Welcome to third instalment in our mini-series on weighted vests.

So far, we have covered Osteoporosis & Bone Health and VO2/Caloric Expenditure. Today, we're getting into strength and muscle growth.

If you think I got nerdy on the last two issues, buckle up Bettys, because there are some really important distinctions we need to talk about today!

WHY

Muscle grows when you repeatedly ask it to do harder work over time. End of story.

Said another way, muscle growth happens with more load, more reps at the same load, or more challenging variations that are near muscular failure. That's the core of progressive overload.

And **spoiler alert**, it's why you're not going to change your muscle strength or size just by wearing a weighted vest and going about your day. You need high tension, a long enough time frame, and the simulation of muscle failure. (PubMedPMC)

Insert sad face and violins playing in the background…

Look, I, too, wish I could just look at my glutes and have them grow, but unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. They won't grow unless I eat enough and put in the work to drive the signal (progressive overload) for them to grow.

So, are weighted vests useless for muscle building, then?

The short answer is no. The detailed answer is in the next section.

WHAT (the science says)

Weighted Vest Alone ≠ Strength Gains

In a 27-week randomized trial (n=62, age ~74), participants wore 0%, 3%, or 5% bodyweight vests for 2 hours/day, 4 days/week, with no required exercises.

The Result: No differences in knee strength, endurance, physical performance, or bone markers as compared to the control group who did not wear weighted vests.

The authors (correctly) concluded that the stimulus of just wearing a vest was below the threshold to build strength. PubMed

Where Vests Are Useful (inside a training program):

In a 12-week randomized pilot (community-dwelling older adults), everyone did the same home exercises and 30-min walks.

The vest group (wearing ~10% of their body weight) improved their scores on a 6-minute walk, 2-minute step, 30-second chair-rise, and select hip strength exercises more than those who exercised without a vest.

Caveat: It's important to note that these results are not solely attributed to the weighted vest. It was a function of strength training with extra load. Physical Activity and Health

Dr. Stephanie's Comments:

The vest alone is not going to grow your glutes, or anything for that matter. In order for vest wearing to have any impact on strength and hypertrophy (muscle growth), you've gotta lift those weights, baby.

In my opinion, the biggest program is that most women are not strength training through midlife. They might “think” they are strength training with their cute little 2 lb ankle weights, but this is not strength training. This is a side effect of the delicate marketing tactics aimed to get women to spend their hard-earned money on gadgets.

Women are trying. I see you out there! You're taking your hot girl walks. You're hitting the yoga and pilates classes. You're doing group exercise with 4000 lunges. But, my friends, this is not strength training. Muscle burn is not the same as muscle failure.

If you feel called out right now, before you hit send on an angry, please know I'm not calling you out. I am calling you all the way up.

Want glutes that leave the room 2 minutes after you do? You will have to lift in a way that causes your muscles to fail.

Now, for my ladies who are still intimidated by the iron in the gym (we'll work on this). Getting bulky won't happen by accident. Just because you drive a car doesn't mean you will accidentally become a Nascar driver, you know?

For those of you who are dealing with joint issues or an injury – take it slow. A vest can be a perfect bridge for you to increase the mechanical load that would not otherwise be there.

I actually LOVE wearing a weighted vest when I do pull-ups, push-ups, or even walking lunges and step-ups. These are great ways to make bodyweight exercises more challenging. Read the next section for some specific examples.

HOW

Lower Body (glutes/quads):

For all exercises below, load with a snug vest and add 1-2 lbs or 1-3 reps per set if you're ≥2 reps from failure across all sets. Stop a set when your form breaks:

• Step-ups (box height at least mid-shin, but it can be at knee height or higher)
• Split squats or Bulgarian split squats
• Reverse or forward lunges
• Wall-sit or squat holds (time-under-tension)

Upper Body:

For the exercises below, do your working sets at RPE 7-9/10 (keep 0-3 reps in reverse). That's the “near-failure” zone the literature points to for hypertrophy with a wide range of loads. PMC

• Push-ups (these can be done elevated, like against a wall or countertop, on the floor, or even as a deficit)
• Pull-ups or chin-ups (start with your own bodyweight and work up to a vest once you can do an unassisted pull-up)
• Inverted rows (lower the bar over time, then add a vest)

You can also add a weighted vest to my LIFT program to increase the intensity of some of the moves, too!

