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Make gym-free training even more efficient by wearing and lifting the weight. Strap up, now

Gym-free training at its most efficient. Strap on a weighted vest and get going

They might conjure images of special forces soldiers dashing across Bodmin Moor, but these days you’re just as likely to see a weighted vest on regular gym-goers or outdoor fitness enthusiasts. ‘It’s a simple way to upgrade bodyweight routines that may have stopped delivering,’ says MH fitness editor Andrew Tracey. ‘Wearing a weighted vest is also great for strengthening tendons and joints, while it’s representative of real life by adding resistance to planes of movement that are more natural than when lifting dumbbells.’

Some are fixed-weight, while others include pouches, so you can adjust the weight incrementally, adding anything from 5kg to 30kg. But before you zip (or Velcro) yourself in, Tracey cautions to build up your load steadily, ‘so that all of your supporting muscles are strengthened in line with the bigger ones’.

Perform the following moves as a circuit, completing one set of 10 reps before moving on to the next.