Ditch the dumbbells - this weighted vest workout can help strengthen your entire body in 6 moves

If you haven't got the time or motivation to go to the gym, you might find that a weighted vest workout is your route to getting stronger. Much like other home workouts, this one makes the most of the time you have, rather than putting more on your to-do list.

Scrolling on social media, you've probably seen women using a weighted vest for walking. This handy gilet-shaped weight comes in different sizes and is worn around the body like an extra layer of clothing, making it more versatile than a pair of dumbells or kettlebells. While they're most commonly used in walking workouts, the versatility is why personal trainers love them for strength workouts too, being a simple way to add extra weight safely onto bodyweight exercises.

We've asked expert personal trainer and strength training specialist Laura Blease at Ultimate Performance for her recommended weighted vest workout. Whether you've got time for a quick 10-minute workout or want to level up your walking workouts, you can make progress with these exercises, she says.

Weighted vest workout

1. Weighted squat

Squats are essential if you're looking to get into a strength training routine. This movement strengthens the quadriceps (thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs), glutes (buttocks), and smaller muscles in the lower body.

Here, Blease explains how to do a squat with a weighted vest:

• Stand up with your feet about hip-width apart.
• You can either extend your arms out in front of you, so your palms are facing the floor, or cross them over and rest your hand on the opposite shoulder, on top of your weighted vest.
• With your back straight and core engaged sit the hips back and bend your knees to lower down into the squat position.
• Keeping the weight in the heels, straighten the knees and drive the hips back to the starting position.
• Squeeze your glutes at the top of the squat then repeat, says Blease.

Expert tip: "You should be aiming to squat to parallel or lower to fully engage the muscles of the lower body, so you may need to play around with your set-up to get this right," says Blease. For example, elevating your heels on a book or two at home can improve your ankle mobility and help you get lower.

2. Weighted press-up

The press-up is another must-do in an upper-body strength training routine. Most people find their lower body is stronger than their upper body, so you might need to take some weights out of your vest if you can for this exercise.

Here's how to do a push-up with a weighted vest:

• Set up in a push-up position with your hands on the floor.
• Ensure you tuck your hips under, engaging your glutes and lower abs.
• Pull yourself down to the floor slowly, focusing on squeezing your shoulder blades together and stretching your chest.
• Initiate the movement by tensing your chest.
• Focus on pushing your hands together to create tension in your chest.
• Don’t allow your hips to sag, keep your glutes and abs engaged, says Blease.

3. Forward lunges

Walking lunges or forward lunges are a great way to use your weighted vest to work the lower-body muscles, like the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and more.

Here's how to do them:

• Start by standing straight, wearing your weighted vest.
• Your feet should be hip-width apart, your chest up, and your core engaged.
• With one leg, take a big step forward and place the foot flat on the ground.
• Bend both knees and lower down under control until both your knees are bent at 90° and your front thigh is parallel to the floor.
• Your trailing knee should be as close to the floor as possible, or in contact with the floor if you have the range of motion.
• Press back upwards to the start position, bringing your leading foot backwards until your feet are together again. That is one rep.
• Complete for the desired number of reps per leg and then switch sides, says Blease.

Expert tip: "Keep your hips square and feet facing forwards throughout the movement and to increase the emphasise on your glutes, lean the torso forward over the front leg," says Blease.

4. Weighted plank holds

The plank is one of the best core exercises to do at home. As well as engaging the core muscles, you'll work your upper back and shoulders.

Here's how to do it:

• Start by lying on your front with your elbows bent at 90 degrees and your forearms resting on the floor. Your legs should be straight out behind you.
• Tuck your toes under, engage your abs and lift your hips off the floor so that your body weight is evenly distributed between your forearms and your feet.
• Keep your shoulders directly above your elbows and look at the floor.
• Focus on keeping your abs and glutes squeezed hard throughout so that your body is in a straight line from shoulder to ankle with a neutral spine.

Expert tip: Want to make your plank harder? "You can increase the intensity by slowly lifting one leg off the floor, reaching an arm forward or slowly rocking back and forward on your forearms," says the trainer.