NOW

This Week's 2-Day Bridge (30-40 min each):

Day A

• Step-ups: 3×8-12 per side (vest up if 12 is too easy)
• Push-ups: 4×6-12 (elevate your hands as needed and add a vest when 12 is too easy)
• Split squats: 3×8-12 per side
• Inverted rows: 3×8-12
• Side plank: 2×30-45 seconds per side

Day B

• Bulgarian split squats: 3×8-12 per leg (use a vest as you are able)
• Chin-up or band-assist pull-down: 4×6-12 (add a vest once you pull your own bodyweight)
• Reverse lunge: 3×8-12 per side
• Deficit push-ups or dumbbell press: 3×8-12
• Hip hinge (good-morning or RDL pattern unloaded): 3×10-15 (use a vest only if your back stays neutral)

How to progress each week:

• On the lifts that felt easiest, add 1-2 reps somewhere or add ~1-2 lb to the vest.
• Keep most sets near failure with crisp form.
• After 6-8 weeks, step into a formal progressive program with barbells, dumbbells, or machines, OR keep advancing vest-loaded calisthenics if you're getting stronger. PubMed

P.S. If you're reading about weighted vests and feeling your best, I think you'd love LIFT. LIFT is my smart, progressive 4-day split that teaches women in midlife how to lift weights safely and strategically. The result? Better results, joints that support you into older age, and the confidence of building that strong body you've always wanted. Curious? Check out LIFT.

References for this issue

• Greendale et al., 2000 (J Am Geriatr Soc): 27‑week vest‑only RCT (3–5% BW); no improvements in strength/performance—dose too low. PubMed
• Schoenfeld, 2021 (PMC): Loading recommendations; hypertrophy across a range when near failure; practical 6–12 rep / ~60–80% 1RM lane. PMC
• ACSM Position Stand, 2009: Progressive overload principles; novice hypertrophy loading/frequency; 2–10% load increases when reps exceed target. PubMed
• Mierzwicki et al., 2019 (Phys Act & Health): Exercise + ~10% BW vest outperformed exercise alone on 6MWT, 2‑min step, chair‑rise and some hip strength. Physical Activity and Health

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Last week I kicked off this mini-series in the Mini Pause about weighted vests. We dove into the bone density claims, or how weighted vests will supposedly support (or deplete, depending on who you ask) our bone health as we age.

(Didn't catch it? Want your friend to read it? Click here)

The internet loves to rage-bait us into yapping at each other, and weighted vests are just one of the most recent topics that have us arguing with each other.

Whether you're seeing more content from Team “Weighted Vests Grow My Glutes” or Team “Weighted Vests Are for Grifters,” I can bet you've seen some side of the polarized debate.

Well, friends, I want to re-welcome you to this little corner of the internet that reminds powerful women like you about nuance. 

As it turns out, weighted vests (and about a million other topics) aren't all that black and white. Let's get into it and chat about weighted vests and their cardiovascular claims. I've got some juicy, actionable takeaways for you.

WHAT (the science says)

So, yeah, weighted vests have some interesting benefits.

Immediate Effects (i.e., one walk):

Adding about 10-15% of your body weight with a vest makes your body work harder, even during a simple walk. On flat ground, you'll notice the biggest changes around that 15% body weight mark, but if you add an incline, even a lighter load makes a difference. Your breathing and heart rate go up in a healthy way, which means you're getting more bang for your buck on that walk.

Read the study from American Council on Exercise.

Longer-Term Effects (i.e., a 12-week program):

In a 12-week study with older adults, everyone did the same at-home exercise routine and walks. The only difference? One group wore weighted vests at 10% of their body weight.

