{"id":8470,"date":"2025-09-07T20:08:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T20:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/8470\/"},"modified":"2025-09-07T20:08:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T20:08:16","slug":"this-is-how-heavy-your-weighted-vest-should-be-for-results","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/8470\/","title":{"rendered":"This is how heavy your weighted vest should be for results"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you want to squeeze in strength training<\/a> while leaving your hands free, all you need is one fitness tool \u2013 a weighted vest<\/a>. It has a serious grip on the fitness community thanks to its ability to instantly add passive resistance to workouts that stimulate and strengthen bones during cardio<\/a> and strength training. <\/p>\n

‘A weighted vest increases the resistance of otherwise bodyweight-based movements, forcing your muscles, bones, and cardiovascular system to work harder,’ explains Dani Singer, CPT, founder of Fit2Go Personal Training<\/a>. ‘That means more calorie burn, better muscular endurance, and stronger bones from the added load.’ The bone density element is crucial for women because it can help combat osteoporosis, a condition that leaves bones brittle, says Meg Darmofal<\/a>, DPT, a physical therapist at Michigan State University. Osteoporosis is more common<\/a> in women than men because of a combination of having smaller bones and a natural drop in estrogen during menopause. Regularly loading the bones can actively work against this.<\/p>\n

While you can also load your bones when doing exercises like squats and deadlifts with dumbbells, weighted vests are a more convenient approach, especially when walking, stair climbing, or doing step-ups. But despite weighted vests being all over your social media feed, it can be hard to know where to start. After all, like dumbbells and kettlebells, weighted vests come in a range of sizes. How do you know which weight is right for you? It can depend on a few factors, including your baseline fitness level and strength, but there is some generally accepted guidance to consider when choosing a weighted vest to make sure you get the most out of your investment. <\/p>\n

What to Read NextHow heavy should my weighted vest be?<\/p>\n

‘Starting at a light weight, about five percent of one’s bodyweight, would be good to get used to the vest,’ Darmofal says. But if you\u2019re already fit, she says you can comfortably start at a higher weight than that, just make sure it doesn\u2019t feel like too much. ‘If it is too heavy to start, the user could compensate with poor posture and potentially cause further injury to their spine.’ If you weigh 68kg, that means starting with a vest that weighs 3kg, for example. <\/p>\n

The five percent bodyweight figure is ‘solid for most people’, and the safest, Singer adds. The goal here is progressive overload, which means you\u2019ll gradually increase the demands on your body, he explains. ‘Start light, master your movement, then increase weight in small increments.’<\/p>\n

There is a range of exercises you can use a weighted vest for. Singer suggests using the same weight for everything, whether you\u2019re walking, doing step-ups, pull-ups, squats, or whatever else is in your fitness arsenal \u2013 at first, at least. ‘I don\u2019t switch weights or coach my clients to,’ he says. ‘I find that if the vest is already set up to grab and go, it\u2019s more likely to be used.’ If you find that your weighted vest doesn\u2019t seem to be adding enough of a challenge to any given move, you can ramp things up (Singer suggests investing in an adjustable weighted vest). ‘From a fitness standpoint, you can absolutely adjust the resistance to the activity, just like you would any weight in the gym,’ he says. <\/p>\n

Signs your weighted vest is too heavy<\/p>\n

There are a few key warning signs that your weighted vest is too heavy. Darmofal says slouching and lower back pain are signals, while Singer says short strides and moving stiffly are also indications.<\/p>\n

While you\u2019re at it, pay attention to your breathing. If it feels overly laboured for the pace that you\u2019re going, you need less weight. ‘The vest should add a little intensity, but it should be sustainable,’ Singer says. And, of course, if you feel joint discomfort, especially in the knees, hips, or lower back, it\u2019s time to scale back. <\/p>\n

Like everything else in fitness, it\u2019s important to start slow with a weighted vest. ‘Wear it while sitting at your desk, walking around your house, or grabbing your mail \u2013 then maybe wear it for the first half of your walk before wearing it for the whole thing,’ Darmofal says. ‘Just do a slow, modest progression before hitting your end goal.’<\/p>\n

What should your weighted vest maximum be?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to say for sure since each individual\u2019s weight threshold is different. However, Darmofal and Singer both agree that you shouldn\u2019t go above 20 percent of your body weight. So, if you weigh 68kg, that means you should top out at 14kg. <\/p>\n

‘Most people won\u2019t need to exceed 15 to 20 percent of their body weight for general fitness,’ says Singer. ‘Higher loads are possible for advanced athletes, but only if the joints and core strength can support it without pain or form breakdown.’<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve tried a weighted vest at five percent of your body weight and you feel like you\u2019re ready to dial it up, Darmofal suggests increasing the weight by about two to five percent of your body weight at a time. If you feel like you\u2019re having trouble maintaining your form or you\u2019re having any pain, it\u2019s time to scale back. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s also this to consider, per Singer: You can mix up your workouts instead of ramping up the weight. ‘Instead of chasing a maximum number, gradually integrate your vest into more intense activities,’ he says. ‘If your 4kg vest feels easy during a quick walk around the block, maybe it’s time to test it on a long hike.’ <\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men\u2019s Health, Women\u2019s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master\u2019s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When you want to squeeze in strength training while leaving your hands free, all you need is one…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8471,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[2519,10907,2117,565,134,2116,111,139,69,10906],"class_list":["post-8470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-content-type-feature","tag-contentid-d8e10847-6242-4aba-8aff-27844e1884f1","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-locale-gb","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-shorttitle-how-heavy-should-my-weighted-vest-be"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8470"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8470\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}