Weighted Vest

sweat4fun85
sweat4fun85 Posts: 53 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What is the best weighted vest for running in? For under $100?

Replies

  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,496 Member
    We got one from an Ebay vendor, forget the name now. Search around though, if you order online shipping costs can kill you. We got free shipping on our 60 pound vest because the company jammed it in a US Postal Service "if it fits it ships" box (one price for the box regardless of weight). I'm sure our mail carrier hated us for weeks.

    Other vendors had the same vest but shipping was $20-30.
  • sweat4fun85
    sweat4fun85 Posts: 53 Member
    edited January 2020
    mojavemtbr wrote: »
    You may want to be wary about running with a weight vest. Most articles I have read concerning weight vests say that they are great for enhancing many types of exercise, but say that you shouldnt run in them due to the extra weight during impact they will put on your knees.

    I appreciate your concern, but there are many ways of mitigating the effects of the load on the joints/bones. 1. while running take short steps, increase cadence etc. 2. increase the load, distance, training time/intensity gradually so that the body can adjust to the new stress. 3. reduce the load every 3rd week which is typically the time bone is at its weakest during the reformation process in order to reduce the likelihood of stress injury. If I was just starting my fitness journey, running with a vest would be a terrible idea but having a solid base prior to such an undertaking, and a detailed understanding of the information I described above should set me up for success.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    Better you than me! I do everything to shed weight while jogging.

    It reminds me that I passed a guy in my last half-marathon who was running with a bullet-proof vest on. He looked pretty tired!
  • sweat4fun85
    sweat4fun85 Posts: 53 Member
    I'm doing it for a charity event, i'm sure it won't be a lot of fun, but I enjoy pushing myself to my limits and if I can raise money for a good cause while doing it, all the better.
  • mojavemtbr
    mojavemtbr Posts: 65 Member
    sweat4fun85 wrote: »
    mojavemtbr wrote: »
    You may want to be wary about running with a weight vest. Most articles I have read concerning weight vests say that they are great for enhancing many types of exercise, but say that you shouldnt run in them due to the extra weight during impact they will put on your knees.

    I appreciate your concern, but there are many ways of mitigating the effects of the load on the joints/bones. 1. while running take short steps, increase cadence etc. 2. increase the load, distance, training time/intensity gradually so that the body can adjust to the new stress. 3. reduce the load every 3rd week which is typically the time bone is at its weakest during the reformation process in order to reduce the likelihood of stress injury. If I was just starting my fitness journey, running with a vest would be a terrible idea but having a solid base prior to such an undertaking, and a detailed understanding of the information I described above should set me up for success.

    Great, I didnt know if you were a beginner or an experienced exerciser. But since you are not a Greenhorn and know how to mitigate some of the impact of the extra weight you are golden then 👍
    I just wanted to put it out because beginners sometimes think running I a weighted vest will speed up the process of weight loss or training and then they screw up their knees. Which once youve screwed up a knee it usually means you will have some kind of of trouble with it for the rest of your life.
  • sweat4fun85
    sweat4fun85 Posts: 53 Member
    mojavemtbr wrote: »
    sweat4fun85 wrote: »
    mojavemtbr wrote: »
    You may want to be wary about running with a weight vest. Most articles I have read concerning weight vests say that they are great for enhancing many types of exercise, but say that you shouldnt run in them due to the extra weight during impact they will put on your knees.

    I appreciate your concern, but there are many ways of mitigating the effects of the load on the joints/bones. 1. while running take short steps, increase cadence etc. 2. increase the load, distance, training time/intensity gradually so that the body can adjust to the new stress. 3. reduce the load every 3rd week which is typically the time bone is at its weakest during the reformation process in order to reduce the likelihood of stress injury. If I was just starting my fitness journey, running with a vest would be a terrible idea but having a solid base prior to such an undertaking, and a detailed understanding of the information I described above should set me up for success.

    Great, I didnt know if you were a beginner or an experienced exerciser. But since you are not a Greenhorn and know how to mitigate some of the impact of the extra weight you are golden then 👍
    I just wanted to put it out because beginners sometimes think running I a weighted vest will speed up the process of weight loss or training and then they screw up their knees. Which once youve screwed up a knee it usually means you will have some kind of of trouble with it for the rest of your life.

    Hey no worries, I think you made a good call. I probably should have mentioned that from the get go along with some sort of disclaimer.
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    mojavemtbr wrote: »
    You may want to be wary about running with a weight vest. Most articles I have read concerning weight vests say that they are great for enhancing many types of exercise, but say that you shouldnt run in them due to the extra weight during impact they will put on your knees.

    My PT semi-regularly has me wear a weighted vest when i workout/run, especially when we're doing sprints (the weighted vest combined with giant resistance band is a killer).
    Does 2 things, makes me appreciate how much easier running is now I've lost the weight (so i work harder not to put it back on) and also makes me faster when not wearing it.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    edited January 2020
    sweat4fun85 wrote: »
    What is the best weighted vest for running in? For under $100?

    Don't think there is such a thing for under $100.

    Anything that cheap will probably eventually fall apart, if you carry any kind of weight in it, running or not. The fit will also probably suck too.

    I've got a 2 piece V-Force weighted vest that will carry up to 75# but I normally only carry 25 or 50# in it. The extra 25# is in an add on attachment. Have owned it for over 5 yrs. No issues whatsoever. I use it walking or hiking. I never run, whether wearing a weighted vest or not. So, can't comment on that.