Want to make it easier? "The plank is harder the closer your feet are together. For increased stability try starting with a slightly wider foot stance and slowly work your feet towards each other as you get stronger," she says.

5. Weighted reverse lunges

Reverse lunges, as the name suggests, are just like regular forward lunges except instead of stepping forward, you step backwards. This emphasises the hamstrings and glutes, so it's a particularly good option for runners and walkers looking to do strength training to complement their cardio.

Here's how to do it:

• Start by standing straight, wearing your weighted vest.
• Your feet should be hip-width apart, your chest up, and your core engaged.
• With one leg, take a big step backwards and place the foot flat on the ground. Your back foot should be raised on the balls of your feet and your weight on your back foot, rather than the front.
• Bend both knees and lower down under control until both your knees are bent at 90° and your front thigh is parallel to the floor.
• Your knee should be as close to the floor as possible.
• Press back upwards to the start position.
• Complete for the desired number of reps per leg and then switch sides, says Blease.

6. Weighted furniture-assisted tricep dips

While a weighted vest is very versatile, you'll need to stick to workouts where the focus is on moving your entire body. For example, there's no benefit to doing bicep curls wearing a weighted vest - for that, you will need a dumbbell workout for beginners at least. However, tricep dips do fit into this category and work the entire arm and shoulder muscles.

Here's how to do it:

• Start by facing away from your chair/piece of furniture and lower your body until you can grip the edge of the surface, with your knuckles level with your glutes.
• Your hands should be slightly wider apart than the shoulders.
• Your legs should be bent so there is a 90-degree angle in the knees, with both feet planted firmly on the floor. The back of your thighs should be level with your knuckles, your glutes, and the flat surface.
• Retract and depress the shoulder blades into a strong and stable position, squeeze your glutes and brace the mid-section. Keep the head in a neutral position.
• Slowly lower down with control closing the space in the elbow joint.
• Keep the lower arms perpendicular to the floor.
• Stop and hold once 90 degrees is reached or until limited by the shoulder joint.
• Remain upright, keeping the shoulders in a strong and stable position.
• Push hard into the palms to get back to the start position.
• Repeat the rep when 5 degrees away from locking out the elbow joint, says Blease.

Expert tip: "Aim to stop at the right angle and not go too deep in the movement which will move the shoulders out of place," she says.

Benefits of a weighted vest workout

• Strengthens the entire body: "Every movement forces your muscles to work harder against gravity, promoting muscle definition in your legs, glutes, arms, shoulders, and back, all without requiring a full rack of dumbbells or machines," says Blease. You can also leave your gym dumbbell workout behind and do all this at home.
• Weighted vests take up less space than weights: "That might sound trivial, but trust me, if space in your home is at a premium, being able to hang your vest in your wardrobe is a lot less hassle than having dumbbells and kettlebells lying about your living room," she says. It's another reason to swap your dumbbell core workout for a weighted vest workout, that's for sure.
• Great for beginners: "If you’re new to resistance training, you might also find that wearing a weighted vest gives you more confidence to execute bodyweight moves with perfect form, rather than having to worry about whether you’re lifting dumbbells or barbells correctly," she says.
• Allows for full range of motion: "Unlike traditional dumbbells or barbells, which can sometimes limit your range of motion or require separate exercises for each muscle group, a weighted vest allows for completely natural movement," she says. "You can seamlessly transition between exercises, maintain proper form, and challenge yourself in a way that mimics real-life functional strength."
• Versatile: We've said it before but weighted vests are one of the most versatile strength training essentials. Whether you want to add a quick exercise snack to your indoor walking workout or start strength training at home for beginners, this vest can help increase your resistance.

Which weighted vest should I buy?

How heavy should my weighted vest be?

If you're new to using a weighted vest, your vest should be no more than 10% of your body weight. So, for example, if you weigh 70kg then your weighted vest should be 7kg at a maximum.

Many people like to start with a weighted vest that's just 5% of their body weight. So using this example, the weighted vest would be 3.5kg.

As you get stronger, the weights will need to get heavier to achieve progressive overload, which is "essential", says Blease. One way to do this is to buy an adjustable weighted vest that you take out and put in weights as you need them.