ACleaver

Last updated 01:00, Thursday, 05 July 2007

IN order to gain the maximum results from any workout you must put 110 per cent in and eat the correct foods.

That is the simple rule to anyone looking for the body they desire.

My articles have hopefully benefited you all and gave you some ideas on how to get what you want. This article is no different let me introduce you to the weighted vest. A piece of equipment that most people would shy away from but actually provides you with the perfect chance to improve the body you have.

Weighted vests were considered the sprinters equipment in the 1990s. It gave 100 metre sprinters the opportunity to improve that burst of speed needed to perform at the top level.

Now they are replaced with weighted sleighs and resistance bands. Due to this they have been forgotten about as a fitness aid. Hopefully this article will remind you of its benefits.

Let’s take a scenario: you’re a rugby player and you’ve found of late that you need to improve on your speed at running angles. You have found that the normal training that you do means performing speed drills which benefited you for a while but you need to improve again.

A lot of rugby players would agree that it’s that slight change of foot that can make the difference between a try and turnover ball.

It’s time for that added resistance and the weighted vest can provide this.

Ensure that the vest has a total weight of 9kg. Now perform the normal drills you do in training with the vest.

The difference of weight will be very evident at the start, but more so the weight shift when performing turns will be harder.

The main benefit here is you will work the stabilizer muscles more in the legs and the burst of speed will be greater as a result.

The weighted vest should not be performed for runs over two miles however. I generally use the weighted vest to run two mile distances but the weight can be detrimental to your shins and calves so please bear this mind.

Let’s take a look at the best of rest for weighted vest exercises.

If the bodyweight pull up is becoming too easy then put the weighted vest on and perform pull ups now.

This is generally a safer option to the weighted belts you find in the gym. Ensure the exercise is performed slowly and remember to start off on a weight that is light then work up.

It will really hit the V shape on your back quicker than any other exercise.

These are a killer of an exercise especially at the end of a chest workout. Again perform this exercise slowly and ensure you lower your chest to the floor. Builds brilliant chest definition and would recommend this over cable crossovers or pec dec any day.

The best conditioning bodyweight exercise has just got better and harder. Burpees has always been associated with the army and boxing. Integrated with a circuit it plays at the forefront of conditioning work. A squat thrust followed by a jumping squat maybe doesn’t sound that hard but performing 20 reps of these will get you gasping for air. The weighted vest will improve you general conditioning more and believe you will feel it. This will improve your running and springing movement.

The ab roller doesn’t necessarily build your abs but it certainly strengthens the whole area. Whether you perform this exercise on your knees or perform it standing up is entirely up to you, but the addition of the weighted vest will ensure you perform it correctly. Remember to hold the movement when your back is horizontal with the floor.

The weighted vest can also be worn whilst performing other exercises like squats, deadlifts, dips etc. The whole point of the vest at this stage is to increase the resistance and increase muscle mass.

Weighted vests are costly, for a 9kg weighted vest you are talking around £50 for a decent one. The investment is worth it though and you’ll find the results you want in less time.