They did 8 home exercises plus a 30-minute walk 3 times a week for the 12 weeks. The vested up group saw bigger improvements in walking distance, stamina, and leg strength compared to exercise alone.

Read the study in Physical Activity and Health.

Dr. Stephanie's Comments:

This makes sense. It's not rocket science. It's basic physics. When you add more weight, your body has to work harder. The extra effort means you burn more energy. It's why a lot of women will attribute weight loss from their hot girl weighted vest walks.

Even in the short studies we just talked about, researchers saw an immediate bump in oxygen use (VO₂) — a key marker of how hard the heart and lungs are working. If those changes showed up right away, it's reasonable that, over time, many women will experience stronger cardiovascular fitness and an easier path to weight loss when pairing a vest with regular cardio.

What We Don't Know (the Nuance)

So far, the research hasn't proven that simply walking with a weighted vest can make a long-term difference in your cardiovascular capacity. It seems that the addition of incline, faster pace, and intervals is important. American Council on Exercise

Dr. Stephanie's Thoughts:

Just because we don't have long-term studies yet doesn't mean there's no benefit. As I like to say, lack of evidence is not necessarily evidence of lack.

From what I've seen in myself and others, even short-term use gives your heart and lungs a nice bonus workout. If you keep those habits up over time, it's very reasonable to expect those benefits to carry over.

HOW

I like to think of a weighted vest as a “hill in a box.” I've mainly used them as a way to amp up the intensity of my walks. If you're feeling ambitious, you could even add one to your next date with a Stairmaster. It's a solid way to make a workout more challenging without changing much else.

Here's how I'd get started, based on the research:

• How Often: 1-3x/week, on top of your usual movement
• How Long: 20-40 minutes per session
• How Heavy: Start at about 5% of your body weight (or less). If it feels smooth on your joints, start working toward 10%. (Physical Activity and Health)
• Where to Go: On flat ground, you might need a bit more weight to notice a difference. On hills or a treadmill incline, go lighter. (American Council on Exercise)
• What to Expect: Your heart rate and breathing will rise (that's a good thing!). If you have joint pain, high blood pressure, or pelvic floor issues, shorten your sessions and check in with your doctor before pushing further. (American Council on Exercise)
• Form Tips: Keep your steps short, stand tall, and land softly. If you knees or feet complain, try reducing the weight or incline before cutting your time. (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise)

Weighted Vest Interval Playbook

Rotates these example exercises:

Beginner (20-25 minutes)

• Warm up: 5 minutes easy (no vest or very light)
• Main set: Alternate 2 minutes brisk walk + 2 minutes easy walk, repeat 6 times
• Vest: Start with ~5% bodyweight
• Cool down: 5 minutes easy

Intermediate (30-35 minutes)

• Warm up: 6 minutes easy
• Main set: Alternate 1.5 minutes hard + 1.5 minutes easy, repeat 8 times
• Incline: 3-6% grade
• Vest: 5-7.5% bodyweight
• Cool down: 5 minutes easy

Advanced (35-40 minutes)

• Warm up: 8 minutes easy
• Main set: Alternate 3 minutes steady, strong pace + 2 minutes easy, repeat 5 times
• Incline: 4-8% grade
• Vest: 7.5-10% bodyweight
• Cool down: 5 minutes easy

Rule of thumb: Push hard enough that it feels like a 6-8/10 effort (breathing heavy but not gasping). Always back off if your joints feel sore or your landings get jarring.

NOW

Here's your assignment for the week:

• Pick your load: If you're new to vests, start at ~5% BW for 2-3 sessions, then reassess. (American Council on Exercise)
• Slot one workout: This week, schedule one 25-minute beginner weighted vest interval (above).

