Running With A Weighted Vest

One of the best workouts that you can do with a weight vest is running. Serious runners use it all the time. In this article I want to talk about when you should or shouldn’t use a weighted vest when running.  You see, it’s not right for everyone… in some cases it can be counterproductive or simply pointless. I want you to know the facts.

Why Run With a Weighted Vest

1. To improve strength and uphill ability – If you run in the field, you need to develop strength in your legs. Running outdoors is very different from running on a treadmill or on a plain track. You need to be able to run at an incline, maintain speed, and avoid being worn out by it.

This is why a lot of runners use a weight vest, especially when doing hill runs. You can quickly add muscle to your legs and increase your strength and ability.

2. To improve speed. An interesting article written by Owen Anderson provides some insight into why this works and how you should do it. Some of this recommendations include:

• Wearing the vest on some of your workouts but not all of them.
• Wearing the vest also when you’re not working out. Not all the time, but not just when you’re running.
• Giving yourself a break after a few weeks of training with a vest. You will find that your body improves much faster this way.

3. Accelerate fat loss – running with a weighted vest will results in a higher intensity workout and a greater fat loss. However, this doesn’t mean that it is something that should be used by everyone.

In most cases, you can lose fat without a vest simply by working out regularly. However, if you want faster results, it can certainly work.

Some Tips To Use a Weight Vest When Running

1. You need to make sure that your vest is tight around your body and comfortable to run with. If it’s loose or ill-fitting, it won’t feel right and you won’t enjoy your runs.

2. You should add weight gradually to avoid over-straining your muscles.

3. Running with extra load on may change your form. This may lead to injury down the line. You have to make sure that you’re running with a load that allows you to run with correct technique.

4. Maintain speed and distance – The idea with running with weights is not to become a much slower runner or to reduce your distance. You should increase weight slightly but maintain your speed. Otherwise, you may not actually increase the intensity of your workout at all.

I hope that this post has helped you see how running can benefit from a weighted vest. Try one during your next workouts and see how you feel.