Are Weighted Vests Worth the Hype?

 

Today we’re diving into a hot topic I’ve been getting lots of questions about lately—weighted vests. Are they worth the hype? Are they essential to see progress? And should you run out and buy one if you’re working out at home?

I’m going to walk you through: 

  • What they’re good for

  • How to use them

  • When they’re actually helpful

Just keep in mind that just like with fancy gym equipment, supplements, or apps, weighted vests are a tool, not a requirement.

And if you want to increase your progressive overlaod but don’t want to use a weighted vest, I break down how to make your workouts more intense in episode 263: How to Keep Yourself Challenged When You Don't Have Access to Other Weights

 

If you want more from me, be sure to check out… 

Transcript

00:00

(0:00) Hey, hey, beautiful human. Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something (0:04) super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. (0:08) You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Labrador.

(0:12) I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body, and (0:17) unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. (0:22) Let's get in.

Let's go. Hello, and welcome back to another bonus episode on the Embrace Your Real (0:36) podcast. I'm so grateful that you're here.

And today we're diving into a hot topic because I've (0:40) been getting lots and lots of questions about this lately. And that is the question of the (0:45) weighted vest. Are they worth the hype? Are they essential to see progress? And should you run out (0:49) and buy one if you're working out at home? Let's kind of talk about it.

Before we get into the (0:53) nitty gritty, let me just say this up front. You do not need a weighted vest to see results. I'm (0:57) going to walk you through what they're good for, how to use them, and when they're helpful.

(1:01) But just like with fancy gym equipment, supplements, apps, weighted vests are a tool, (1:06) not a requirement. But before I dive in, I want to share this review. It comes from Emily 1715.

(1:11) She gave a five-star view and said, thank you. I'm so appreciative that you are unafraid to share (1:16) your faith on this podcast. I love nutrition and macro information.

But more than that, as a (1:21) Christian, I love that you speak about your faith because it truly should spill over into every (1:25) facet of our lives. Thank you. Yes, Emily, I couldn't agree more.

Thank you so much for taking (1:29) time out of your day to send in this review. It really does mean the world to me and our team. Just (1:33) kind of know how these podcasts are helping you, but I agree with you so much.

And I couldn't, (1:39) yeah, just couldn't agree more that faith should absolutely spill into every facet of your life. (1:44) And so why not? Like why, if fitness, you know, moving your body is such a big part of your day, (1:50) of course, like faith is going to be a part of that. And for me, that's my anchor.

Like that's (1:55) the reason I do what I do is because God allowed me to move my body. Like it's an honor to move (2:01) my body and it's an honor to take care of my body and feel my body properly. And I do really (2:06) look at that as like a spiritual duty.

And so I'm just grateful that you see that. And thank you so (2:12) much again for taking time out of your day to send in this review. Okay, let's quickly get into it.

So (2:16) what is a weighted vest? Well, it literally is a vest that you strap on, usually adjustable. (2:21) Sometimes, sometimes they're not adjustable. It adds extra weight to your body.

You can find them (2:26) in various weights, whether that's five pounds, eight pounds, 10 pounds, 12, all the way up to (2:31) 40 plus pounds. You can wear them during your workouts or your walks to add intensity. The (2:35) hype around weighted vests really does come from this idea of progressive overload, which if you've (2:40) been around here for a while, you know that that is a foundational principle to building strength (2:44) and muscle.

And progressive overload just means gradually increasing the stress placed on your (2:49) muscles so that they're challenged enough to grow and adapt. So usually you do this by increasing (2:55) rep sets or the amount of weight that you're lifting. But what if you're working out at home (2:59) with limited equipment, that's where a weighted vest can come in handy.

It adds load to body (3:04) weight movements, turning something like a basic squat or lunge into a more challenging move. So (3:10) when are weighted vests more effective? Let's kind of walk through those different scenarios. (3:14) Number one, leg day power boost.

