Weighted vest

A weighted vest is, as the name suggests, a vest that is filled with weights. (They are also sometimes called weighted vests). They come in many different weight sizes and the most common is 10 kg which is also good enough for most people. But it is also quite common to find vests weighing 20 kg and 30 kg.

Advantages of a weighted vest

More and more people are discovering how useful and versatile a weight vest is, they can be called a little “home gym”. You can use them for the following things:

• Walk and/or run with it to make your workout more intense and increase calorie burn.
• Wear it in everyday life to lose weight (a recent scientific study has confirmed that this works, more info below).
• Do multiple bodyweight exercises such as: dips, chins, pushups, situps, jumps, arm walks, leg curls + much more!
• Crossfit, obstacle courses and similar activities.

Thunder Fitness sells stylish weighted vests in durable material that is of the highest quality. They can withstand tough activities such as crossfit and obstacle courses but are equally suitable for leisurely walks. Buy a weight vest today and maximise your workout!

Lose weight with a weighted vest

One of the most popular uses for these vests is for slimming and weight loss. There are mainly 2 different ways you can do this, namely:

#1 Walking and jogging

Losing weight is a simple equation based on the fact that you have to consume more calories than you put in (eat). This can be achieved either by eating less, moving more (consuming more calories) or a combination of both. In general, the best way to increase your calorie intake is through exercise.

Some of the best and most popular ways to increase your calorie intake are by walking or jogging. If you then also add a weight vest when you are out walking or running, you will burn more calories and lose weight even faster! This is because your body now has to work harder to move the heavier weight.

#2 Wear the vest throughout the day

Another way to lose weight is to wear your vest for most of the day. The body has a sort of “built-in scale” that regulates our weight automatically. When the body feels that the weight is suddenly much greater, it will try to adjust this, including by reducing its appetite.

There has been a lot of talk about this in the past and there have been studies on rats but in May 2020 a Swedish study was published that confirms it works, source. The people in the study lost 1.6 kilos in three weeks, just by wearing a weight vest in everyday life.

This can be said to be revolutionary as it is a dieting method with proven effects that is also healthy and without negative effects. It is therefore a better choice than many extreme diets and dubious pills.

What can you do with a weight vest?

As we mentioned above, you can do lots of different exercises. In some strength training exercises, such as the bench press, it makes no difference, of course. But in most common bodyweight exercises, you can add a weight vest to increase the weight and intensity.

Some of the most popular exercises to do are:

Dips, chins, push-ups, sit-ups, jumps, arm walks and leg curls (squats without barbell). But of course, there is much more you can do with a weight vest and the only limit is your imagination! There are also many people in crossfit who use these vests. Below are some pictures of different exercises.

Dips:

Chins:

Push-ups:

Lunge:

In conclusion, a weight vest is a great training tool that can be used in many different ways. Whether you want to lose weight or increase your workout intensity and build muscle, it’s a great tool.

Buying guide – Which weighted vest to choose?

Firstly, our 10kg, 20kg and 30kg weight vests are available in two different sizes depending on your height. Our 10 and 20 kg vests are identical, the only difference being that the removable weight bags weigh more in the latter model. If you are under 178 cm, you should choose the 10 kg small or the 20 kg small. If you are over 178 cm, choose 10 kg normal or 20 kg normal.

Our 30 kg models are a little different and if you are over 190 cm choose large, if you are under 190 cm choose normal.

It is possible for a taller person to use a smaller vest if they wish (however, it may seem a little more attractive to use one that fits your height better). If you are shorter and wear a weight vest that is too long, it may catch on the top of your thighs if you squat down. But for walking and jogging and so on, it’s fine.

What weight should you choose?

Weight vests come in different weights, Thunder Fitness currently sells 5kg, 10kg, 20kg, and 30kg vests. Of course, the weight you choose is individual, but here are some tips and suggestions.

For walking, 10-20 kg is usually pretty good. If you want a lighter load, we also have a 5 kg vest. You can also walk with a 30 kg vest, but then you should be a little bigger and stronger because it is a lot of extra weight. If you mainly intend to run with the weight vest, 5-10 kg is quite reasonable.

If the aim is to do bodyweight exercises such as dips, chins, push-ups and leg curls, a 30 kg vest is often the best choice.

If you intend to wear the vest for most of the day, 10 kg is quite adequate.

Then, of course, it all depends on how strong you are and how much you want to intensify your training. You can also take out weight bags to adjust the weight downwards. But bear in mind that the more weight bags you take out, the worse the fit. So try to buy a weight vest that has a weight as close as possible to the one you will use the most.

Thunder Fitness has a really large range of weight vests!