MiR Weight Vests – Improve Strength, Stamina, and Cardio Endurance

The MiR Weight Vests are at the top of their class for toughness, versatility, and price.  This weighted vest is contoured, made to be adjustable, and can be used for any activity.

I’m going to give you a brief summary of the highlights for this vest along with any possible negatives.  This is the exercise tool that can help you surpass your fitness goals or next plateau.

 

Weighted Vest Benefits

First of all, what is a weight vest for?  These vests are lace on, slip-on, or zippered piece of durable clothing.  They should come with outside pockets so weight can be added in small increments.

Studies have shown that when used correctly, a weighted vest is an excellent way to increase your speed, stamina, and strength.

Any time resistance is placed on the body, this will cause it to adapt and become stronger.  This makes a weight vest a vital part of a complete training program for many athletes.

Once your body gets used to the additional weight, you won’t even notice this extra resistance.

Weight distributed evenly around the body is more beneficial than simply carrying it.

Strength and Getting Over that Plateau

Weight vests will build strength, especially for bodyweight exercises.  This includes pullups, pushups, squats, dips, and many others.

Can only do 5 pullups?  Try using a weighted vest with 5%-10% of your body weight for a few weeks.  After this, take it off and watch your pullup count go up.  This works the same with any of these types of exercises.

Added weight resistance pushes your body to help you reach higher physical goals.  Weighted vests and Crossfit is another example of an excellent time to benefit from this resistance.

Cardio Endurance

Weighted vests for running will improve your cardiovascular strength.  The extra weight automatically pushed you to go harder making it more strenuous.

This way endurance is built much more quickly than running without weight. It’s the quickest way to build cardiovascular health other than running uphill.

Weight Loss

The additional weight from these vests will give you just enough extra muscle exertion to burn calories faster than normal.  Any type of activity done while having this resistance will force your body to work harder.

Burning more calories than you eat is still the most important way to successfully lose weight.  That’s why a weighted vest and weight loss go hand in hand with achieving this goal.

 

What’s a Weight Vest For?

Any activity that you do while wearing additional weight will bring added benefits.  This is a customized resistance training tool focused on improving athletic performance.

More strenuous activities will result in increased strength, stamina, and better cardiovascular endurance.

Daily Activities

Even if you are just using a weighted vest for walking, hiking, biking, or even vacuuming, this weight will help to strengthen your core and burn extra calories.  You will be reaping these rewards without even noticing it.

Some low profile, lighter vests are made to discretely fit underneath clothing.  Some people will wear their vests as an all day muscle stressor.

Warming up

When warming up for a competition or strenuous exercises, a weighted vest is a proven method to get a full stretch and heat up the body.

Warming up the body is extremely important in reducing injuries, and a weighted vest is the best way to a more dynamic warmup.

This extra resistance helps to support being as limber as possible to loosen up for trials.

Treadmill or Elliptical

You can multiply the benefits or endurance and get some extra mileage out of exercise equipment simply by putting on some resistance weight.

This can drastically improve your cardiovascular workout.  It will help build both leg strength and stamina.  Your body will also be burning calories at a much faster rate.

After getting used to this weight, you will be pushing your body harder than before without even knowing it.

Weight Vests and Running

This is one of the most popular ways to increase running speed and distance.

During the initial use of a running weight vest, you won’t see any immediate differences.  You will need to train long enough for your body to get acclimated to this weight.

After you have built up this endurance, taking off the vest will set you free.  You will see noticeable results in how fast and how far you can go at an easier pace.

In the long run (pun intended), you will develop more strength and stronger cardio.

Working Out

This is also a popular way to get great results from a weighted vest.  The additional weight will force you to do things a little bit differently and will change up your workout routine.

Besides improving bodyweight exercises, the vest will be giving your muscles extra strain and stress during many other types of movements. As the body adapts to this and will lead to faster muscle growth.

The weighted vest will help strengthen the core, give better balance, and help with muscle confusion benefits.

 

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What to Look For in the Best Weighted Vest

Most importantly, be sure to choose a weight vest that aligns with your personal training goals.

Being Adjustable

The most important thing is to make sure that the vest weight is adjustable.  Most weighted vests either come with additional weights or they can be purchased.  Usually, they come in 2-5lb increments.

This is important since your body will get stronger each time, and you will want to increase the weight to keep things challenging.

Secure Fit

Be sure that the vest has adjustable straps, wraps or belts to keep the weight from shifting or bouncing up and down.

Since this piece of gear is used mainly for fast and strenuous movements, this is a very important detail to look for in a weighted vest.

Amount of Weight

Keep in mind what you will be doing and what your goals are for your weight vest.

For endurance exercises such as running or walking, a low profile, thinner, lighter vest may work best.  These usually go up to about 45lbs.

For strength training, get a heavy duty vest that comes with plenty of weight.  You will probably need one that can increase to over 50lbs.  Some can even hold up to 150-200lbs!

Price

You get what you pay for.  The least expensive will be the fixed version where the weight can’t be adjusted.  Spend the extra money to get one that is adjustable.

Look for one that already comes with the weight bars or plates.  Some vests can be quite expensive and on top of that, require the weights to be purchased separately.

⇒ If you have any other questions or any comments on what to look for in a weighted vest, please leave a message below and I will respond.