References for this issue

• PubMed (Puthoff et al., 2006): Weighted vests ↑ VO₂, relative intensity, and ground‑reaction forces during walking. PubMed
• ACE/UNM graded walking study (full report PDF): VO₂ and %APHRM rise with 10–15% BW, stronger with incline; nuanced RPE response. EACE Fitness
• ACE summary article: Practical overview—15% BW needed to raise VO₂ on flat, smaller loads work with incline. ACE Fitness
• Physical Activity and Health (Mierzwicki, 2019): 12‑week RCT—adding a 10% BW vest to a shared exercise + walking program improved 6MWT, 2‑min step, and chair‑rise vs control; Physical Activity and Health

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Lots of noise recently on social media about weighted vests and if they are actually doing anything.

The noise is often drummed up from what I like to call EBITs (evidence based internet trolls) who have no clinical experience, have never dealt with the general public, and if there is no RCT, then did it even happen bruh?

As is in most cases, there are a lot of papers to review, think on, and apply critical thinking on how it applies to everyday life. Lucky for you this is my favorite way to spend an evening after I crush it on Duolingo.

We are going to examine claim by claim over the next few weeks some of evidence for and evidence against weighted vests.

Vests are not magic, but they can be a tool of amplification in several scenarios.
Today we are going to look at the impact of weight vests on bone mineral density and if it has osteogenic (bone promoting) properties.

WHY

Lots of social media influencers and lifestyle accounts flaunting weighted vests as the solution to bone mineral loss in perimenopause.

More bones without barbells? Oooooo enticing. Especially for women in midlife who for whatever reason are not following a strength training program with progressive overload.

But here’s the truth:

• Bone adapts to load magnitude and, crucially, rate (how quickly the load hits).
• Light extra mass while strolling rarely reaches an osteogenic threshold, which explains why research looking at weighted vest only for walks does not show a positive outcome.
• In contrast, jumping + a vest adds both magnitude and high loading rate at the hip—the combination that produced long‑term maintenance of hip BMD in the 5‑year program. PubMedOSU Extension Service

WHAT

1) Bone Mineral Density (BMD) / Osteoporosis

Study 1: Vest alone (daily wear / walking):

• Design: 27‑week randomized trial, 62 community‑dwelling older adults.
• Weighted Vest “Dose”: 0% (control) vs 3% or 5% body‑weight vests, prescribed 2 h/day, 4 days/week; no mandated exercises.
• Result: No improvement in strength, performance, or bone turnover markers vs control. Authors concluded the loading dose was insufficient to stimulate bone. PubMed

Dr. Stephanie’s comments: Totally makes sense. First of all 27 weeks is insufficient to see remodelling of bone (the average bone turnover is around 2 years, which slows as we age). And the frequency (2h/daily) and amplitude (3-5% of body weight) are insufficient to really move the needle.

Study 2: Weighted Vests during intentional weight loss:

• Design: 12‑month RCT, 150 older adults with obesity aiming for ~10% weight loss.
• Dose: Diet alone vs diet + daily weighted‑vest (self‑reported 7.1 h/day, vest weight adjusted to replace on average ~78% of lost weight) vs diet + progressive resistance training.
• Result: All groups lost hip bone; neither the vest nor resistance training prevented hip BMD loss in this context. PMC

Dr. Stephanie’s commentary: the timeline is better here (albeit still too short, and this study tells us what we already know – a prolonged caloric deficit takes away from the whole body. Oh wouldn’t it be so much better if we could only select the adipose tissue to shrink in a deficit! Sadly, not so. Any type of prolonged dieting will see loss of ALL weight – fat mass, muscle mass, and in this case organ mass in the form of bone as well. This is why I strongly believe perimenopausal women should not be on any kind of prolonged caloric restriction. Period.

