The BJ Gaddour Podcast | Men's Health Fitness Workout Nutrition Lifestyle Business · BJ Gaddour

Ep. 273: Extreme Heat & Weight Vest Workouts

July 14, 2024·27 min·2 clips

BJ Gaddour explains why wearing a 60-pound vest feels like his college football days and the struggle to stay over 200 pounds after 40.

This episode features BJ Gaddour and Jeremy Scott discussing fitness strategies for extreme summer heat and the benefits of weight vest training. Both hosts are experienced fitness professionals living in desert climates, with Gaddour in Palm Springs and Scott in Scottsdale. They draw from personal experience to offer practical advice for training in high temperatures. The conversation opens with Gaddour noting Palm Springs recently hit a record high of 124 degrees Fahrenheit. Jeremy Scott describes experiencing heat stress so severe it caused momentary disorientation about his location. They discuss using a pool for relief, though Gaddour notes his pool water reached near hot-tub temperatures during the peak heat. Scott details his adapted morning routine involving inversion boots for spinal decompression and pool circuits. Both emphasize the necessity of heat adaptation, with Gaddour using a sauna in cooler seasons to prepare. They transition to weight vest training, with Scott specifically referencing using a 60-pound vest for exercises like pull-ups, dips, and walking lunges. Gaddour equates wearing a 60-pound vest to carrying his college football body weight of 265 pounds. Scott explains he often uses a lighter 20-30 pound plate carrier for outdoor workouts in extreme heat. The hosts analyze the breathing challenge posed by a heavy vest, describing it as "resisted breathing" that constricts the chest wall. A surprising insight is Gaddour's perspective on strength training, arguing that having just light and heavy weight options can provide 80-90% of the benefits, simplifying equipment needs. Scott shares his evolving goal to look like he weighs 225 pounds but actually weigh 205, using the vest to simulate the heavier load. The dialogue touches on aging, with both hosts over 40, discussing the joint strain of heavier bodyweights and the "Mendoza line of risk reward" for maintaining size. Gaddour suggests a simple, cost-free alternative to expensive palm-cooling devices: freezing water bottles to hold between sets. He references Andrew Huberman discussing a high-priced cooling device claiming to enable 300 more reps, a claim Gaddour views skeptically. They warn about the dangers of desert hiking in summer, citing recent deaths during the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca due to extreme heat. Gaddour sets a personal limit of 20-30 minutes of exposure when temperatures reach 120 degrees. The tone is highly conversational, casual, and anecdotal, filled with personal stories and profanity-laced camaraderie. The style is advisory, blending practical tips with broader philosophical musings on fitness and aging. Listeners interested in practical, no-nonsense heat training tips and minimalist strength strategies will appreciate this episode. Those seeking a highly structured, scientific deep-dive or who are averse to casual, profane banter might prefer to skip it.

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