Product Code Database
Weighted clothing are garments that have heavy materials incorporated into them, to add weight to various parts of the body, usually as part of resistance training. The effect is achieved through attaching weighted pieces to the body (or to other garments) which leave the hands free to grasp objects. Unlike with held weights or machines, weighted clothing can leave users more able to do a variety of movements and manual labour. In some cases certain weighted clothing can be worn under normal clothing, to disguise its use to allow exercise in casual environments.
The use of weighted clothing is a form of resistance training, generally a kind of weight training. In addition to the greater effect of gravity on the person, it also adds resistance during ballistic movements, due to more force needed to overcome the inertia of heavier masses, as well as a greater momentum that needs deceleration at the end of the movement to avoid injury. The method may increase muscle mass or lose weight; however, there have been concerns about the safety of some uses of weights, such as wrist and ankle weights.
It is normally done in the form of small weights, attached to increase endurance when performed in long repetitive events, such as running, swimming, punching, kicking or jumping. Heavier weighted clothing can also be used for slow, controlled movements, and as a way to add resistance to body-weight exercises.
Weight vests are becoming a very popular form of adding weight around the entire core to, for the most part, simulate the fat storage areas of the human body. It is very useful for adding weight to limb-centric movements, and for handling great weights. Due to the large area available, it can also handle more weight. If well-affixed, it is the safest most natural means of mimicking added body mass without unbalancing the body's muscles. They can be used to add resistance to almost any whole-body movement. A study has shown that using a weighted vest can increase the metabolic costs, relative exercise intensity, and loading of the skeletal system during walking.The effect of weighted vest walking on metabolic responses and ground reaction f...
One problem with some weighted vests is that due to tightness in the shoulder girdle, in movements like pull-ups or high range of motion pushups, the vest can be shearing, either damaging the person or in some cases, the vest itself being slowly torn away. This can also be seen as an advantage, however, in those who wish to limit their range of motion due to lack of strength or flexibility, to avoid injury. The limitations of front and back bending of the core is for example, contrasted by ergonomic construction to encourage good posture in modern weighted vests such as the x-vest, hyper vest or game-breakers pro suit.
Another problem is the constriction of breathing and overheating due to the use of heavy, non-breathing materials such as nylon and neoprene. The latest developments in weighted vest products offer comfortable weight vests with cool wicking fabric that allow full range and direction of movement, chest expansion for breathing, open sides connected with lacing, and low profile design allowing a vest to be worn under clothing or football pads, unlike traditional vests made of nylon or neoprene.
Simpler to put on and remove than weighted vests, it simulates how humans carry things, like young or injured comrades or camping supplies, rather than the storage of body fat. For most exercises, like pull-ups or push-ups, it is just as effective as a weighted vest in adding resistance from gravity. Limitations in flexibility forward or backward or to the side in arms may or may not be present depending on the pack as they vary greatly.
A standard form of military and fire fighter training is not only be 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.
Thigh weights are not ideal for movements involving quadriceps use, as they require tightness which may limit the use of the muscle and blood flow to the legs. For such movements, weights worn higher on the body or free weights are more ideal.
As they are attached to a region with a far smaller diameter than the thigh, there is not room for much weight without greatly changing the effective width of the lower leg. An advantage over thigh weights is that they are not attached to any major muscle or fat storage region, so tightness is not a factor and it can be used in almost any exercise.
Being above the ankle, movements incorporating the calf muscles such as calf raises can benefit from ankle weights.
Ankle weights are useful in adding weight to pull-ups and dips, especially when incorporating leg raises into the movements. They are also useful in slow kicking , and static-active stretching of the legs when balancing on one leg, or suspended in the air.
Light ankle weights have a history of use resistance for kicking in swimming, and of forward flexion in kicking, walking, jogging, and sprinting exercises. Concern has been expressed regarding this type of training. It may put too much stress on the joints, similar to the shearing forces found in leg extension and leg curl exercises.
Practicing weighted movements at high speeds also causes the nervous system to fire at larger intensities. If an individual loses the weight without being trained to adapt to the transition, he may overexert himself without checking at the end of the movement and overextend a tendon. This is more of a risk when people fully extend their limbs in such movements and do not come to a controlled stop at the end, limiting muscle flexion. Generally, the muscle being extended is more at risk, not one held statically. For example, the quadriceps muscle could overexert in a snap kick trained with ankle weights, but in a rising kick, it is the hip flexor muscle more likely to overextend. In either case, the hamstring and associated ligaments would be at risk for a tear.
One major advantage to ankle weights, unlike wrist weights, is that it adds a whole new component to exercises that wrist weights do not, since we can't grip dumbbells with our feet like we can with our hands. It is a major advantage in training rotational hip stabilizers, to work on turnout for martial arts and dance postures. To do this, the leg is bent 90 degrees at the knee, and then rotated inwards and outwards to bring the foot upwards. This is commonly seen in footbag kicks and holds.
One potential disadvantage to ankle weights is they may add stress to in ankle or knee. For this reason, some expert physicians discourage running while wearing them.
For straight-leg flexion (front and back) the slight increase in distance does increase leverage somewhat. In regard to the flexion muscles of the ankle, weighted footwear provides unique methods of working them that ankle weights do not. Leverage is best when the weight is near the tip of the foot, either above the toes or (more often) below the ball of the foot. Flexed to the front, it works the muscle opposite the calf, which is very useful as it is not a commonly activated muscle for movement, generally only a stabilizer to the calf muscle. It is very useful in retaining flexibility. The calf muscle can also be activated, but the leg must be raised behind the body as to make gravity resisting the flexion. At the front of the body, it would only assist calf flexion.
An advantage to weighted footwear is that they can be inconspicuous, depending upon the weight and the form of the footwear in question. This mainly applies to those with a fixed weight, adjustable weighted footwear is more obvious, and may not even be used as normal footwear at all inherent to their design, an example being weighted boots with a pole for the weight stack extending directly from the sole of the foot.
For footwear which can be worn normally, an advantage to wearing them beyond additional training stimulus, is their additional mass, which creates far more downward force than one would otherwise have, with foot-dropping attacks such as and stomps. To gain this energy, more initial energy must be expended in hip flexion (and possibly knee extension) to raise the foot from the ground.
|
|
