In general, people who run with ankle weights are hoping to lose more weight through increased energy expenditure. Their reasoning is that if training intensity is synonymous with results, keeping weights should necessarily help lose more calories. 

What are the best ankle weights?

Life is an adventure and taking on new challenges is part of it. Make a new year’s revolution and add some resistance to your physical routine with ankle weights.

The market puts thousands of options at your fingertips. That’s why browsing the shelves can become a confusing task. To find the perfect pair you will need to take into account certain determining factors to buy a good quality product.

You should always consider the design of each product, the manufacturer brand, the load weight that suits you, the manufacturing materials and the general opinion of the user community.

Our new year’s purpose is to make your life easier. For that reason, we prepared a comparative list that presents you with a review of the best ankle weights available. Check it out and find exactly what you need.

1. Reebok ankle weights

Reebok ankle weights
Image: Reebok

Improve your physical performance by using this wonderful ankle weight. The product is manufactured by the renowned Reebook brand, guarantee of excellent quality.

It comes available with 3 different loads; One of 500 gr, another of 1 kg and a third of 1.5 kg. You can purchase them separately.

They have a versatile design that allows you to adjust the length of the circumference between 17 and 27 cm. In addition, its velcro closure gives you stability and confidence during your exercise routine.

2. Sportneer Adjustable Ankle Weights Set

Image: Sportneer

If you are looking for a versatile and functional ankle weight, you will love this model! The equipment is provided with a contoured and ergonomic design. It allows the user to adjust it comfortably on the ankles and wrists.

It has elastic velcro straps, adapting without problems to different sizes. In addition, with your purchase, you get some weights with a one year warranty. They come in a sober black colour and their weight varies between 0.45 and 3.15 kg.

3. Adidas – adjustable ankle weights

Image: Adidas

We present to you some wonderful weight ankles, ideal for walking, running and swimming. Made of soft and resistant material to give you more comfort when training.

The design has an adjustable circumference to adapt without problems to all sizes. They are easy to clean and use.

In addition, a system of zippers allows the user to access the weights and modify the load according to their preference. It can vary between 1 and 2 kg.

4. Schildkröt Fitness Men’s Wrist Ankle Weights

Image: Schildkröt

It is the cheapest model of our selection and the perfect option for those who have a limited budget. The set includes 2 adjustable ballasts for legs and arms.

The ideal equipment to tone your muscles and increase the intensity of your sports training. Each weight offers a load that varies between 500 gr. And the 2 kg.

They have been made with a resistant fusion of nylon and Lycra. In addition, they are available in 2 colours: green and black.

5. Adidas Ankle, Wrist Weights

Adidas Ankle, Wrist Weights
Image: Adidas

To start with a sporty, active, exciting lifestyle that will help with your health care.

With only 0.5 Kg of weight for each implement, the grey Adidas is ideal to start practising on your days off when you want to exercise.

They can be adjusted using the Velcro strap to ensure precision at the ankle or the wrist depending on where you want to choose.

Their operation becomes effective since as the weights remain outside their centre of gravity, the muscles work at a greater intensity.

All this to obtain better results in less time, increasing the resistance, strength, and speed needed to practice.

It is designed with a material whose composition is 95% Nylon, very resistant to be used many times so that it becomes extremely durable.

It has dimensions of 42.5 x 9.5 x 2.5 cm, a size that can cover the ankle and/or the hands’ wrists so that you can achieve your training goal as a day to day.

They are very simple implements to place and remove. Don’t be afraid to use objects that look fragile if they are the opposite.

6. York Fitness – Set of 2 ankle weights

York Fitness Soft Ankle
Image: York Fitness

They are great physical training weights, economic, functional and ultra-comfortable equipment to use during training. The design has a buckle and velcro closure system to provide the user with a secure fit.

It comes available with 4 different load levels ranging from 500 gr. At 2 kg.

The design is super versatile since it gives the athlete the opportunity to adapt the equipment to the ankles or wrists, as the occasion merits.

7. Xn8 Ankle Weights Adjustable Wrist Strap

Xn8 Ankle Weights Adjustable Wrist Strap
Image: Xn8

For lovers of sports and challenges, each anklet shown here is made unique, of good quality, with surprising results and to continue with surprises, we now present the ankle weight of the Xn8 brand.

Whose material is made of 100% neoprene, making it synthetic and resistant to temperature variations that the body may produce while exercising.

However, it can be used for the wrists of the hands and practised with the implements placed on both extremities.

The purple and pink design makes it flirty for ladies who like adrenaline.

It is perfect to wear while running, walking, at the gym, in the park, visiting places or even at home.

It will help you with your training so that you will get good results as long as you get the most out of it.

Black, pink, grey, purple and blue are available if you want to vary to increase the exercises’ pace.

To finish, it is a durable, soft and comfortable product in which you will not think twice to obtain it.

What are ankle weights?

Ankle weights are obviously about weights. In other words, therefore, defines an additional load that you can add to your ankles. Weight for the ankles in short.

It is for use both at home and in the gym. Depending on their objectives, a beginner or a confirmed can choose to add 500 grams, or even several pounds to his ankles. In all cases, an ankle weight is often used in the field of rehabilitation and/or weight loss. But also for the development of sports capacities. Possibly, the professionals recommend associating its port with some exercises to really optimize the results.

using ankle weights

Why use them?

You are unaware that our muscles constantly need to be stimulated. Optionally, you can use dumbbells or similar weights to do this. However, an ankle weight has the advantage of freeing up your movements and leaving your hands free.

