Craig Ballantyne demonstrates below. It’s a simple move and works your upper back and shoulders.

The Face Pull

Many body weight exercise enthusiasts turn to the weighted vest to add a bit of difficulty to their workouts. I have used ankle weights before but the weighted vest seems like a better option. With ankle weights or wrist weights, there is unnecessary stress placed on your ankles or feet. A weighted vest seems to distribute the added weight more naturally in your torso area.

Benefits of a Weighted Vest

It is known that the more that you weigh, the more calories you burn per workout. Therefore, if you want to try and up your calorie burn, adding the extra weight could help you burn more calories. The resistance is also great for increasing your strength. Try wearing a weighted vest while doing pull-ups or push-ups. The added weight is sure to make any body weight routine much more challenging.

Another benefit is for increasing speed. Many athletes utilize a weighted vest to build up their speed. The reason being that after training with a vest, once you take it off, you would be able to run faster.

Types of Weighted Vests

There are a ton of weighted vests on the market but for the most part they come in three basic styles:

• Solid – this is the least expensive but is non-adjustable. You also cannot adjust the weight.
• Long – this vest extends down to your hip area. Adjustable weight but more limited in movements due to its length
• Short – this is probably the most popular one as it is adjustable for weights and the short style does not cover up your abs, allowing for more movement.

Check out these body weight workouts with a weighted vest:

Usually when I’m viewing late night television I often see a commercial for some type of new ab machine that markets the dream of six-pack abs. Most of these infomercials display some type of portable machine that mimics the crunch exercise. They often have people who already have six-pack abs demonstrating their use and compare the machines to the gym while emphasizing the fact that you will save money and time.

The myth they are good at marketing

These ads are very good at marketing the myth of spot reduction. If there is any place on the body that most people wish they could spot reduce, it is the mid-section. Belly fat effects both men and women so an ab machine is an easy fix to market. Plus, with the new year approaching, the time is right to target the average consumer that still believes the myth of spot reducing trouble areas of the body.

The real way to lose belly fat

I’ve always said in other belly fat articles I have written that you can do ab exercises every day and still not have the six-pack abs you dream of. That is because the ab muscles you work so hard on are not going to show when there is a layer of fat hiding them. The real way to lose belly fat is by burning fat. There are 3 essential ways to do this:

1. Eat clean
2. Effective cardio with interval training
3. Strength training to build muscle

Eating Clean

You absolutely cannot achieve any fitness goals without first changing your eating habits. Eating clean is a matter of taking out the junk (processed foods, high-fat, sugar, etc.) and replacing with whole, natural foods (lean meats, vegetables, fruits.)

Effective Fat Burning Cardio

A majority of people don’t like cardio workouts because they are long and boring. I for one don’t like wasting time and what I love about interval training is the fact that I’m in and out of the gym or finished at home in a matter of 30 – 45 minutes. Studies have shown that interval training is more effective at burning fat than a typical cardio workout.

Strength Training to Burn Fat

Muscle burns more calories than fat. The more lean muscle you build, the more calories you will burn throughout the day. Strength training also gives you a nice physique. Weight loss is great but it’s even better when you develop definition. The most common misconception about lifting weights is that a person will “bulk up” like a bodybuilder. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Don’t be afraid to lift weights (particularly women) because of that.

I’m not against those ab machines but just remember that there are other factors that are necessary to lose weight and build muscle.

Resistance bands – these are fairly inexpensive, can be packed easily for traveling, and provide a good amount of resistance to your interval workouts.

Dumbbells – these are great for intervals using weights. I love using dumbbells for chest presses and squats. I use both in an interval routine and it is very effective. They are also inexpensive (ranging from $6 on up.)

Stability ball – a stability ball is so versatile. You can use it for the abs, legs, or like a bench for sitting or lying on while curling or chest pressing with dumbbells. I use it for my 10 minute workout with dumbbells.

Flat bench – this is probably the most expensive item but is great for step up exercises, incline push-ups, chest press, among other exercises.

Jump rope -  convenient and fun, the jump rope can be taken anywhere and used anywhere you have room to jump.

The above are just some bare essentials for creating a more challenging interval workout.  As you discover more interval routines, you will probably see some of the above fitness equipment used.  The cool thing is the above equipment will take up very little space and most are very affordable.