Strength Matters
The Strength Matters podcast is a weekly show for health and fitness professionals who want the systems, tools, and resources to grow and scale a successful fitness business. Hosted by Head Coach Josh Kennedy and Strength Matters founder, James Breese.
Join the world’s leading experts in helping personal trainers and coaches uncover cutting-edge training solutions and share them with you.
Strength Matters is a system of training and education for fit pros and experienced enthusiasts who want to optimize performance and enhance their health span.
The central question that drives our work is, “How can we train smarter?” To answer that question, we like to talk about science-based ways, made simple, to solve practical health and fitness problems.
However, science doesn’t always have the answers. That’s why our work combines both science and practical real-world experience. What works in a textbook, doesn’t always work in real life.
This is why we like to talk about and share our client results with you… the good, and the bad, so that we can all learn from them, move forward to live, and perform better.
Strength Matters
How to Lose Weight with Weight Vests
In this episode, we dive into the transformative power of weight vests for weight loss, a journey embarked upon by our very own James Breese. If you've been grappling with shedding those stubborn pounds and are in search of a novel, yet profoundly effective method, press play. Discover how James, with the assistance of a weight vest, navigated his way to not just weight loss but a comprehensive lifestyle adjustment, all while gearing up for the cricket world cup. This episode isn't just a testament to weight loss; it's about reinventing your approach to health and fitness.
Timeline Summary:
- [00:00:05] Introduction to Weight Vest Weight Loss
- [00:02:00] Determining Calorie Deficit
- [00:05:00] The Weight Vest Protocol Revealed
- [00:07:00] Adjusting the Weight Vest for Progress
- [00:08:19] Adapting the Method for Office Workers
Key Takeaways:
- Calorie Deficit First: Before considering a weight vest, know your calorie maintenance level. James highlights the importance of tracking food intake to maintain a deficit.
- Weight Vest Protocol: Wearing a weight vest for at least 8 hours a day coupled with a 30-minute weighted walk enhances NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), aiding in weight loss.
- Gradual Increase: To counteract plateauing, increase the weight of the vest weekly, aligning with weight loss progress.
- Adherence and Patience: Consistency with the calorie deficit and weight vest use, even through weight loss plateaus, is crucial for results.
- Adaptation for Different Lifestyles: For those unable to wear a weight vest all day, aiming for 10,000 steps and incorporating a 30-minute weighted walk daily is advised.
Websites and Links Mentioned:
Quotes:
"You are what you eat, but also what you carry. Weight vests change the game." - James Breese
"Understanding your calorie deficit is the first step to losing weight, not the last." - James Breese
"Wearing a weight vest 8 hours a day turned my body into a fat-burning machine." - James Breese
"Adding weight to the vest as you lose weight tricks the body and keeps the progress going." - James Breese
"It's not about quick fixes but sustainable changes. A weight vest is a tool, not the solution." - Josh Kennedy
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[00:00:00] James Breese: Strength Matters Media. Video. Print. Podcasts.
[00:00:05] Josh Kennedy: Today we're talking about how to lose weight with weight vests. And this is something that we did with James before we led up to the cricket world cup, which you just spoke about on the previous podcast. And it worked incredibly well. Now you are what you come back a kilo and a half, two kilos heavier.
[00:00:20] I think after the cricket world cup, you ate lots of good food in South Africa, many steaks and stuff. I don't blame you, don't blame you at all. So we've got the C cricket season starting in April. Um, we've got a couple of kilos to drop. So we're going to go back to your weight vest and protocol. Do you want to run people through what your protocol was?
[00:00:41] James Breese: Yeah, exactly. And also to point out this was when I did this initially, I'm not wearing my weight vest at the moment because it's so cold. So we haven't, we haven't started yet. We're just, we're just discussing this before, but what we plan is and what we're going to be moving forward. So. This is probably the best weight loss plan I've ever been on in my entire life before.[00:01:00]
[00:01:00] I think it's the best plan we had with our clients. So we're going to give you two versions. One is the one that I will be following, which is not practicable, practical for most people, practicable for most people. One of the two things applicable any of those words they count for most people, but we're going to also give you a variation That's probably most people can do it won't get the results as fast But we can work on the first one first.
[00:01:27] So yeah goal is to lose two kilos as healthily as fast as possible we can't just lose weight and just like You know, quickly to lose weight, chop off a limb. You know, if we're going to do that, we can do that. But we can lose body fat, and bring it down. So it's not too, not too big numbers, what, two kilos is about five pounds, so it's not a huge amount of numbers, but I want to lose as fast as possible.
