Weighted Clothing – The Ultimate Guide

In this blog we have only talked about weighted vests. But there is more to weighted stuff than only vests.

In this post I guide you through all you would want to know ​about weighted clothing.

What is Weighted Clothing?

Weighted Clothing is clothing that adds weight to various parts of the body. Unlike regular weights, you can wear weighted clothes and still move freely and perform typical tasks. It can also be worn under regular clothes to perform exercises in the casual environment.

These clothes are quite comfortable and adjustable and can be worn by all ages. These clothes are mainly for resistance training of a part of a body. It helps to increase the muscles or loose weight where weights are applied.

Types of activities you can perform wearing weighted clothes-

  • Running
  • Swimming
  • Punching
  • Jumping
  • Kicking
  • Body-Weight Exercises

Types of Weighted Clothing

Let us see the different types of weighted clothing available for usage. I will breiefly describe each one of them.

1.Neck​

​There are weights available to be wrapped around your neck. Same as weighted vest they have the same benefits. They are mainly used for adding resistance to the movement of your neck.

So if you want to make your neck strong then you should buy a ​Head Harness Neck Strength Head Strap Weight. Neck Strength is essential for all fighting sports. So if you are a boxer or a wrestler you might need these weights.

More…

Whether it’s for taking a punch or for a ground fight, neck strength is crucial for a fighting game. There are also some workouts, especially for your neck.

What are the type of exercises you can perform?​

  • Face Down Plate Neck Exercises – Lie down on a flat bench with your shoulders even on a bench. Hold a plate behind your head and slowly lower your neck as far as possible.
  • Head harness neck resistance – Wear you head harness by adding the required weight and then raise your head up and back comfortably as possible.
  • Isometric Neck Exercise to the side – Place your right hand on the right side of your head and exert pressure on your neck, while using your neck muscles to resist the force. Switch sides and repeat.

Read more at – Best Workout for Neck

Benefits of a Strong Neck

The whole body is a kinetic chain, one weak link and the whole body become weak. Hence it is necessary all parts of the body should be strong. A strong neck increases the visual appeal of a body builder. It also reduces the whiplash that occurs in car accidents.

A strong neck is essential for athletes competing in contact sports to prevent jarring to the head and vertebrae. It helps in eliminating injuries.

Who should be interested in building a strong neck?

Contact sports players such football, rugby and hockey should be interested as to prevent injuries that happen while playing the sport. MMA fighters and boxers should also build a strong neck to improve their game.

​Soccer player can also take the advantage of a strong neck.

As an added bonus, strengthening the neck protects the other parts of the body from nerve damage. The body sends nerve signals to the brain. If there is an injury in this trek to the brain, nerve damage can show up anywhere. Nerve damage is difficult to treat and can be very painful. It is better to protect the nerves before they are injured. Neck strength is the best insurance against nerve damage.

2.Weighted Vest

We all know about weighted vests. If you don’t then read here. Lets brief about the weighted vest.

A weighted piece of clothing that has weights which can be altered. The sole purpose of a weighted vest is to add extra weight to the upper part of the body. It helps to create resistance while you performing daily tasks like running or walking and when you workout.

They are also called heavy vests.

Weighted vests are also used by highly trained professional dancers. Dancers must perform vertical jumps and take the full impact of their body in motion as they come to a stop. This means they must have incredible body strength. While they may look fluid in movement, they are taking as much physical punishment as a football player.

Dancers must perform in full costume. While the costumes are not extremely heavy, they do have weight to them and that increases the heart rate of the dancer. Training with weighted vests allows them to be physically conditioned to handle the additional weight load.

Benefits of Weighted Vest

               Supplement your Resistance Training – Resistance Training with a Weighted Vest can                    increase the potential of the training.

  • Serves as a tool for variation – Weight change is necessary for any successful exercise program. Whether positive or negative, our bodies adapt to certain movements after a period. This adaptation is usually the result of halted progress in exercise. The weighted vest provides the necessary change that our body is not ready for.
  • Takes your Cardio exercise to the next level – So do you want take your regular boring cardio exercises to the next level? Then the solution is a weighted vest.

Best Weighted Vest

The VForce Weight Vest is the best weighted vest for men. After comparing it to numerous weighted vest we found it is the best for your bucks.

Read the full review – VForce Weight Vest Review

Other Honorable Mentions –

2.Mir Weight Vest – Read the review

3.ZFO Weight Vest- Read the review​

3.Weighted BackPack

These are the common form of weight. It is clothing when properly fixed. It is commonly used in military-style training.

It is easier to wear and remove than weighted vests. It simulates how humans carry weights. It can hinder the body movement, though.

