Ankle/wrist weights?

mcoppola07
mcoppola07 Posts: 25 Member
Basically, I want to make my workout a little harder. It's getting to the point where I'm doing the same things but burning less calories. I know some people on here have used weighted vests but I don't think I can afford that right now. Does anybody use ankle/wrist weights? Do they help at all? Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • LepperMessiah1
    LepperMessiah1 Posts: 102 Member
    edited October 2016
    #1 You are absolutely slaying your workouts from what I've seen. There is going to be an inevitable levelling off in calorie burns as you become more conditioned, but I don't think you have anything to worry about.

    #2 I'm very reluctant about using ankle or wrist weights in VR (or in many other types of training for that matter). Having weights that far out on your extremities can put a heck of a lot of torque on your joints, especially your shoulders and elbows. With wrist weights there's even more impact than what you'd experience from doing the same movements holding dumbbells, because your wrists aren't even able to absorb any of it. Also, given the unpredictable movements in many of the games, it becomes just that much easier to miscalculate and tweak your shoulder the wrong way.

    I think ankle weights are safer to use than wrist weights, but I can still imagine if you step out the wrong way, it could leverage your hip or knee to an uncomfortable degree.

    I chose to use a weighted vest because, instead of the extremities, the mass is kept close to the center of the body which is more stable. There is still going to be increased impact on the hips, knees, and ankles, but at least the force is being applied in a direction that those joints are designed to optimally absorb.
  • mcoppola07
    mcoppola07 Posts: 25 Member
    I'm looking at weighted vests online and they're not as pricey as I thought. Like this one for instance. What vest do you use?
  • LepperMessiah1
    LepperMessiah1 Posts: 102 Member
    A pricey one, lol: http://www.roguefitness.com/box-weighted-vests-universal-camo

    It's been really great though. The problem I've always had with weighted vests is that they tend to shift around a lot or sag, but this vest fits very snugly.
  • mcoppola07
    mcoppola07 Posts: 25 Member
    Doesn't look like it's in stock right now...what would you recommend for the actual weight?
  • LepperMessiah1
    LepperMessiah1 Posts: 102 Member
    Whichever one you choose, start light and progress slowly. I started with 2.5# and added 2.5# every other workout for a while, then every third, etc.