Weighted vest versus weight in my pack

[Stilpr]

I apologize if there was already a thread on this topic, but I wanted to know if anybody had seen a significant difference in working out with a weighted vest instead of putting weights or sandbags in their hunting pack. I picked up a weighted vest on the Amazon that goes up to 60 pounds, and i thought it would be easier to transport than my pack, but I also understand the benefit of using my actual set up. I plan on using my pack as well, but thought I would run this question by the group. Thanks in advance!

 

[bat-cave]

IMHO - Weight in a pack is much easier than a weight vest. The weight vest interfere's with your breathing far more than a pack with weight in it (for me). YMMV with various weight vests. I'm using 5.11 TacTec Plate Carrier + Rogue Plates and it's the best weighed vest that I have used ... still brutal to workout in.

 

[Stilpr]

Thanks!

 

[LaHunter]

Also, your lower back has much more stress on it with a weighted vest. I've used one for a while, but stopped after a couple years because of lower back stress.

 

[jp0212]

The answer here is actually pretty complicated, and really it is dependent on what your desired result is. If you are truly working to improve your hunting capacity and make your trips more comfortable, you are better off using a weighted pack and following a training protocol that increases TOTAL body strength. The key is maintaining a solid foundation of strength and to establish muscular balance throughout your entire body, with the goal of maintaining joint alignment. When wearing a pack, especially if you have a good one, the majority of the weight is shifted to your hips and down into your legs. Doing so makes you less reliant on your back, abs and inner core muscles to stabilize the weight. Doing so, however, also puts a rotational load on your body as the center of gravity of the pack is slightly toward the back. That's where hiking with a pack is key as it will train your body to adapt. Also, properly packing the bag to pull the center of gravity in as tight as possible is key or you dramatically increase the load as it moves away from your body. Wearing a weighted vest will actually place the center of gravity much more centered, but the load is almost entirely at your shoulders. Putting it at our shoulders also impacts your abs, back and core, however they are impacted much differently. Both training methods will expose muscular weaknesses if they exist that will need correcting. To clarify, as an above poster mentioned a weighted vest caused back pain, more than likely that was just a muscular imbalance being exposed. The issue may not have actually been the lower back. It could be your back, but it could also be your abs, quads, glutes or hamstrings. All of those are connected to your pelvis and any imbalance causes your pelvis to rotate and pull all sorts of stuff out of alignment. If you are limited to only one option, stick with the weighted pack and ONLY do so if you are incorporating it into a well balanced training regime. That being said, the best answer is to use both options for training, and just switch them up. Diversity in your training program will get your body to respond better than anything else.

Lastly, for the love of all things holy DO NOT run with the vest or pack on. If you must to train for an event, do so infrequently and only leading up to the event. The forces that puts on your knees, hips and spinal column are absolutely insane. Let me know if you need any more clarification regarding this stuff.

 

[S.Clancy]

I apologize if there was already a thread on this topic, but I wanted to know if anybody had seen a significant difference in working out with a weighted vest instead of putting weights or sandbags in their hunting pack. I picked up a weighted vest on the Amazon that goes up to 60 pounds, and i thought it would be easier to transport than my pack, but I also understand the benefit of using my actual set up. I plan on using my pack as well, but thought I would run this question by the group. Thanks in advance!

Main difference is with a vest, your center of mass is still near the original (BW) center of mass. In the pack, you create a moment arm for the weight in pack. Energetically, because of the introduction of torque to the upper body, I would think 60 pounds in a backpack burns slightly more calories. In the scheme of things, it prob doesn't matter, but a 3$ bag of Quikcrete likely costs less than a weight vest. They both look dumb when you're training.

 

[Stilpr]

Great info guys, thanks! I’ve experimented with both, and I can definitely tell a difference when using the pack versus the vest.