So weighted vests are an awesome tool on lower body days, (3:19) whether you're doing squats, lunges, step ups, glute bridges, that extra load recruits more (3:24) muscle fibers, especially in your glutes, your hamstrings, your quads, helping you build strength (3:29) and endurance without needing that full gym setup. It can be especially helpful for again, (3:34) body weight workouts, or if you're traveling and you don't have access to dumbbells or you don't (3:39) want to bring your dumbbells, but you do have space in your luggage for the weighted vest, (3:44) that could be another great option for the weighted vest when it comes to leg days or (3:50) even just body weight movements in general. Number two is leveling up your walk.

So if (3:56) you're looking to increase the intensity of your cardio without adding speed or distance, (4:01) throw on a vest. Weighted vests raise your heart rate, they increase the calorie burn, (4:05) they add a resistance element to steady state activities like walking, hiking, (4:10) and research shows that even a small amount of added weight can actually improve cardiovascular (4:14) fitness and bone density over time, especially helpful as we age. Number three is next level (4:22) core training.

So this again, like is next level, but it can be a benefit of weighted vests because (4:28) a weighted vest distributes load across your torso. It challenges your core to stabilize through every (4:33) movement. So this makes exercises like planks or bear crawls, walking lunges, even climbing (4:39) stairs significantly more effective for core engagement.

You're not just training your (4:44) abs, you're actually improving your posture, your balance and full body control. And bonus, (4:50) weighted vests also improve muscular endurance and can even enhance VO2 max in certain conditioning (4:57) protocols. But more than that, they're an incredibly functional way to add resistance to everyday (5:02) movement, turning even the simple tasks into strength building opportunities.

Just make sure (5:07) that you start with five to 10% of your body weight, that's a great range for beginners, (5:12) and focus on form first. When used intentionally, weighted vests can actually be a complete game (5:18) changer. Now here's where I don't recommend a weighted vest, and this is upper body training.

(5:24) So if you're doing like pushups or dips, sure it can help, but for most upper body movements like (5:29) rows, shoulder presses, bicep curls, a weighted vest is not really going to add much benefit (5:34) aside from that core engagement like I was talking about. You're better off just using dumbbells or (5:39) resistance bands that directly load your arms and shoulders, your back, whatever. The vest just (5:44) doesn't target those areas in the same way.

So this leaves you with the question like, okay, (5:50) well, should you use one? And should you have one? My honest answer is if you're working out at home (5:56) and you don't have access to heavier weights, or you just want to kind of switch things up to make (6:00) your walks or your light days more challenging, a weighted vest can absolutely be a smart investment. (6:06) And like I know for my weighted vest, I think it was 39 bucks. I got it same day on Amazon.

(6:11) It's an eight pound weighted vest. I'll add the link that I use for mine to the show notes that (6:16) you can check that out. But I, and I put this in a big, but you absolutely do not need one to see (6:21) results like you can still and should still implement progressive overload by increasing (6:27) your reps, slowing down your tempo, reducing your rest time, changing up the angle of your exercise.

(6:32) There are so many ways to challenge your muscles without needing to buy a single thing extra. And (6:37) let's not forget results just don't come alone from equipment. They come from consistency.

They (6:42) come from intention from, from showing up for yourself regularly. And a weighted vest won't (6:47) magically transform your body. It's just one more tool that you can use.

If makes sense, (6:53) if that makes sense for your goals, your budget and your lifestyle. So again, here's my recommendation. (6:59) If you've already built a solid routine, you're consistent with your workouts, you're you're, (7:03) but you're ready to add more intensity, then yes, give a weighted vest to try, especially again, (7:08) for those lower body days or those daily walks, whether that's outside or incline walks or walks (7:13) on the tread, or even while you're working and you're doing, you know, your walking pad.

(7:17) You have a walking pad with a standing desk, but if you're still working on building that (7:21) consistency or just getting into the groove of workouts, focus on that first, master your body (7:26) weight movements, nail your form, invest in some dumbbells. You just need a light pair and a medium (7:31) to heavy pair. So a light pair is going to be five, eight, 10 pounds.