    Mine cost $280 but you can get a 25# version for just $150. You can put as little or as much weight in it as you like up to its rated limit. I highly recommend V-Force vests for fit and durability.

    See: https://www.weightvest.com/v-force-weight-vests/

  • nytrifisoul
    nytrifisoul Posts: 499 Member
    mojavemtbr wrote: »
    You may want to be wary about running with a weight vest. Most articles I have read concerning weight vests say that they are great for enhancing many types of exercise, but say that you shouldnt run in them due to the extra weight during impact they will put on your knees.

    This. I have a vest that you can add anywhere from 2-40lbs (2lb sand bags) I got up to about 30lbs worth of sand bags running 5 miles a day and thats when my knee's started to get bad. Now i can't bend them without making poping sounds.

    I am looking into getting either shin weights or ancle weights.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    Well, it does appear that you can get a used bullet-proof vest on Ebay pretty cheap.
  • Vladimirnapkin
    Vladimirnapkin Posts: 299 Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    Well, it does appear that you can get a used bullet-proof vest on Ebay pretty cheap.

    Is a used bulletproof vest a good investment?
  • Vladimirnapkin
    Vladimirnapkin Posts: 299 Member
    edited January 2020
    For what it's worth, I think running with a weighted vest is a terrible idea. Even if you are mitigating the impacts, it's going to put a lot of strange torque on your body and you are going to alter your gait to compensate. Altering your gait (more than just as needed to manage changes in terrain, for example) puts stress on muscles and joints that aren't adapted to the use, which can lead to injury.

    If it matters, I'm not a newbie.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,496 Member
    nytrifisoul wrote: »
    mojavemtbr wrote: »
    You may want to be wary about running with a weight vest. Most articles I have read concerning weight vests say that they are great for enhancing many types of exercise, but say that you shouldnt run in them due to the extra weight during impact they will put on your knees.

    This. I have a vest that you can add anywhere from 2-40lbs (2lb sand bags) I got up to about 30lbs worth of sand bags running 5 miles a day and thats when my knee's started to get bad. Now i can't bend them without making poping sounds.

    I am looking into getting either shin weights or ancle weights.

    Ankle weights tend to put more stress on the limbs than a vest due to their distance from one's center of gravity
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
    Vladimirnapkin wrote: »
    For what it's worth, I think running with a weighted vest is a terrible idea. Even if you are mitigating the impacts, it's going to put a lot of strange torque on your body and you are going to alter your gait to compensate. Altering your gait (more than just as needed to manage changes in terrain, for example) puts stress on muscles and joints that aren't adapted to the use, which can lead to injury.

    If it matters, I'm not a newbie.

    If that's the case, how do you suggest training under load? There are tons of logical reasons to want to train under a load... what would you suggest as a better option?

    Not providing a better option or alternative isn't while shooting down an idea isn't really a helpful comment for anyone reading along on the home game.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    Military training is based almost entirely on training under load. There are a number of races for soldiers with their kit.
  • Vladimirnapkin
    Vladimirnapkin Posts: 299 Member
    BecomingBane wrote: »
    Vladimirnapkin wrote: »
    For what it's worth, I think running with a weighted vest is a terrible idea. Even if you are mitigating the impacts, it's going to put a lot of strange torque on your body and you are going to alter your gait to compensate. Altering your gait (more than just as needed to manage changes in terrain, for example) puts stress on muscles and joints that aren't adapted to the use, which can lead to injury.

    If it matters, I'm not a newbie.

    If that's the case, how do you suggest training under load? There are tons of logical reasons to want to train under a load... what would you suggest as a better option?

    Not providing a better option or alternative isn't while shooting down an idea isn't really a helpful comment for anyone reading along on the home game.

    Run up hills.
    Run with a drag chute (for sprinters)
    Run faster intervals.

    I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "training under load" unless you mean with a pack. My concern is that moving off your center of gravity is hard on your back and joints.

    Yes, the military will have you jogging with a pack, but they have an objective, and it isn't your long term health.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    This just appeared on my Amazon page, probably because they're sniffing everything I write...

    Yes, it's under $1C.

    CAP Barbell Adjustable Weighted Vest, 60 lb
    by Amazon.com
    Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015XUL8UC/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_yMYhEbJSD3BKC
  • MT1134
    MT1134 Posts: 173 Member
    I'm assuming you'd be wearing the vest for the charity event itself, correct? Not just a training tool?

    Either way, I can't offer any advice to the original question but the idea that one shouldn't wear a vest because of A,B,andC really wasn't the question being asked.

    It's strange that one could provide better alternatives to running with a vest without knowing the goals and reasons behind wearing one and furthermore, the law of specificity still comes into play here-if you're going to be performing with the vest on them at some point in time you should start training with it on too...
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,496 Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    This just appeared on my Amazon page, probably because they're sniffing everything I write...

    Yes, it's under $1C.

    CAP Barbell Adjustable Weighted Vest, 60 lb
    by Amazon.com
    Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015XUL8UC/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_yMYhEbJSD3BKC

    The link you provided says it's $74.48 for a 60 lb. Not bad, but note $10.

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  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    I just ran a charity 5K. A retired fire fighter ran it with a heavy backpack and a log that he carried on one shoulder. He looked tired but OK at the end.
  • MT1134
    MT1134 Posts: 173 Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    I just ran a charity 5K. A retired fire fighter ran it with a heavy backpack and a log that he carried on one shoulder. He looked tired but OK at the end.

    That retired fire fighter sounds like a guy I wouldn't want to mess with.

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