I was recently fed a TikTok of a lady cleaning her floor with a Swiffer. Although the algorithm baffles me every day, this was a new one.
Then I read the caption: “I am obsessed with my weighted vest and I truly feel like this is great for at-home workouts or doing chores around the house.”
Ah, fitness content. Now it made more sense.
By clicking on a simple hashtag, #WeightedVest, I was transported into a new world where I could build more muscle and burn more calories during actual workouts or while doing mundane tasks just by adding weight to my body — and keeping my hands dumbbell-free.
Why I wanted to try a weighted vest
Last September, I found myself in a career pivot while juggling homework and extracurriculars for three school-aged kids.
Time I had once zealously spent at Break the Mold Fitness in Lyndhurst was now spent hustling, driving carpools around North Jersey, and catching up on much-needed sleep.
And while maintaining my home, walking my dog and living a very busy life all keep me active, I lost something when I left the gym. I miss the early mornings, the shared purpose and the feeling of having lifted heavy things.
But until now, my only reference point for weighted vests was a very nice guy at my gym, who was so fit that he had to wear one so that his workouts actually worked. I observed him strapping it on to do chin-ups, push-ups, and even box jumps on many occasions.
A Google search for “weighted vest workout” confirms that it’s male-dominated and popular with folks who are interested in tracking and optimizing. It falls within a corner of the fitness world with its own customs and language. (Don’t call it walking. It’s “rucking.”)
My eyes opened to the possibilities. Women wear these things to walk and do house chores. Some claim they increase calorie burn “by up to…
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