Yes, if used correctly and cautiously a weighted vest is a safe piece of kit to add to your armoury. Start off light, slow and for short periods, and only increase the weight and the time wearing the weighted vest when you feel ready and when you’ve fully mastered your form. Apart from burning more calories and adding variety to your sessions, using a weighted vest can improve your cardiovascular fitness, endurance and strength and has also been seen to improve bone density over time. Weighted vests are a great tool for increasing overall strength, endurance and fitness. Adding weight can influence muscles stress and strain during workouts. By adding it, more force is exerted which, in turn leads to more intense workouts.

Gravity Fitness is a giant where it comes to Calisthenics equipment and there are only a few other companies which rival it. When it comes to their Weighted Vests, you see Gravity Fitness everywhere. They seem to be the go-to for Calisthenics practitioners who aren’t pinching their pennies as the good people from the UK would say. Gravity’s unique low-profile design allows for a full ROM (Range Of Motion) ensuring you can perform all of the exercises in your arsenal. I’m confident that 90% of people reading this who go on to buy a vest will be more than happy with the 15kg option.The design of the weighted vest is very similar to that of the Chris Heria weighted vest, in that it fits over your head and is then secured to your body using a single Velcro strap. This design is more breathable than others on the market, but it means that the vest has a tendency to bounce around on your shoulders when running. So, should you buy the 20kg Weighted Vest or the newer and larger 30kg version? We believe the 20kg Gravity Fitness Weighted Vest is still the most versatile choice and the one we’d recommend to just about anyone who asked. It allows you to do most if not all Calisthenics exercises without shifting and while retaining a full range of motion. Will you be using weighted vests for raising your fitness levels with some high-intensity running? How about a bodyweight exercise session, or maybe even for some additional weight while walking to help boost weight loss? If you have a clear idea of how and where you’re going to put that vest to good use, you can seek out one that’s a better fit for its intended use. The key point to note is that with both vests, you can take the weight off to reach your desired weight, but if you buy the 15kg vest, then you can’t add any weight. 15kg will forever be your limit. Because there isn’t any specific loop to thread it through or any markings to show where the strap should line up with the vest, it feels like a bit of a free-for-all, and you have to figure out what works best for you after putting the weighted vest on a few times.

Go for the 20kg+ options only if you're already experienced working with weight and have a base level of fitness and muscle.A weighted vest takes your usual bodyweight, cardio or strength training and ups the challenge by adding extra resistance. And as with other resistance exercises, your body then has to work harder to handle the added weight. From SAS badasses to WH team members and Gemma Atkinson in her home gym, weighted vests are a versatile piece of gym equipment loved by many across the fit-sphere. Pretty 'does what it says on the tin', a weighted vest is a vest worn over your gym wear, filled with weighted bars, sand pouches or plates to add resistance. The sides and armpits are left largely open, allowing air to pass through there uninhibited. The whole design makes sure than the 20kg Weighted Vest can breathe easily. You yourself should not feel any complications with breathing either since your ribcage can expand to the sides and a portion of the weight is suspended by your shoulders.