‘I Wore A Weighted Vest For Every Workout For A Week. This Was The Most Surprising Change I Saw.’

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Exercise has always been my anchor, the one thing that keeps me balanced when life feels unpredictable. As a certified personal trainer, fitness coach, and mom, I prioritize movement not just because it helps me build muscle, but also because it helps me manage my mental health. I struggle with high-functioning depression, and fitness helps me push through the heaviness, regain my focus, and remind myself that I’m stronger than my thoughts.

My typical week of workouts includes a mix of strength training, cardio, and stretching, but sometimes my routine gets monotonous and I catch myself going through the motions. So, I decided to shake things up by wearing a weighted vest during every workout for one week, which I’d never tried before.

This challenge was more than physical for me—it was an opportunity to also be more present and maybe even explore how carrying a literal weight compared to carrying an invisible one.

I never looked at the weighted vest as a miracle tool, and I wasn’t expecting any wild transformation. While it’s touted in the fitness industry for helping people build bone density and muscle, the available scientific research doesn’t really back that, especially if you already work out consistently. I didn’t put the vest on thinking it would change my body in a week. For me, it was simply a way to switch things up, get out of autopilot, and challenge myself in a new way.

Here’s how strapping on a weighted vest for every workout impacted my training and mindset.

My Week Of Workouts

• Monday: Lower-body strength (45 minutes) and StairMaster cardio (15 minutes)

• Tuesday: Upper-body strength (30 minutes) and treadmill incline walk (20 minutes)

• Wednesday: StairMaster HIIT intervals (45 minutes)

• Thursday: Full-body strength (45 minutes) and StairMaster cardio (15 minutes)

• Friday: Glute strength (30 minutes), core strength (10 minutes), and treadmill incline walk (20 minutes)

• Saturday: Light cardio (60-minute walk)

• Sunday: Active rest day (running errands and cleaning)

20-Lb Weighted Vest

$47.32 at Amazon

8-Lb Weighted West

$49.95 at Amazon

12-Lb Weighted West

$35.99 at Amazon

I chose to work out with a 20-lb vest because I’ve been training consistently for years, so I knew I needed a weight that would actually challenge me. I felt like anything lighter wouldn’t push my muscles enough to feel a real difference. Twenty pounds is heavy, but for my fitness level, I thought it was the sweet spot: weighty enough to make my body work harder, but still safe enough for me to move with proper form. I wanted to add resistance that would force me to be intentional, not something that felt like a casual accessory.

Wearing a weighted vest for my workouts elevated my routine in a surprising way.

I didn’t change my workouts for this challenge—I kept my usual mix of squats, lunges, incline walks, planks, and upper-body strength work, just with the vest added on.

From the very first workout, I could feel the difference in how I approached each exercise; the extra weight forced me to slow down and be more intentional with every movement. I felt more grounded and powerful in my workouts, but also a lot more tired. (By the end of each session, my muscles were more fatigued than usual, especially in my legs and core, and I was literally drenched in sweat!)

The most surprising part was how much I had to engage my core compared to normal workouts, whether I was lunging, walking, or stretching, to protect my spine. Even on days that weren’t core-focused, I could feel my midsection working overtime to stabilize the added weight so my lower back didn’t take on the extra load and cause me pain, since I’ve had lower back issues before.

This weighted vest experiment made me rethink what “core training” actually is; it’s not just isolated crunches or planks, but the way your core shows up in every movement when it’s challenged properly.

If you wear a vest, my biggest tip as a trainer is to pay attention to your form. If the vest makes you lose your balance, arch your back, or rush through a movement, that’s a sign the vest is too heavy for that exercise. You should feel challenged, but not compromised. Also, if your form starts breaking down, it’s okay to take the vest off for that movement and put it back on when you feel stable again.

I also had to modify parts of my routine, as wearing a vest for every workout proved to be a little too intense.

