For those of you who have the 84 lb X-vest, how do you like it? Do you utilize the full weight most of the time? How does it fit?
I am going to get an X-vest, just not sure if I should go with the 84 lb or 40 lb model. Btw, I am 6’5", 245 lbs.
Thanks for all replies.
go for the bigger one for your weight. i’m 5’9" 210lbs and i use the 40lb one i won from t-mag. believe me it’s enough for certain excercises but not enough for others. the only thing is that you would be annoyed at having to change the weight range on it. i never change my weight resistance on mine. 
laters pk
I am intrigued by weight vests, but I think they are too expensive. If you are using them to run or do stairs then it is a good investment…but if you just want it for chins and dips, I suggest going with a dipping belt. You can load it up with 2 45 LB plates and it will get the job done for you.
i actually find doing excercises like dips and chins in the vest is more difficult then using an equal weight on the belt. I’ve worked with both extensively all the time. I don’t know if other people agree. I will post this question on the t-jack thread. laters pk
That’s probably because you can’t really benefit from rotational energy as much with the vest as from the belt. Even with strict form, people sway a bit doing dips, and that slight rocking motion with a plate hanging from your waist can (to a degree) be translated back upwards on the lift. The vest weight is anchored to your body close to the point of rotation (your shoulder), so it doesn’t contribute much if any centrifugal force.
Or so I think. Those engineering physics classes were more than a decade ago 
[quote]pkradgreek wrote:
i actually find doing excercises like dips and chins in the vest is more difficult then using an equal weight on the belt. I’ve worked with both extensively all the time. I don’t know if other people agree. I will post this question on the t-jack thread. laters pk[/quote]
I wouldn’t know, I haven’t used the vest…but I would say resistance is, more or less, resistance. I can’t imagine that the swaying of the weight below your center of gravity would change the concentric or eccentric resistance, it might however have the added resistance required to stabilize the weight.
it might have to do with impeding free motion a little bit at the shoulder area or that the weight puts a pressure on the traps which are very important stabilizer muscles. probably both issues are interlated.
In regards to that point that all resistances are equal, I disagree because of the change in dynamics of the body. example: using dips, when you use a belt the weight is straped to the front thus causing a tilting of the pelvis other wise your private parts get hit hard. now we all know the tilting yields more chest usage in the dip thus making the excercise easier for those with strong chests. now using the vest there is no need to tilt forward thus a more upright position can be utilized hitting the triceps more. If i want to decline i use the bench but i guess some people like to use the dips for that which is ok when you don’t have a spotter and the gym is packed and you can’t use dumbells. laters pk
What do you think about doing cardio or GPP type exercise with a weighted vest for sparing muscle while dieting down??
Later -T
Also I have wanted the 84lb one for some time now but parting with $299 is going to hurt does anyone know where we can get one any cheaper?
I find the weight hanging from your waist annoying while doing pull-ups/chins. It also throws off your natural hanging angle (don’t know what to call it). Weight added while doing dips don’t seem to bother me. I haven’t really noticed, but I don’t think that they sway all that much. Not like they do while doing pull-ups.
[quote]Thad wrote:
What do you think about doing cardio or GPP type exercise with a weighted vest for sparing muscle while dieting down??
Later -T[/quote]
i do most of my cardio with the weight vest on. the only times i don’t use it is if i’m on the track doing high speed sprints or if i want to do 400 meter runs. that stuff is taxing enough without the vest. as i said on another thread, running on the treadmill is a joke even with the vest on. your heart rate goes up but i don’t think it even comes close to running on the track in terms of the effort. if you use the treadmill, use an incline for sure and lower the speed to a comfortable walking speed for your fat burn workouts. Or just jack the speed up and do some nice intervals. laters pk
what does the vest feel like? i was thinking of making my own, and was wondering if stepping it up to a higher deneir would increase the abrasiveness too much? thanks.
Thanks for the feedback. Right now, I’m looking at using the X-vest for GPP/cardio work only. I’ve tried a weighted backpack, but that really killed my traps and lower back, and postponed my deadlift workout for 2 days.
$300 is a relatively big investment; On the “Building My Own Weight Vest” thread, someone recommeded an Ebay seller - I guess that’s ok if you trust Ebay and the shipping is not too much for an 84lb package.
As for making your own, I never even thought about it. Sounds very hard - sewing and all. Vizunaldth and others,it will be interesting to read how that turns out.