Medium to heavy is going (7:36) to be, you know, 12, 15, 20 pounds and really build that habit because I promise those are the (7:41) things that make the biggest difference long-term. And if you want to learn how to increase your (7:46) progressive overload and you don't want to use a weighted vest, I really do break it down how to (7:51) make your workouts more intense in episode 263, how to keep yourself challenged when you don't (7:57) have access to other weights. So I will go ahead and link that in the show notes below so that you (8:01) can easily go check that out.

But that's all that I've got for today. I hope that this gave you some (8:06) clarity and confidence on the weighted vest question. Remember the only must have in your (8:10) fitness journey is the commitment to keep going.

Everything else is just a bonus. And I shared this (8:16) a few weeks ago on my Instagram story and continuing to share it, you know, on a regular (8:20) basis, but I'm doing these worship weekly incline walks and they have been so beneficial, not just (8:27) for like my health and like sweating it out, but for my mental health. Like I can't tell you how (8:32) good it feels.

And what I've been doing is about four or five times a week. So I'm about, I'm doing (8:37) consistently about four to five Julia workouts per week. And I'm doing like typically a 30 minute, (8:43) maybe adding in like a couple other deep core breathing exercises to the end of that workout (8:49) or to each workout.

And then at the end of the workout, I am hopping on the tread and I'm doing (8:54) an incline. So I'm doing incline at 10 speed at three to 3.3 for anywhere between 20 to 30 minutes. (9:01) It kind of really just depends on when Blake wakes up from his nap because I work out during his (9:05) first nap and I blast worship music.

I'm telling you, it has been a total game changer. I have (9:11) shared in my highlight story on my Instagram. So you can go check out my personal Instagram, (9:16) Julie A Ledbetter.

And I will, you can check out like the weighted vest there, or I will also link (9:22) the weighted vest that I use in this episode in the show notes that you can go check that out on (9:26) Amazon, but total game changer. And it's been so fun to just like literally blast my worship music (9:31) and sweat it out. Like there is nothing better than sweating while worshiping God.

I can't, I just, (9:37) it has done wonders for my postpartum mental health. I can't tell you enough how amazing it is. (9:44) And I've been using my weighted vest for those incline walks and it just adds that extra burn.

(9:49) I'm only doing the eight pound weighted vest, but man, I think that that's the perfect amount for me. (9:53) Like I feel like five would be too low for me and 10 would be like a little bit too heavy, (9:59) especially for the incline walks that I'm doing. So highly recommend that.

If you have questions, (10:03) feel free to DM me. I'm happy to answer them. But that is all that I have for today's episode.

(10:08) If you have found this helpful, please share it with a friend who's been eyeballing like a (10:11) weighted vest or feeling overwhelmed by all the fitness gear out there. And again, if you're (10:15) looking for a plan to follow, whether you're working out at home or you love working out the (10:19) gym, come check out my mood with Julie app. We take all the guesswork out of it.

We show you how to (10:23) progress with whatever equipment you've got. All you genuinely need for my workouts are a few pair (10:27) of dumbbells in a small space. You can learn my, we'll learn more by going to sale.

That's (10:32) s a l e.movementjulie.com. Again, that's sale s a l e.movementjulie.com. And I'll also link that (10:38) weighted vest in the show notes below, but I love you so dang much. I mean it. And I'll talk to you in the next one.

(10:52) All right, sister, that's all I got for you today. But I have two things that I need you to do. First (10:59) thing.

If you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie a ledbetter. Yes, (11:04) it's with an a in the middle for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks (11:10) and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check.

The second thing, be sure to (11:15) subscribe to Apple podcast to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the (11:22) absolute world.

And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that (11:27) I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically (11:33) themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface.

So go out there and (11:39) embrace a room because you're worth it.

 
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