Same as weighted vest the load can be changed in weighted backpacks too. They are cheaper than a weighted vest.

A standard form of military and firefighter training is not only able to carry a backpack, but to march and run with one loaded down with a concrete “marble”. Part of SWAT training is to be able to do pull-ups wearing a heavy pack.

Here is a good comparison between Weighted BagPacks and weighted vests- Read Here

4.Weighted Gloves

Weighted Gloves is another form of weighted clothing. It serves the same purpose as a weighted wrist. It can be worn for cardio and aerobic exercises. It is popular among boxers and other martial artists.

Weighted gloves are a great addition to your workout gear. The wrists have a huge load on them. When you do Yoga or Pilates you are often focusing all of your body weight on your arms, wrists, and hands. The stronger they are, the easier to master your routine. It takes time and effort to condition the muscles in the hands and wrists to perform under this kind of strain. Martial arts, Yoga, Pilates, and dance are all about having complete control of every muscle in your body at the same time. Often people neglect the wrists and arms. They soon see their lacking. You cannot be the best in your field without mastering the entire body.

It works well in toning your arms and wrists. The design is such that the weight is added on the back of the hand. In this way, it doesn’t affect your grip. They are very light.

These can be use fitness enthusiast at the gym working out. It will help you lift heavy weights. Finding a right glove that will fit you is a little difficult.

My pick is the – Meister Elite 1lb Weighted Workout Gloves​

5.Weighted Arm Sleeves

Another type of Weighted Clothing is for the arm. Weighted Arm Sleeves are used to improve your arm speed and strength. These sleeves provide extra weight to your arm without hurting your elbow much.

These sleeves can be useful to baseball players, golfers and people who are learning martial arts. They will both enhance your skills and also will provide you with the extra protection.

Weighted arm sleeves are also known as cuffs. Most athletes work and train the upper arm naturally. But the lower arm remains weak. The solution is to add the weighted cuffs. They are tight fitting to protect this underdeveloped part of the arm. They are worn under long sleeves and they apply a small amount of weight as resistance to the lower arm. Wearing these during your normal day will give you some muscle tone, but wearing these as part of your workout plan is propelling you to a new level. All the parts of the body work together to even out heavy loads.

It can be easily secured over the forearm with the two adjustable straps. One is provided  at the top and one at the end. This helps it to fit perfectly over your forearm. There is no material provided for the elbow so you can freely move it.

The arm sleeves helps you to build muscles and also helps you to strengthen your muscles. There are different variations of the weighted sleeves as per your usage.

The sleeves are perfect for crossfit training such as  the popular MMA.

My pick is the – SPRI Perfect Fit Arm Weights, 3 lbs​

6.Wrist Weights

Wrist weights are another form of weighted clothing. These can be thought as an alternative to grasping dumbells. By using appropriate weights, you can replicate the effect of a grasping dumbells.

Since your hands are free you can wear it for longer periods of time. It can add a lot of resistance to the movement of your arms. Wrist weights are very advantageous because you need not have a firm grip as you would require in holding weights.

People often do not understand the importance of strength training the wrists. If you are biking, you lean your weight on your wrists for hours during a ride. Hip Hop dancers, gymnast, baseball players, and even bowlers put tremendous pressure on the wrists. An injured wrists will bring your day to a screeching halt very quickly. Weighted wrists gear conditions the wrist in record time. Please note, weighted wrists straps are not simply wrists protectors. You may wear a wrap around your wrist when you are using your hands to master your art. But a weighted wrist band doesn’t just support. It adds resistance and allows you to gradually and without pain, increase the muscle tone in the wrist.

There are different slots provided so that play around with the weights. The wrist weights are made of neoprene so that it can easily absorb your sweat. You can easily set different weights for performing different activities.

These wrist weights are great for boxers and dancers. It is also handy for building biceps and triceps muscles without holding those heavy dumbells.

You can easily vary the weights from 1lbs to 20 lbs. This type of weight is not recommended for anyone with the carpal tunnel syndrome or any other similar issues with the joints of the wrist, elbow or shoulder.

My pick is the – ANKLE / WRIST WEIGHTS (1 PAIR)​

7.Thigh Weights

Another type of weighted clothing is the Thigh Weights. These can be considered as the most reasonable form of resistance clothing. It helps in the activation in the hip flexors and the abdominal. It doesn’t put the strain on the quadriceps muscle for an extension.

These are great for sports-specific training on movements like knees and jumping. It is also useful for as bodybuilders with large quadriceps. You can also use them if you have large amount of fat stores in your inner thigh.