This parameter is very important since you will be able to devote yourself to other exercises in parallel. On the other hand, the comfort of an ankle ballast is also undeniable. It’s wearing in itself is not irritating and does not require any particular know-how. Moreover, it is important to emphasize that an ankle weight can be worn by anyone, and for any practice.

Benefits of ankle weights

As we indicated, buying a pair can get us to obtain benefits that go far beyond just toning the lower part of the body, so they are a perfect option to include in our exercise routine at home and verify that they serve for a lot More than we thought. These are some of the benefits that ankle weights have to offer:

Build muscles

First, it tones and shapes the legs in a more complete way than could be achieved by doing just lifts. In this way, exercising the muscles properly until they notice some wear and tear, we will see how our leg and buttock exercises shape our muscles faster than before.

Versatile

They are very versatile when it comes to the number of different routines they can offer us: We can do standing exercises, sitting, lying on their backs, lying on their stomachs. The only thing that is not recommended is to take them on foot, as it could disrupt the alignment of our body

Benefit our body

They help calm asthma or other respiratory problems if we put them on our chest, as it would be the equivalent of doing strength exercises with our respiratory muscles.

They build an iron abdomen

Finally, they also offer us a better abdominal training when we notice that longer routines do not give us the same effect as before. And not only do they get it when we do abs with them on our legs, but also when we exercise on the bicycle or other ways in which we can use them so that our abdomen is even stronger.

Very cheap

It is also important to note that this exercise apparatus is one of the most economical that we can currently obtain in the market, so buying cheap weights will not be difficult for us: the most complete packs are not more than £30. This makes them a great option to exercise easily and without making an exaggerated investment.

Weighted vests for even more efficient training

How to use angle weights?

One of the accessories that we have in the gym that I have seen fewer times is undoubtedly ankle weights. I guess because of the lack of knowledge about how to use them. Therefore, I will try to explain some of the fundamental characteristics of this type of weight.

If you decide to try this method I would recommend that you consult your gym monitor or a person who has already put it into practice for advice.

The function

This type of exercise is widely used in physiotherapist consultations to help heal some injuries. In these cases, its usefulness is quite large since you can gradually increase the weight and thus help strengthen the lower body muscles.

However, for people without injuries, their use is not as beneficial as you might think. Some studies determine that walking in areas with a more or less steep slope may be more effective than using ankle weights to achieve the goal of strengthening your legs. 

Even so, I consider that those weights can be very helpful if you use them correctly and take a number of precautions when doing so.

Where you should place the weights to be effective

The goal of the weights is to make your legs have to make agreater effort when walking and that helps to improve and make the development of the lower body’s muscles faster.

The most suitable place to place the weights is as low as possible to the legs, practically resting on your feet. The lower they are, the greater the effort of the legs to move and the more effective the exercise will have to be.

However, you should keep in mind that working with ankle weights is not always good. Some studies have determined that it is not highly recommended to use this type of exercise when you do aerobic work since it can be an excessive effort for your joints (ankles and knees). In addition, they can also cause excessive tension in the muscles that can cause them to suffer injuries in the form of tears or tears.

The conclusion that I draw from all this is that it is convenient to use them for specific training and knowing very well what your goal is, without ever abusing this type of weight.

ankle weights

Buying Guide

Now that you have more information in your possession, it is time to review the main points you should consider when buying ankle weights.

In this list, I will leave some characteristics that I consider essential, although, in the end, it will be your own needs that indicate you in which you should place greater emphasis.

Weight

The first thing you should keep in mind when buying ankle weights will be the amount of weight they have.

It is evident that, depending on the intensity with which you want to train, this characteristic could vary between one person and another. The weight range of these products is generally between 0.5 kg. and 2.0 kg.

My recommendation is that you buy an ankle weight that can be adjusted and allow you to easily add and remove weight. In this way, you can more accurately assess the level of intensity you require and how much weight is ideal for your exercises.

The adaptation of the weight in this type of products is achieved through small weights, which are easily and comfortably inserted in the areas defined for it.

Size

A very important aspect to consider when using these types of products is their ability to stand firm around the ankles. This is why you should pay special attention to the size of the circumference that you have in the lower part of your legs and thus know how much you should measure the weights you buy.

Luckily, today there are many sports brands that manufacture weights with adjustable size, so as to maximize the user experience. Regardless of whether the weights you are going to buy have this feature or not, it will always be recommended that you handle information about your body measurements.

In this way, you can get a product with a range of circumferences that fits your anatomical measurements and thus not encounter uncomfortable surprises.

Strap

Another point where you should focus your attention will be on the type of closure that the ankle weights have and the firmness they can offer during the performance of your exercises.

The velcro strap is by far the most used today and, from my point of view, provides all the stability that is needed when training.

With this type of closure, you can perform your exercises without interruptions and with the assurance that the weights will remain fixed to your body.

Not to mention the safety that this provides to the user, avoiding tripping during cardio and bodybuilding routines.

While many might consider it a secondary aspect, the comfort provided by a good closure will be essential in the execution of your exercises.

Materials

To determine the quality, it will not only be necessary to focus on practical aspects, but also on the materials with which they have been manufactured.

This will depend largely on the durability of the product and the comfort that is delivered to the user during training sessions.

A clear example of the differences that exist is in the sand weights for ankles.

It is true that these give homogeneity to the distribution of weight, but they will also deprive you of adapting the weights to your different exercises.

Of course, it is crucial that weights have sturdy seams and covers that do not cause discomfort when rubbing against the skin.

Neoprene and cotton are usually the materials that convey the greatest comfort, although the final perception will always depend on the tastes of each person.

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