 

Mir Weight Vests

This company has been in the exercise equipment industry for over 10 years and has a great track record when it comes to customer service.

One thing that sets MiR apart is their lifetime service warranty on all of their products.  MiR products are made with durable materials and are all washable.

The MiR product line includes the most popular MiR Pro Weighted Vest as well as the MiR Short Weighted Vest and the MiR Woman’s Weighted Vests.

 

MiR Pro Weighted Vest

 

 

This MiR Weighted Vest is designed for heavy duty strength training.  It also works well when adjusted to use less weight.  If you think you can handle it, this vest can be purchased in up 120lbs of resistance.

For most, this will take some time to achieve this type of load.  The vest material is durable nylon with a lifetime warranty.

The actual vest weight is 2.5lbs and the weight packs are added in 3lb increments.  60lbs is the starter weight package that is the lightest available.  From there, the packages go up every 10lbs up to 120lbs.

Keep in mind that any vest weight purchased will break down to 3lb single bars.  This makes it ideal to slowly build up to each plateau.

The vest holds the weight tight to the chest level to help with balance and keep from putting pressure on the stomach.  This vest is also balanced with a dual layer design that holds more weight in the bottom half by having more compartments for weight

The MiR Pro comes with a double padded shoulder system for added comfort for such heavy weight.  Shoulder straps are made narrow enough to give adequate overhead and front arm movements.

This is a one size fits all vest but made with a contoured fit and comes with two adjustable straps and an adjustable heavy duty belt.

Individual weight packs are securely held into place using a hook and loop closure system.

MiR Pro Benefits

• 120lb maximum weight adjustable in 3lb increments
• Double padded, lined shoulder support
• Mid chest belt to keep weight from bouncing
• Tight hook and loop weight fasteners
• Front, back, upper and lower pockets for balance
• Prices include weights
• Heavy duty construction

Potential Negatives

• Not low profile enough to go under clothing
• One size fits all may not work for those that are very small or extra large

Purchase at Rogue Fitness

 

Customer Reviews

The MiR Pro Weighted Vest and the MiR Short Weighted Vest are some of the best products available to enhance exercise performance.  Evidence of this is in the consumer 5 star ratings.

Below is a screenshot of one of those reviews from a verified purchaser. You can click on the image to see more of these customer reviews.

 

 

MiR Short Weighted Vest

 

 

The obvious difference between this and the pro is that it’s not as long and measures 11″ in length.  This can be both a positive and a negative.

The pro is that the size is optimized for more movement, especially when performing activities such as Crossfit.  The negative is that the center of gravity is slightly higher which can make it more challenging.

Its held securely to the body with a mid-chest belt to keep it tight and from bouncing around.  There are also adjustable straps to gen a more custom, contoured fit.

MiR Weighted Vests are made with the same heavy duty and nylon and the double reinforced padded should system.  It uses the same 3lb weight system, so they can be interchangeable with the other MiR weight vests.

The weight packs are even distributed throughout the front and back for better balance.  Weight options for this jacket start at 15lbs and go to 90lbs.

MiR Short Weighted Vest Positives

• 11″ length gives maximum mobility and still has a secure fit
• 90lb maximum in 3lb increments
• Mid chest adjustable belt
• Tight hook and loop weight fasteners
• Double padded and vented shoulder straps
• Prices include weights
• Heavy duty nylon construction

Potential Negatives

• Contour is not recommended for women
• Weight capacity is less than the MiR Pro

Purchase at Rogue Fitness

 

MiR Woman’s Weighted Vest

 

 

This weighted vest for women is designed for the female frame for comfort and mobility.  It’s smaller than the standard vest and will not hold as many weight bars.

The woman’s weight vest starts with 10lbs and then goes up in 10lb increments up to 50lbs.  This weight is balanced and distributed equally to be centered with the upper body.  It’s also better ventilated than the other MiR vests.

This specialized vest is made to fit snug and securely.  It comes with adjustable shoulder straps and shoulder harness and still allows for optimum range of motion.

MiR Women’s weight vest is manufactured with the same heavy duty, washable nylon as the other MiR durable vests.

Some reviews have mentioned that if you are very small framed, this “one size fits all” ladies vest may be too large.  If this is the case, try the  Hyper Vest Pro.  It’s low profile and comes in size small.

MiR Womans Weighted Vest Positives

• Up to 50lbs in 10lb increments
• Secure straps and padded shoulder harness
• Snug fit that provides a full range of motion
• Price includes weights
• One of the only “women’s vests” available
• Made of heavy duty nylon material

Potential Negatives

• Reviews indicate it is not ideal for a very small frame

Purchase at Rogue Fitness

 

See my Review on the Best Weight Vests For Men

 

MiR Weight Vests Conclusion

Weighted vests are one of the best ways to increase speed, strength, stamina, and cardiovascular endurance.  Using this weight system will really help push you past that next fitness plateau.

The MiR Weight Vest is durable, washable, and adjustable to fit securely around the upper body.

All MiR vests come with 3lb weight increments.  Being adjustable is one of the most important options so the amount of resistance can be inched up higher as the body gets acclimated to the weight.  This is the way to reach new strength and endurance goals.

Best of luck passing your next plateau with the help of this effective exercise apparatus.

⇒ If you have any questions or comments on MiR Weighted Vests, please leave a message below and I will respond.

 

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