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Weight Vests will Burn More Calories while Building Muscle

By June 25, 2011October 26th, 20144 Comments

Fitz in a NYKNYC.com Weight Vest

Weight vests are used by: the military, police officers, fire fighters, and professional athletes to enhance training and build more muscle. They are also used by people with a high risk of Osteoporosis to increase bone density and counteract the condition. Weight vests are also a great tool for the regular fitness fan to have at home or during workouts absolutely anywhere. They have the true ability to enhance your efforts in exercise and  help you to achieve your fitness goals.

Burn More Calories: Weight vests come in a variety of shapes, colors, and weights. However, any that you choose will help you burn more calories during your workout. The concept behind a weight vest is that the vest will provide extra weight to your body and consequently your muscles will use more energy. The more energy your muscles use the more calories burned.

Increasing Bone Density: A study at Oregon State University showed that postmenopausal women who used weight vests while jumping and performing resistance exercises actually prevented bone loss in their hips. The study found that over a long period, 5 or more years, some participants actually increased bone density! It is important to note that the study didn’t see any short-term results.

Build More Muscle: As stated earlier, weight vests increase the energy being used by muscles. This means that they are working harder even though you are doing the same exercises. If you feel like you’ve hit your plateau, getting a weight vest or adding more weight is a good option.

Choosing your Weight Vest

1. Short weight vests, those that don’t go below your ribcage, are a good choice because they don’t hinder your movement as much as full upper body weight vests.

2. Find a weight vest that uses removable weights so that you can change the weight based on exercise you are doing.

3. Choose a weight vest that is heavier than you think you need. This way, you can start low and increase the weight of your vest as you build muscle.

4. Start slow and see how your body handles the added weight. You don’t want to hurt yourself during any form of exercise, even if you do it often.

 

Information gathered from:

 

Pamela Free- http://weightvest4osteoporosis.com/oregonstudy.htm

 

Kimberly Butts- http://www.livestrong.com/article/228564-weighted-vests-to-burn-more-calories/

 


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