Fed up of doing countless reps of push ups or squats to feel the ‘burn?’ Investing in a weight vest is a simple way to make basic bodyweight exercises significantly more difficult. The thing I like most about weight vests is there is no change in your body position when performing any of the exercises – it remains the same.

For example, compare doing a Goblet squat where you hold a dumbbell at your chest and squat down to a bodyweight squat wearing a vest. For the goblet squat, the load/weight is mainly at the front of your body whereas with a vest it, the load/weight is evenly distributed around your body. This means wearing a weighted vest will not alter your technique in anyway, the exercise just gets more difficult.

If you want to add a conditioning element, you could set a target for yourself to wear the weight vest for the entire duration of your session and perform a full body circuit. Start off by just wearing it in your warm up, and gradually build it up.

The first time I wore a weighted vest, I intended on wearing it for a full hour not realising how difficult it would be. I lasted 10 minutes before my traps and upper back gave way. However, I built it up over time to last an entire 75-minute session with a 30Kg vest on and have definitely noticed an improvement in my conditioning.

So not only will wearing a weight vest increase your strength, it will also improve your conditioning. An alternative to investing in a weight vest is to fill a bag up with books and wear it. While you don’t have the luxury of strapping the bag around your waist so it’s tight and secure, it certainly will make things more difficult. A 10Kg weighted vest can be bought for €20-€30.