Using a *WEIGHTED vest* To BURN more calories?

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  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    A 20lb vest adds about 6 net calories per mile walked, 12.6 net calories per mile ran.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    oh yes I forgot to add.. and YES you burn more calories.. again I don't care what anyone is saying ... I sweat twice as much it's a much harder workout! good luck :)

    You do know sweat is not an indicator of calories burned or how hard you worked right??

    b/c if that was the case- I'd be losing weight at a much faster rate considering I sweat constantly when I'm not directly in an AC building.

    C'mon ... sweat is a better indicator than science. [/sarcasm]
  • Hammybone
    Hammybone Posts: 36 Member
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    Are they a worthy investment?
  • steve0820
    steve0820 Posts: 510 Member
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    oh yes I forgot to add.. and YES you burn more calories.. again I don't care what anyone is saying ... I sweat twice as much it's a much harder workout! good luck :)

    You do know sweat is not an indicator of calories burned or how hard you worked right??

    b/c if that was the case- I'd be losing weight at a much faster rate considering I sweat constantly when I'm not directly in an AC building.

    This ^^

    Weighted vest/dip belts, hanging a weight from your feet are great for adding resistance and progression for an exercise.

    Sure they can add some extra stress for cardio workouts, but it won't make that much of a difference.

    You won't burn fat and add muscle just because you wearing one.
  • Kllygarm
    Kllygarm Posts: 1 Member
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    HI,

    I have a 15kg weighted vest and do around 9 km with it five days a week. Whether it burns more calories or not is somewhat trivial because it helps build muscle, which burns fat. However, I can reassure you it definitely does burn more calories. I love mine.
  • bendyourkneekatie
    bendyourkneekatie Posts: 696 Member
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    When the zombie apocalypse comes I'm definitely not wearing a weighted vest.
  • Mr_Healthy_Habits
    Mr_Healthy_Habits Posts: 12,588 Member
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    I added a weighted vest to my walks when I was still trying to loose and yeah I totally recommend them

    You will burn more calories and develop other areas of your body...

    The draw back, they can be bad for your knees and other joints, so be careful
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,977 Member
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    I have a, weight vest that can carry up to 75# but I don't normally load it w/more than 50#, just wanted the additional capacity which didn't cost that much more.

    FWIW, as someone else previously mentioned, you probably will not burn that many additional cals while wearing a weighted vest.

    I think the primary benefit of my weighted vest is in building strength and endurance and that's what I use it for.
  • AudreyJDuke
    AudreyJDuke Posts: 1,092 Member
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    I've seen others using them, always wondered about it. Thanks for this info!
  • huntersvonnegut
    huntersvonnegut Posts: 1,176 Member
    edited March 2018
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    I’ve used a weighted vest for a while when walking. Currently 25lb with a capacity for 40. They do also make pushups more challenging! Thanks for reminding me it’s probably time to add another 5lb
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    As long as it's properly fitted so that it doesn't cause chaffing or injury from bouncing, it's a great way to add intensity.

    Much better than using hand/ankle/wrist weights, which add weight to a part of the body that's not designed for bearing extra weight.
  • DJ_Skywalker
    DJ_Skywalker Posts: 420 Member
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    Post from 2011 and OP hasn't been around since 2015 .... love it :) But, I want pizza now
  • MrsPinterest34
    MrsPinterest34 Posts: 342 Member
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    Op thanks for posting this. I've been looking into weight vests myself, also a 20lb vest to start. I plan to buy one to use with my daily walking this spring/summer. Actually my reasoning is same as yours burn more calories and I have science to back it up. The First of Law Thermodynamics is why calorie counting works or eating at a deficit to lose weight. In Physics work is defined as: Work( energy)= Force x Distance (Displacement). Force is a weight base unit. So to increase work you can either increase the amount of distance or increase your weight. I walk 12,000 steps or more daily, and I've lost 36 pounds. Since I'm burning less calories as I lose weight walking the same distance then I figure if I increase my weight( replacing my lost weight with a weight vests), then I'll be able to burn more calories without increasing my steps. In hindsight it was worth it taking Physics in undergrad. My Physics professor would be so proud of me using all this Physics in the real world :)
  • newheavensearth
    newheavensearth Posts: 870 Member
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    I was looking into getting a weighted vest for cardio and I think I'll definitely get one now. Thanks everyone!
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
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    Be careful. I remember when walkers were all using weights in hands and ankles. But then it was not recommended because of joint issues. Extra weight means extra risk of injury.

    Wait long enough and fitness trends come around again.... And again....
  • litoria
    litoria Posts: 239 Member
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    I haven't used a weighted vest, but I did use a weighted pack to train for Everest base camp. It worked really well, I got really fit, strong and muscled legs. Do it!
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    The only reason I don't want one is that I don't want something that will wear thin and break apart under the strain of the weight in the pocket. I suppose I'm suspicious of the value proposition of the product. As far as the technical merits of adding burden to exercise, of course. It's been known for thousands of years. My own experience shows that in losing 100 lb my treadmill work lost about a calorie burned over 30 minutes for each pound of weight lost. I can then estimate that if you wear an extra 20 lb and dance for 30 minutes, you'll burn an extra 20 calories. That's not even a Hershey Kiss.

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