[00:01:48] So, if you're trying to lose weight with a weight vest. Right. The first thing before you go anywhere near the weight vest is, is to determine what is your calorie deficit. So if you don't [00:02:00] know what your calorie maintenance is, for example, mine is 2, 568. We know that because we've tested it over the years, and that's roughly where it is on an every, on average, everyday basis.
[00:02:11] based on me training. So some people are higher, some people are lower, but that's where my, my body is where it maintains weight. So I know for me to drop down and lose weight, I have to bring down to 1900 calories. And that is the deficit for me. So it's about 600 calories deficit, right? That is my optimal place.
[00:02:30] So aside from the weighted vest. I am going to be eating at a calorie deficit of 600 calories at 1, 900 calories per day. And I'll be doing this by tracking my food like I do religiously when I'm on a diet, because it's the fastest way for me to know what I'm putting in my body and to make sure I'm adhering to the, to the calorie deficit.
[00:02:48] You can't, you can't argue with, with biology. It's calories in, calories out. You need to understand that. Isn't that right, Josh? It
[00:02:57] Josh Kennedy: is absolutely. But I think the advantage, and this is where it [00:03:00] all started with the experiment, because we did a podcast about this last year, is to try, you can potentially, depending on how much you wear the vest, have a lower deficit.
[00:03:10] So you don't have to quite go as low as, you know, five or 600, but you've got to then increase your neats, which is what the weight vest is all about. Um, You know, which, which the weight vest does help you do that, especially if you like you, you wear it all day. So you can potentially get away with a smaller deficit because deficits are hard.
[00:03:30] We all, we all know that and people struggle with them. So the idea behind all this in the first place was that, okay, let's try and get a smaller deficit. Let's add the weight vest and see where and see how this goes. And obviously, you know, it did work very well
[00:03:43] James Breese: for you. Well, exactly. So we, I went for an aggressive deficit from the start anyway.
[00:03:48] So we're averaging about 1900 calories. So again, let's so yeah, you can go for a lower deficit, but we're talking the most optimal fastest way to lose weight with a weight vest, I think. So we're going to [00:04:00] talk about that today. So I've gone into a standard deficit that would do on any plan. But what happens is normally after 2 to 4 weeks, you tend to plateau.
[00:04:09] The body adapts that new calorie deficit. So therefore you've got to keep decreasing it. But I never decrease it. I keep it the same. So I've gone from an aggressive deficit, but keeping that deficit the same throughout my entire process.
[00:04:22] Josh Kennedy: And the good thing was you never felt hungry at any point, actually, did you?
[00:04:25] I remember you saying that.
[00:04:26] James Breese: Yeah. And that's part of the Gravitostat theory, which I found worked for me. So I was feeling good. The body was just, didn't want to eat food because I had this extra weight on my back. So that's the first thing is you can understand what your calorie deficit is and maintain that.
[00:04:41] So how long will I stay in that deficit? For as long as it takes me to lose those two kilos. That's the most important thing. So if you've got 10 kilos to lose, well, maybe you're gonna stay in a deficit for that long. But the point is two, two kilos isn't gonna be a long deficit. It's potentially two to four weeks if I get everything right.
[00:04:57] I think that's the, that's the key thing here now. [00:05:00] So that's the first thing. When it comes to the weight vest, the protocol is this. I'm going to wear the weight vest for at least 8 hours a day. Right? For at least 8 hours a day. So I work at home, mostly, with a stand up desk. So you can't wear a weight vest at home if you're sitting down at a desk.
[00:05:17] It just isn't going to work. You have to be at a stand up desk, standing up.
[00:05:22] Josh Kennedy: Again, come back to the gravitas stat theory, which we have spoken about as well. So you
[00:05:27] James Breese: stand up all day long, you can't sit down, it just ain't going to work. So you're wearing a weight vest for eight hours a day standing up. Now on top of this, I'm going to go for a 13 minute weighted walk every single day.
[00:05:39] So that's the most important thing as well. You're not just static and standing around wearing your weight vest. You're going to go for a 13 minute continuous walk at some point during the day too. That is your baseline. Right? That is your baseline starting point. Am I working out aside from that? Yes, I am.
