Check out the 12 best weighted vest exercises you can do to upgrade your training.
Are you doing an exercise and wonder how you can use progressive overload to keep making gains? The weighted vest could be the solution for you. Virtually any exercise you do can be upgraded by simply using a weighted vest which will demand more of your lungs and muscles as you have to carry more bodyweight.
The list of best weighted vest exercises was shared by coach Brian Klepacki, a certified strength and conditioning specialist who works at Critical Bench, a health and strength website founded in 1999.
The benefits of doing exercises with a weighted vest alone should be a reason for you to use yours or to buy one as soon as possible:
- Develop strength, endurance and cardio by increasing your body weight
- Influence the ways your muscles stress and strain during workouts, leading to a harder training session
- Faster energy depletion through increased exerted force, which leads to performance improvements as your body adjusts and your systems adapt
- Add variety to your workouts
If you don’t own a weighted vest, you could utilise a heavy backpack or fill one with heavy objects inside that you will get similar benefits. The weighted vest is best as it adheres better to your body without hindering any movement.
Best Weighted Vest Exercises
- Jumping jacks
- Squat jumps
- Deep squats
- Lunges
- Lateral lunges
- Shoulder taps
- Push-ups
- Pull-ups
- Dips
- Plank
- Box jumps
- Lunge jumps
As you can see from the list of best weighted vest exercises above, all movements are bodyweight and the added weight is what makes each exercise more gruesome. Instead of doing these exercises above, you can also just run with a weighted vest to improve your lung capacity. Or better yet, combine it all together and try the Hero WOD Murph which consists of running, pull-ups, push-ups and squats.
Read More: 10 Brutal Weight Vest Workouts for Advanced Athletes
VIDEO – Best Weighted Vest Exercises
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Image Sources
- Tia Clair Toomey weight vest: Photo courtesy of CrossFit Inc.
- workout with weight vest: Photo courtesy of CrossFit Inc.