Can anyone recommend me any Ankle Weights. I am looking for something hopefully cheap and possibly that I can change the weights inside. I have done some research but im intrested in what some of the members here have to say about them. I am mainly useing them for basketball, since im close to dunking and really want to be able to. I figure if i can lose some weight and strengthen my calves I can do this.

For some reason I don't think that wearing ankle weights will strengthen your calfs. They'll just add weight to your body and make it more difficult to run. Maybe try a weight vest instead.

Try doing squats and calf raises instead.

I read an interesting article at bodybuilding.com about reserve strength or something of the like.

For example, if you can squat 200# and only weigh 150# then you are able to recruit 50# of additional strength. Because of this you can generate more force is sprinting and jumping.

You might want to look into some of the olympic lifts too.

I have just been reading up even more since I posted the thread and everything you guys are saying is right, I guess Im glad I didnt buy them already cause I wont be going that route. Thanks for the info.I guess I should started doing olympic lifts & calf raise.

Wouldn't ankle weight be good for cardio?

Not just in the actual movement of the body (which would be the benefit with a vest) but also in the swing of the leg from step to step?

One upside...

If you ever had to testify against the mob, you'd be prepared to
run away quickly even if the fitted you with concrete overshoes! :D

I personally wouldn't recommend any appreciable amount of weight on the ankles when performing quick side-to-side or jumping moves.


You'd be surprised how a small amount of weight combined with accelerant force and sudden stoppage can do some harm.


Before I got my dip-belt I used ankle weights for weighted chins. I could stack up to 30lbs of ankle weights total. 15lbs per leg. I could get more on if I got creative.

But I'd do pullups and then walk over and bench in alternating sets. So the weights were left on.

My legs got achy real quick even with that small amount of weight comparitively.

I could feel certain muscles in the leg and hips reacting negatively to traipsing around weighted.

I also did weighted knee-ups in this style, but alternating with other ab ex's so the weights got left on while I was doing them.

Same results for certain muscles. At the time I thought " I am never going to run with these things strapped to my ankles.....I could throw a muscle out in nothing flat..."

There's some physics involved here...regarding leverage,weight, length of lever and accelerant force.

I have seen pictures of people running with ankle weights on...but they were in the 16 oz. or less class.