A weighted vest can add an entirely new dimension to your cardio day, and a study recently published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research offers some tips on how to get the most out of this simple device. Scientists has 8 male subjects wear the vest during waking hours (except while exercising) 3 days a week for 3 weeks. Compared to a control group, the program helped them run just a little faster with slightly improved agility. Because the results were so minor, researchers recommended using a weighted vest equal to between 5% and 10% of your body weight during half of your training activities for 3 to 4 weeks.

True Strength Moment: The use recommendation for this study makes weighted vests sound like a tailor made complement to team sports pre-season conditioning efforts. The added weight might be very well-suited to skills drills, plyometrics and calisthenics, but a weighted vest would only get in your way during resistance training.