WE'RE PRETTY OPINIONATED here at Men's Health. One of our longest-held perspectives on training gear is that simpler is almost always better. Don't get us wrong, there are some fantastic training machines that offer real value-but for 99% of the non-professional athletes reading this magazine, we can unlock most of our training gains with simple, tried-and-trusted tools.
The weighted vest is one of the tools. It's not a new training tactic, as its predecessor was used by armies worldwide for decades, albeit with a slightly different twist. The weighted backpack was made famous as one of the foundations of Special Forces training. The elite soldiers and Green Berets have to be able to shoulder heavy backpacks (also called 'rucks') across all kinds of terrains, deserts, through jungles, and over mountains-all done at speed. As part of their training, they'd fill backpacks with rocks or weights, and then they'd hike and march long distances at pace to build up stamina and fitness.
That backpacking tradition evolved into two modern equivalents: ‘rucking' and the weighted vest movement. Rucking is walking with a weighted backpack, and it builds strength, endurance, and character—and not just for soldiers. Studies show that rucking can burn up to three times the calories of regular walking, and it helps to build cardiovascular fitness.
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