Study 3: Vest + impact training:

• Design: 5‑year community program in postmenopausal women using weighted‑vest lower‑body resistance + jump training (≈3 sessions/week, 32 weeks/year).
• Result: Exercisers maintained hip BMD while controls lost ~3–4% over 5 years. Reported changes: femoral neck +1.54% vs −4.43%; trochanter −0.24% vs −3.43%; total hip −0.82% vs −3.80%. Program specifics: average ≈52 jumps/session and ~11 lb vest, with >83% adherence. OSU Extension Service+1

Dr. Stephanie’s comments: Ooooooo now this is exciting. A trial that is long enough to see actual bone remodeling (5 years) AND they paired the weighted vest with jump training! Remember IMPACT + TIME is the magic in remodelling bone. This hits both of those marks. Of interest is to note the monster 1.54% change in femoral neck (an area very susceptible to fracture in old age) compared with a -4% change in controls who were still exercising. This is bankable benefits for weight vest use.

HOW (to use a vest if your goal is hip-bone benefits)

Use the vest during targeted impact or lower‑body loading, not as an all‑day accessory.

Here is a practical template inspired by the 5‑year study (to adapt for YOU, don’t copy it exactly):

• Frequency: 3 sessions/week, aim for ~52 weeks/year of consistency.
• Start unweighted: Learn soft, quiet landings (mini‑squat jumps, step‑offs to gentle hops).
• Progressive loading: Add the vest gradually in 1–2 lb steps, staying well within comfort; many programs keep total vest mass well under 10% body weight at first.
• Volume target (build over weeks): 30–60 total jumps/session (e.g., sets of 6–10), with full recovery and high‑quality landings.
• Session mix: Short jump sets + lower‑body strength (squats to chair, step‑ups, hip hinges), wearing the vest for sets if tolerated.
• Hip focus: Forward and multidirectional jumps from a very low height; avoid depth jumps or plyos that feel “hard” on knees/feet.
• Stop criteria: Any sharp pain, pelvic floor symptoms, or soreness that lingers >48 hours → reduce dose or pause and reassess.(Program dose and adherence details drawn from the 5‑year vest‑plus‑jumping research; community program description via OSU Extension’s Better Bones & Balance.) OSU Extension Service+1

What not to expect:

• Walking with a light vest (a few hours/week) is unlikely to move hip BMD. That exact strategy failed in a controlled trial. PubMed
• During active weight loss, a vest alone or standard resistance training may not protect the hip. If you’re dieting, talk with your clinician about bone‑supportive nutrition (calcium, vitamin D, protein) and whether supervised, higher‑impact options are appropriate for you. PMC

Safety notes:
If you have diagnosed osteoporosis, prior fragility fracture, significant knee/hip/foot pain, hypertension, or pelvic floor concerns, seek personalized clearance and coaching before adding impact. Consider building a base with strength and balance training first.

NOW (put it into practice this week)

• Check your context: Are you currently losing weight? If yes, know the hip may still lose bone so plan your nutrition + training with a pro. PMC
• Pick your tool: A snug, comfortable vest you can micro‑load (small removable weights). Start light.
• Try a 6‑week primer:

  – Weeks 1–2: 2–3×/week, 20 mini‑jumps total/session, no vest.
  – Weeks 3–4: Add 2–4 lb vest, 30 jumps/session (sets of 6–8).
  – Weeks 5–6: 40–50 jumps/session, consider +1–2 lb if fully comfortable.
  – Keep all landings soft; stop if anything hurts.
  (Progression concept derived from the long‑term vest‑plus‑jumping model; adjust to your capacity.) OSU Extension Service

References for this issue

• Greendale GA et al. J Am Geriatr Soc (2000): Vest‑only RCT, no strength/performance/bone‑marker benefit at low dose. PubMed
• Beavers KM et al. JAMA Netw Open (2025): During weight loss, neither daily weighted vests nor progressive resistance training prevented hip bone loss. PMC
• Snow CM et al. J Gerontol A Med Sci (2000): 5‑year vest‑plus‑jumping maintained hip BMD vs 3–4% loss in controls; ~52 jumps/session, ~11 lb vests, high adherence. OSU Extension Service+1
• OSU Extension: Better Bones & Balance® program overview (impact + strength + balance; often with vests). OSU Extension Service

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