will not be published. Home Why use a Weight Vest. Page Contents. Here are a few points to consider before you invest in that vest: Reasons to Use a Weight Vest Weighted Vests are an Incredibly Diverse Training Tool In a gym environment, a weight vest can be used during standard weight training workouts to increase intensity.

Wearing a Weighted Vest Can Improve Cardiovascular Health Improvements in cardiovascular health can be felt as a result of wearing a weight vest while running, cycling, or performing any cardiovascular activity.

Increases in Bone Density May Occur with Extended Use of a Weight Vest Extensive research now confirms that bone density or bone mass can be increased through resistance training. Weighted Vests Improve Core Strength We use our core muscles to perform pretty much every activity, from lifting and bending to rotation and flexion.

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