You must be aware that building the leg muscles demands caution. You can build your thighs, quads, and the entirety of the leg. Leg weights contribute to the building of those muscles. Attempting to build the legs without proper care and attention leads to injury. The knees do not take kindly to pushing them too hard. Wearing weighted pieces when you are not pushing gives you enough resistance to build muscle gradually. This counts big time when you are working out. You must remember muscle condition takes repetition and patience. This is an area you must coax along and not force.

My Pick is the – All Pro Weight Adjustable Thighaciser Thigh Weights, 6-Pound Pair

8.Weighted Belts

The weighted belts are another addition to the long list of weighted clothing. These belts easily attach to your waistline. There are different pockets provided so you can easily alter the weights according to your usage.

These weights can easily be preferred over the tradition weighted vests. In this way, you can quickly move your body.

Many people use weighted belts as a way to reduce the waist line, but it is much more than that. Any activity you perform while wearing these helps you burn calories and sculptures the waist. Perhaps the greatest benefit is the overall effect to the human body. Just as a 200 pound man walking a mile will burn more calories than a 150 pound man walking, adding weights via a weight belt allows you to burn more calories. This goes hand-in-hand with speeding up your metabolic system. Using weighted clothing is an easy way to keep your weight down. This is a whole body assist. You can easily pick one up according to the length of your waist line. There are many velcro straps provided in the belt such that it fits you perfectly. Make sure you fit them properly so avoid any discomfort to your abdomens.

Dip Belts ​

These are a special type of weighted belts which are used for weight training. This the best way to add resistance to the dip exercises and hence the name. These are used to add resistance to the exercises such as pull-ups, and knee/leg raises in hanging from a pull-up bar.

These also works great for squatting exercises.​

You can try the – All Pro Weight Adjustable Power Stride Exercise Belt, 10-Pound​

9.Weighted Shorts

These are perfect for athletes who are looking to increase their speed. It works on your hip flexors, knee joints & quadriceps. The only downside I felt is that you might find it difficult to find a perfect fit for yourself.Weighted shorts are made of lightweight material. The weights you add to the garment can be increased over time. Some people describe weighted shorts as the feeling of walking against water. Your leg muscles work hard, but it is not uncomfortable. The best part is, when you remove them for your sport you see an immediate difference in your stamina and speed. Another benefit is cross-training. An athlete cross trains so that muscles they do not use in their sport are developed in other activities. This is the concept of wearing weighted clothing. By wearing clothing that works muscles that would be overlooked in our workouts, our physical core developes beautifully.

They come with different pockets to hold the weights. This way you can easily adjust the weights according to usage. They come equipped with a sturdy adjustable belt. The material used is breathable anti-bacterial fabric.

My pick is the – Hyper Gravity Weighted Compression TITIN Force™ Shorts System​

10.Ankle Weights

The ankle weights can be easily found being used in many activities. As they cover a small region it can’t hold much weight. These are very popular and the weights range from 1-20lbs.

It is useful in adding weights to pull-ups and dips, especially when you are incorporating leg raises into the movements.​ It also works great for slow kicking katas.

Light ankle weights have been used in the past for swimming and of forward flexion in kicking, walking, jogging, and sprinting exercises. People though should be cautious of the stress the ankle weights put on the body.

Ankle weights do for the ankles what wrists weights do for the wrists. They target the ankle to strengthen them. The ankle takes a tremendous physical demands. An injury to the ankle will bring your entire work out to a stop. Worse, ankles do not heal easily. They support your entire body weight. You will be off your feet and then will have to slowly work your way back to where you were, when you were injured. When it comes to the ankle, it is easier to build the strength, and prevent an injury, than it is to recover and heal.It puts a whole new component to the exercise. One disadvantage of the ankle weights is that they may add unnecessary stress to ligaments in ankle or knee. Please wear them after taking your physician’s advice.

My pick is the – ​Valeo Adjustable Ankle/Wrist Weights

11.Weighted Footwear

​If you want to add extra resistance to your feet then you should pick a shoe weight. This also helps you with your sprinting speed.

They help you burn calories by doing simple tasks such as walking. They can also help you to improve your kicking power. They come as strap on weights so that you can fix it on any footwear of your choice.When you find the weighted shoes that you can wear, begin slowly. You will be pushing muscles that are rarely targeted. You will find that you are fatigued when you remove the shoes. That means they are working. You are pushing your weight in a way that is like walking up hill. It takes some dedication and stamina, but once you master that you will see an improvement in your entire body. Best of all, you will find that you can dance longer, play harder, and reach higher than you ever could before. Try this for yourself. You will be impressed.

You may find some shoe weights to be extremely bulky but there are some slim ones too. They come in two models – one with fixed weight and one with adjustable weight.

But before deciding on which weights you should buy please consult your physician. ​

Hope you liked all the weighted clothing mentioned above.​