I came into some extra money for Christmas and am looking at buying a Prowler or weighted vest. I’ve never used either. Which do you prefer and why? I’m looking at stepping up my conditioning the first of the year.
prowler, hands down. it allows for eccentricless conditioning which is the best kind.
Prowler. one of my favorite sets to do with prowler: load it up with 4 plates per side (total 8) mark 5 spots 10 yards apart (50 yards). push to the first spot and back then strip 2 plates. Push to the 20 yard spot and back strip two more plates. You’ll laugh when on the last set and you can barely push an unloaded prowler. This is all on concrete so take that into consideration when choosing the weights.
Did you read the book?
“The two best things to do are Prowler pushes/sprints, or sprinting hills? If you don?t have access to a hill or a Prowler, sprint with a weighted sled. If you don?t have any of these, I don?t know what to tell you.”
Pros and cons of different methods:
Thanks for all the replies. Looks like the Prowler is a no-brainer. Great link as well Chris.
track spikes.
[quote]dbarry14 wrote:
I came into some extra money for Christmas and am looking at buying a Prowler or weighted vest. I’ve never used either. Which do you prefer and why? I’m looking at stepping up my conditioning the first of the year. [/quote]
Get the one that cost the most (for you). Then save up and get the other one, later this year.
In America, apparently only Jesus Saves. I saw it on a sign.
The best conditioning tool is the one that you’ll actually use.
I like the weighted vest because it makes everything harder and can be combined with pretty much any activity. Cutting the lawn or walking to school/work takes on a whole new reality when you’re slowly being pressed down into the Earth.
Conditioning is conditioning no ??? I mean, here in Canada/Quebec, We push other’s cars and shovel a lot - and that’s something you wana get good at. On a more serious word, what I mean is U can use pretty much anything… Use your imagination !! Buy a kid sled, put weight in (3-4 kids maybe ? 
) and push or pull it. Hell, sometimes I even pull my power rack with weight on, in my 4 meter space - 2 meter this way, 2m. the other way, and on and on again. It’s not difficult to train… I bought my self a weight vest, but it’s because I love training and have money to invest in - If I would’t, my training life would’nt depend on some gears or an other…
Oh, I use tires and rims as bumper plates… see ? !! Most important, have fun with your trainings. Best regards, and happy heavy lifting 2014 !
Prowler can be used for rehab too. Moderate to heavier weight with full length walking steps feels great for my hips/lower back.
Honestly, if you have to say you “came across SOME extra money”, you should probably be saving that. If you had enough money to justify the purchase, it wouldn’t need to be used from some extra money you got, you would just get it.
That said, I’ve always viewed conditioning as just a means to get your heart rate up plain and simple. Now, I don’t know if everyone else in the world is just that much more better conditioned than me or what, but when I take the sled that I made for FREE out of a old tire I found out in the desert and drilled in an eye bolt to it and looped 2 long straps through it and walked with it with a couple 45’s or do sprints with it w/ 25-35 lbs in it, I am DYING for air.
The way I see it, if the free sled allows me to skyrocket my heart rate, what more could the prowler possibly do for me? Maybe it would help me look cooler, maybe it would hit the muscles from a slightly different angle. However, with bills and a newborn child, the free option is way better than putting down $300+ for something that will do the same exact thing.
Just some food for thought, in a way that isn’t condescending to you as Wendler does to everyone who follows his advice.
I have a knock off Prowler that works very well. I also use a sled. If you have a good hill close, there’s no comparison. I’d rather hill sprint than anything else. It is hard conditioning and will beat the daylights out of you. My legs always feel limp afterwards.
You’ll need a place to push and some way to haul it and plates if you’re not able to push nearby.
A drag sled is pretty easy to haul around.
Hills only require cleats.
[quote]osu122975 wrote:
Hills only require cleats. [/quote]
no they dont
I have a sled, prowler, vest and a hill close by. The vest and hill are what I turn to the most. I absolutely love walking my dogs with the vest on - kills two birds with one stone. I often do the hill with the vest too. For some reason however, the prowler is the one I use the least, perhaps because it is a little more awkward to throw in my car especially when compared with the others. I actually store my sled in my car so all I have to do is load the plates and sometimes I’ll even leave them in - though it drains my gas.
The prowler is great, worth the investment IMO.
[quote]some_dude wrote:
The best conditioning tool is the one that you’ll actually use.
.[/quote]
definitely a shakeweight.
No seriously though, a prowler would probably be best. and you should know that after reading the book and other threads on here since this is a 5/3/1 forum. Although like people said before, only if you are going to use it
[quote]osu122975 wrote:
I have a knock off Prowler that works very well. I also use a sled. If you have a good hill close, there’s no comparison. I’d rather hill sprint than anything else. It is hard conditioning and will beat the daylights out of you. My legs always feel limp afterwards.
You’ll need a place to push and some way to haul it and plates if you’re not able to push nearby.
A drag sled is pretty easy to haul around.
Hills only require cleats. [/quote]
I ended up selling my knockoff prowler because it wouldn’t last on an uneven backyard surface. I’d definitely consider where you can push the prowler before you buy a cheaper one. I have a sled on the way to replace it.
Jump roping and hill sprints are my go to. I just sprint near a highway overpass hill.
I’m doing the body weight conditioning template from Jim’s conditioning 101 article. Added speed skips as a fifth. Now working from 10seconds on 20 off once through to 30 on 10 off trice through. Laid out a progression that will take me approx 10 cycles to reach it. But squats are more important so I opted for the slow but steady approach.