[00:05:55] Am I wearing my weight vest during my workouts? No. Right? So, I'm not wearing my [00:06:00] weight vest during my workouts. I'm just wearing the weight vest when I'm not working out. Now, there are caveats to this. Will I wear a weight vest to go meet somebody in the coffee shop? No, right? So I'm wearing a weight vest at home most of the day walking around or if I go for a walk on my own You can't go to the shops and stuff.
[00:06:17] It looks like you're wearing a bulletproof vest, right? People look at you all strange It's not gonna happen, but you can wear it over the jacket You can wear it over certain things if you want to hide it up, make you look like a Michelin man, basically So that's the, that's the first bit. So I'm wearing it for eight hours a day As often as possible and trying to keep it on as long as possible and then going for that 30 minute walk now Working out is separate.
[00:06:40] So I'm going to start working out maybe five six times a week as well Now in terms of how much weight you should wear, so we recommend for men starting about five kilos So you wear five kilos throughout your day and then you every week for every bit of weight you lose You add a kilo on, that's extra two pounds if you're working in pounds.
[00:06:59] [00:07:00] So week one, five kilos, week two, six kilos, week three, seven kilos. And we keep adding until you hit your desired number. And that's where the trick with the meat comes in. So we're adding more weight to trick the body to thinking. It's adapting. It's still the same weight. So we're playing around with this at every step of the way.
[00:07:20] And that's it, really. I think that's the simplest way to put it. It's like we're just wearing the weight vest. We're adding load each week. We're keeping a calorie deficit, which is the most important thing. And we're going for a daily walk whilst working out the entire time. And that is the fastest way we know to lose weight with a weight vest in 2024.
[00:07:39] In fact, I think it's the fastest way to lose weight healthily, period, we've ever done before in our life. Now I, now I, Josh. Yeah,
[00:07:45] Josh Kennedy: absolutely. And I think the, the old gravitas that helped regulate your appetite, like you said, we didn't, uh, you didn't feel hungry, helps maintain muscle mass, improves posture, increases.
[00:07:56] You know, neat and calorie burn. There's so much good stuff going on there. But as we say, [00:08:00] wearing a weight vest for eight hours a day is not practical for most people. Because as you say, you work from home, um, you have a standup desk, so it works for you. What would be the best way to apply this for people who work in an office and they're not obviously going to wear, wear their weight vest around the office?
[00:08:19] Well, I mean, some people might want to.
[00:08:21] James Breese: Yep. If you can do that, great. If you're man enough to do it and you can, you don't mind being stared at a look and people going, what the hell are they doing? Absolutely. So simplest way to do it is to make sure we're walking at least 10, 000 steps a day. But in an ideal world, we're doing a daily walk with the weight vest on for 30 minutes plus.
[00:08:39] That's it. That's the, that's the other option.
[00:08:42] Josh Kennedy: Get as many of those steps as you can weighted, as many as you can weighted, especially continuous.
[00:08:49] James Breese: Exactly. And ideally every day is a benchmark and every week add the extra kilo. So we're starting to walk continuously and stick with it. It's not. Yeah. So
[00:08:58] Josh Kennedy: every time you lose a bit of weight.
[00:08:59] Yeah. [00:09:00]
[00:09:00] James Breese: Go on James. No, no. And stick with it. Like, because people go, Oh, I'm not losing weight. Promise you. Like what we found was it had the snowball effect. Yeah. Exactly. Week 3, week 4, week 5 is when it started to really kick into place and started to work. So,
[00:09:14] Josh Kennedy: follow along. I think that's something in terms of weight loss people need to bear in mind as well.
[00:09:20] It's never a linear journey. There will be ups and downs always. I mean, your weight can fluctuate by several pounds a day on any given day anyway, depending on what you've eaten and your water weight and the volume of food. Whether you've been the toilet, not to be too graphic about it, but it can, it can, don't get disheartened if you go as a week or two and you haven't lost anything because you know, as long as you're doing the right things, you're doing you enough steps, you're wearing your weight vest as much as possible.
[00:09:47] You're in a deficit. You're increasing the weight of your vest.
[00:09:51] James Breese: It will work. Exactly. Exactly. There you go. That's our tips. So if you're looking to lose weight by wearing a weighted vest in [00:10:00] 2024, that's a, that's our approach and that's our process.
[00:10:04] Josh Kennedy: Give it a go and feedback to us. Let us know how it goes.
[00:10:07] That is it for today. Please don't forget, excuse me, to rate review and subscribe. And if you want to find out more about our system of training, go to strengthmanners. com forward slash system.
