Some exercises in the gym are impossible to make harder using traditional equipment like barbells or dumbbells. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t up the intensity of your strength training with more specialised pieces of equipment.

For example, an Adjustable Weighted Vest or a Tactical Weight Vest.

Key Differences Between a Weighted Vest and a Tactical Vest

Mirafit Adjustable Weighted Vest

Our weighted vest has up to thirty 1kg iron blocks that can be added and removed from the vest to allow you to adjust the weight as you see fit, depending on experience level and the exercise.

Mirafit Tactical Weight Vest

Our flat plate loaded tactical vest uses two flat plates on the front and back of the vest to provide a more stable and slimline load. These plates come in the 2 x 2.35kg, 2 x 3.4kg and 2 x 4.3kg sizes, making the total load 6kg, 8kg or 10kg, respectively.

When Would You Use an Adjustable Weighted Vest?

A weighted vest can hold a greater total load, with much more adjustability, making it perfect for progressive overload of more traditional strength and callisthenic exercises such as push ups or pull ups.

Weighted Vest Pull Up

• With your weighted vest on, place your hands on a Pull Up Bar, just outside shoulder width so that your hands and elbows are stacked when at the top of the movement.

• Take your feet off the floor and dead hang off the bar once you have your grip.

• Pull your chest to the bar.

• Slowly lower back down and repeat.

• Start with 10-12 reps with fewer blocks and slowing increase the blocks in the vest as you decrease the reps week to week.

Benefit of Weighted Vest Pull Ups

It helps you to push through strength plateaus in your pull ups because you are able to increase the resistance over time, just like you would with any other lift. Not being able to do this is what holds a lot of people back when looking to improve their pull up.

Weighted Vest Push Up

• With your weighted vest on, assume a high plank position, with your hands just outside shoulder width, in line with your upper chest.

• ‘Pull your body down to the ground’, keeping your elbows tucked at a 45-degree angle to your ribcage.

• Once your upper arm is parallel to the floor, push the floor away to return to the start position.

• Start with 10-12 reps with fewer blocks and slowing increase the blocks in the vest as you decrease the reps week to week.

Benefits of Weighted Vest Push Ups

The weighted vest is one of the only safe ways to overload a push up, while on your own and thus provides the perfect solution for those looking to improve their chest workout and get better at push-ups.

When Would You Use a Tactical Vest?

The lighter and more low-profile nature of the Tactical Plate Carrier is more suited to dynamic, advanced movements, like conditioning or running.

Tactical Vest Burpee

• With your tactical vest on, start stood up.

• Reach to the floor with you hands and then kick back into a high plank position.

• Lower your body to the floor from your legs first, as if you are doing the worm.

• Once your chest has touched the floor, reverse the movement to stand back up.

• Raise your hands above your head and get your feet off the floor to complete the burpee.

Benefit of Tactical Vest Burpees

The tactical vest allows you to overload the dreaded burpee, without the structure of the vest getting in the way of the exercise. This will make unweighted burpees feel easier because your body has gotten used to doing them with more weight.

Tactical Vest Running

• Stay relaxed with your shoulders and drive the arms in a natural fashion, forward and slightly across your body.

• Imagine you are on a bike; think about cycling your legs back under your pelvis to reduce breaking forces for landing in front of your body.

• ‘Push the floor backwards’ to make sure the majority of your energy is being used to propel yourself forward and not up.

Benefit of Running with a Tactical Vest

The tactical vest allows you to overload the difficulty of your running if you don’t have access to hills or advanced equipment, without the weight swinging around like it would if you had a bag on, thus allowing you to maintain your usual technique.

Add wearable weights to your gym equipment to get the best out of your training so that when you take the vests off, everything feels easier. Make sure to choose the correct vest for the workout you are doing… and feel the gains increase!

Written by guest author Eryn Barber.

For more content, follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and on our official Mirafit Facebook page.

Tags: Exercise Type > Conditioning