You came here for the sole reason of finding the best exercises with a weighted vest. I am happy to say that I am here to provide that.
Weighted vest exercises are just regular bodyweight exercises, but with the added resistance of having a weighted vest.
There are many benefits of wearing a weighted vest while working out. For starters, it helps you burn more calories and build better muscle. Why? Because wearing a weighted vest makes you work harder. Therefore, you now add more resistance to your workouts.
Weighted clothing has been around for hundreds of years in various forms. It wasn’t until recently that they are being used to build muscle and burn fat.
Speaking of burning fat and building muscle, this would be a good time to download our app All Workouts: Personal Trainer (iOS | Google Play). Our FREE workout plans take the guesswork out of muscle building. Don’t forget to check out our 10 built-in HIIT workouts.
What weighted vest should I get?
Selecting a weighted vest can be difficult because there are so many options. Luckily for us, they are relatively affordable. If you can’t afford to build your own home gym, you can certainly afford a weighted vest.
Below you will find my 2 recommendations:
Light and adjustable – Amazon Link
Heavy and adjustable – Amazon Link
If you don’t want to shop on Amazon, any sporting goods store in your area will have a weighted vest.
Weighted vest chest exercises
Pushups don’t seem like the most cutting edge exercise. In fact, most people dismiss pushups as being old school. Don’t be fooled! When you add a weighted vest to your pushup routine, you are priming yourself for muscle growth.
For brevity, I only included my 2 favorite pushups in this list, but I also wrote about the best pushups to build chest muscles at home. If you are really looking to build muscle in your chest, this list could help you out.
Standard pushup
The most classic of all the chest workouts. The standard pushup has been around for ages, and it is still as good as ever.
For all of these videos, I want you to ignore the fact that I am not wearing a weighted vest. To be fair, I did not have a weighted vest when I made all of these videos, and I really didn’t want to record them all again.
Make sure when you are doing standard pushups, you are feeling it in your chest. If you feel pain in your shoulders, your hands are too high up. Try bringing them down a bit and then do it again.
Medicine ball crossover pushup
This is my favorite pushup of all time. Yes, it does require a medicine ball, which can be purchased on Amazon. But, it is really great for blasting your chest. You will feel your muscles struggling to understand why you are in this odd position.
Once you get the hang of it though, you will really enjoy it’s benefits. It’s also ok to modify this exercise. If you don’t have a medicine ball, and don’t want to buy one, no worries. When I first started out, I used an upside down plastic container. Just make sure it is sturdy before committing.
Weighted vest leg exercises
As you can imagine, there are actually a TON of leg exercises that can be done with a weighted vest. Since we are bipedal beings, we are constantly on our feet. It can be argued that just walking with a weighted vest can be a workout in itself.
You can do sprints, box jumps, stairs, etc… The list goes on. If you are really looking to burn fat, check out the best high intensity interval training workouts for beginners at home. Now add your weighted vest, and you supercharge your results!
Now let’s see the best exercises with a weighted vest for legs.
Jump squats
This is a very simple exercise, yet extremely effective, especially with a weighted vest. Start with your legs shoulder width apart, and squat down as far as you can.
The key here is to explode up with force. Make sure to land softly and go directly into the next squat. The real burn here is in the jump portion. Keep going until you cannot do it anymore.
Walking lunge
As you can see in the video, I am holding dumbbells in each hand. Since you now have a weighted vest, this is completely unnecessary.
All you have to do is walk around lunging with your weighted vest. Try to use only your front leg with each lunge. Don’t cheat and use your back leg to pull you up. This will really workout your legs.
Weighted vest arm exercises
If building muscular arms is important to you, then this is where we shine. Arm workouts are personally my favorite thing to do in the gym. I always feel so good afterwards.
Let’s take a look and see what kind of arm building exercises we can do with a weighted vest.
Chinups
Your arms aren’t the only muscle group that will be working here. The beauty of pullups and other bodyweight exercises is that they target multiple muscle groups.
In this case, you will be working out your back, shoulders, and core. This is really a great exercise for all around muscle building and fitness.
Suspension trainer bicep curls
The suspension trainer bicep curl is best done with a TRX system which can be purchased on Amazon.
If you don’t feel like buying an actual suspension trainer, this exercise can be done under a barbell, or with just about anything else that assumes a similar position. Just make sure it is sturdy and will hold your body weight.
Weighted vest back exercises
When it comes to building muscle in your back, a weighted vest will really come in handy. You are really going to like the results that a weighted vest will provide.
Weighted pullups
Again, can we ignore the fact that I am not wearing a weighted vest in any of these videos.
Now that we got that out of the way, we can point out that this may look similar to the chinups from the arms section. Don’t let it fool you. We have now flipped our hands 180 degrees.
This targets a completely different set of muscles than chinups, and mostly targets your back. If you are not yet comfortable with pullups, I would recommend getting used to them before using the weighted vest. They can be tough at first.
Rack chins
I understand that some of you may not have access to a gym where you can get under a barbell and do this exercise. No worries. The TRX suspension trainer mentioned in the previous section will work just fine.
Again, if you can’t afford to buy this type of equipment, you can always find something else around your house to use. Most cities and towns have local parks that have workout equipment in them.
Don’t let lack of equipment be a deal breaker for you to get in awesome shape.
Weighted vest shoulder exercises
When it comes to bodyweight exercises and weighted vest exercises, most people will overlook the shoulders. This is a mistake since built up shoulders are a necessity for a well rounded physique.
Pike press
As you can see in this video, I am using an adjustable weight bench to perform the pike press. This is not a necessity. You can use a coffee table, or not use anything at all. The pike press can be performed on the ground alone, although you might not feel it as strongly.
Shoulder dips
Another exercise that can be done at the edge of a coffee table, a bed, night stand, steps, etc… You get the picture.
An important tip here is to make sure that you are not using your legs to push yourself back up. Your instinct will tell you that you should use your legs. Don’t do it! Focus on your shoulders, and you will really feel it.
Main point: Best exercises with a weighted vest
You now have a list of the best exercises with a weighted vest. Was it everything that you imagined? Are you going to take these home and build your dream body?
One of the best things about exercise in general is that there are no obstacles in the way of someone wanting to get in shape. The only obstacles are mental. Get out of your head and learn how to make exercise a habit. All it takes is getting up and going through the motions. You will eventually find passion in the process.
If you were to do this exact workout 3-4 days per week, what type of results do you think that you would get? I think that you would really like the results after a few months of consistency.
That is the key. Consistency. Just show up, and put in the work. You will never regret a workout. You will regret not starting sooner and letting your body become something that you never intended.
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