For instance, I attempted to run with the vest early in the week, but quickly realized that 20 pounds was too heavy to maintain proper form or my usual pace. That moment really reminded me that sometimes the vest isn’t the move for all forms of exercise. If the weight throws off your form, makes you feel shaky, or forces you to move in a way that doesn’t feel natural, that’s your sign to let it go for that workout. The goal is to train smart, not push through something that isn’t serving you.

So instead of pushing through the run and risking injury, I switched my runs to brisk walks, incline treadmill sessions, and StairMaster intervals. These workouts still challenged my endurance, but felt much more sustainable with the added weight.

Physically, I definitely had to step up my recovery because my workouts were much more challenging. I prioritized hitting my protein goal of 150 to 180 grams of protein a day to support muscle repair and included carbs for energy, especially before workouts. I also stretched for longer and made a conscious effort to get at least seven hours of sleep every day because my body needed it.

By the time Saturday came, I was really sore and honestly, that was the perfect reminder of just how hard I’d been working all week. I had originally planned to do another HIIT workout, but instead of pushing through just because, I decided to prioritize recovery and instead take a long walk along the lakefront in Chicago, where I live. That choice (plus the weather and skyline) felt like a win in itself.

It also taught me that rest is just as much a part of training as the actual workouts are. Listening to my body instead of ignoring it actually helped me bounce back faster and finish the week strong.

By the end of the week, the payoffs were noticeable: I felt stronger physically and mentally.

I started to notice small changes outside of the gym that signified I was getting stronger. Everyday activities like climbing stairs, carrying groceries, or even just walking around felt a little easier. It was almost like my body had quietly leveled up.

Mentally, the vest pushed me out of autopilot. I was more present, focused, and even motivated (if you were watching my Instagram stories, you know). My workouts were tougher with the vest, but I pushed through moments where I normally would’ve stopped. Plus, it felt like each session had an extra purpose.

Outside of my workout sessions, I noticed I was tackling things I’d been putting off, such as organizing my week and saying yes to opportunities that used to intimidate me. This week served as a powerful reminder that strength in one area can spill over into everything else, and that I can do hard things when I put my mind and body to it.

My 3 Biggest Takeaways From Working Out With A Weighted Vest For A Week

1. It shed light on my areas of improvement.

Wearing the weighted vest made me instantly aware of areas I’d been overlooking—even exercises I’ve done a thousand times like squats, lunges, and planks felt way harder. (I realized that sometimes less is more when it comes to core work!) Under the added resistance, I learned to keep my core engaged more consistently, keep better balance, and maintain sharper form. In a way, it helped me get back to basics and relearn my technique because my body was under tougher conditions than usual.

2. Not every workout is vest-friendly, and that’s okay.

While the vest took my strength training and cardio sessions to the next level, it didn’t feel great for every single workout modality. Running, for example, was too challenging with 20 extra pounds, and my form started breaking down quickly.

Some stretches and core exercises—like standing side bends and leg raises—were tougher to perform with the extra weight pressing on my torso. But that’s part of the lesson: I didn’t have to intensify every single exercise with a vest for it to still count. Learning when and how to use the vest made me more intentional about the way I train.

3. I am resilient and can get through tough moments.

The extra weight pushed me in ways I didn’t expect; not just physically, but mentally, too. There were moments when I wanted to quit or take the vest off—maybe my legs were on fire halfway through lunges or my shoulders felt heavy during incline walks—but I pushed through those moments. That showed me how capable I am of doing hard things and how much growth comes from leaning into the discomfort. It kept me motivated and present, and made me realize that a lot of growth happens when I choose to lean into discomfort rather than avoid it.

Moving forward, I’m convinced this weighted vest is a tool worth keeping in my routine—but strategically. I probably won’t wear it for every workout, but I’ll definitely reach for it on strength days, incline walks, or anytime I want to make a workout more challenging without heavy equipment. I also plan to invest in a lighter vest so I can safely test it out for running, and see how that enhances my endurance.

This experiment was a total game-changer for me, and now I know that strength is more than just physical: It’s resilience, intention, and the decision to keep showing up for yourself, even when things feel heavy—literally.

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