5 Benefits of Wearing a Weighted Vest

What's up, Fringe Fam? We're back with another blog and today, we're talking about some of the many benefits of wearing a weighted vest during your workouts.

1. Change up your workout stimulus

In the true spirit of the sale we're running this week, adding in a weight vest is a perfect way to change up the stimulus of your workouts. If you're brand new to fitness, you might still be running on "newbie gains," and that's so awesome! A weight vest can add a challenging element to everyday workouts, but you might not need that quite yet.

If you've been around the workout block a time or two, you might need a little bit of a boost in your workouts to increase difficulty or change things up to make them more fun and challenging. Workout vests can completely change your everyday workouts if they call for things like running, push-ups, pull-ups, air or goblet squats, and more. Don't be surprised if you're more sore than normal after throwing on a weighted vest for your workout.

Please note that it's not recommended to wear a weighted vest for every single workout. There are some movements that just DON'T benefit your strength and endurance because of the vest. Plus, if you're wearing it all of the time, your body will get used to the stimulus created in every workout by the vest and you might need to find another way to change it up in the future. We recommend throwing on the vest and pushing it every now and again so you can change up your stimulus and push a little harder every so often.

We offer a variety of weight vests (5, to be exact, and they're on sale this week only!) for a variety of different workouts.

2. Increase Endurance

This is huge. Wearing a weight vest can help you increase your endurance across all modes of movement where it fits. Running, WODing, and more can be tough on their own, but if you throw in the vest, it becomes even more difficult. If you want to increase your cardiovascular and muscular endurance, try a weight vest-ed workout every now and then. 

3. Increase Strength

Weighted vests are perfect for increasing strength. If you've ever frequented a CrossFit gym, you've likely come across a workout that calls for worn extra weight. This increases your total moving bodyweight, therefore creating a different stimulus for your workout than just moving your bodyweight without a vest.

Wear a weighted vest during air squats, thrusters, push-ups, pull-ups, rope climbs, and anything else that requires moving the trunk of your body. You might experience fatigue faster, but the added weight, like any other form of added weight, can help increase strength in your workouts that translates to everyday life.

4. Increase Speed 

If you're focused on running, a weighted vest is a great element to throw into your training because it will help you not only increase strength, but speed as well.

Remember how you'd feel when you'd carried a heavy backpack across school, taken it off, and walked around afterward? There's a sort of "weightless" feeling that comes about, and a weighted vest is the same idea.

Plus, increasing overall body weight while moving increases strength, which in turn can increase endurance, and do wonders for your mile time or sprint speed.

Our No-Bounce Weight Vest is perfect for running and staying comfortable.

5. Versatility

Weighted vests are endlessly versatile, and can create challenge in many other things than a typical everyday WOD. Wearing a weighted vest can help you increase your daily expenditure, helping you burn more calories and clock in more movement throughout your day.

They're great for weighted vest walks or hikes, increasing cardio endurance and strength during cardio exercise. Plus, a weighted vest walk or hike can help you get outside and not only change up your workout routine, but your workout environment as well.

Some weight vests are great for WODs, some are better for walking according to Coop of Garage Gym Reviews, and some are better for you because of how they're worn and fit the body, and that's it.

We totally recommend snagging a weighted vest to throw on occasionally in your workouts and to help add some variety and challenge to your workouts and cardio routine. 

Looking for a simple, but challenging workout to try out a weight vest? Click here!

If you've got questions about the best weighted vest (while they're on sale this week only!!) for you and your routine and goals, send us a message on our site, on Instagram, or in our Garage Gym Revolution Facebook group. We'd be happy to help!

As always, lift heavy, add a vest, lift happy :)