Weighted Vest Push-Ups: Form, Weight and Workouts

Photo: Dan Fahey, Gritty Soldier

A weighted vest push-up is a regular push-up with extra load on your torso. Master clean bodyweight push-ups first, then put on a snug vest and keep the same form: a straight line from head to heels, chest to just above the floor, full lockout at the top. Train them two or three times a week in sets you can finish with good form, and add reps before you add more weight.

Why add a weighted vest to push-ups

Once you can do a lot of push-ups, adding more reps mostly builds endurance rather than strength. A vest makes each rep heavier without changing the movement, so you can keep training push-ups in a strength rep range. It also stays put without a partner, unlike a plate balanced on your back, as long as you wear it high and tight.

How much harder is it? Some quick math: 20 lb is about 11% of bodyweight for a 180 lb athlete and about 13% for a 150 lb athlete. In a push-up your arms only push part of your bodyweight, but the extra load still adds up fast over a set.

How to do a weighted vest push-up

1. Put the vest on high and snug so it does not slide toward your face at the bottom. Our guide on how to wear a weighted vest shows the setup.
2. Set your hands a little wider than your shoulders, with your fingers pointing forward.
3. Brace your glutes and core so your body forms one straight line from head to heels.
4. Lower under control until your chest is just above the floor, elbows tucked somewhere around 45 degrees from your body.
5. Press back up to straight arms without letting your hips sag or pike.

When you are ready for a vest

A good rule: add weight once you can do 3 sets of 15 to 20 strict bodyweight push-ups with clean form. If your hips sag or your range shrinks when you put the vest on, take it off and keep building with bodyweight for a few more weeks.

Weighted vest push-up workouts

Strength: 4 to 5 sets of 6 to 10 reps, resting 90 seconds to 2 minutes. When you can hit 10 clean reps on every set, add a set, then add weight.

Volume: every minute on the minute for 10 minutes, do 5 to 8 weighted push-ups. Keep every rep clean.

Ladder: 1 rep, rest, 2 reps, rest, up to 8, then back down. It piles up quality reps without grinding.

Mixed: pair them with pull-ups and squats in the vest, the way Murph does. Start with a partial version, like 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 squats for 10 rounds.

Common mistakes

• Sagging hips: the extra load makes it easier to collapse in the middle. Squeeze your glutes and shorten the set.
• Cutting depth: a heavy half rep is not stronger than a full one. Keep the same depth you had without the vest.
• Loose vest: if it slides toward your chin, tighten the cummerbund, then shorten the shoulder straps so the vest sits high and snug.
• Adding weight too fast: your shoulders and wrists need time to adapt. Add reps first.

Weighted push-ups for military fitness tests

Test push-ups have their own standards. The Army Fitness Test uses the hand-release push-up for two minutes, and the Army Combat Field Test requires 30 dead-stop push-ups in the middle of a timed event (see our Army CFT training plan). Practice the exact test version without a vest so your technique matches the standard, and use vest push-ups on other days to build a strength margin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are weighted vest push-ups good?

Yes, once you can do plenty of strict bodyweight push-ups. A vest adds load without changing the movement, so you can keep building strength instead of only doing more and more reps.

How heavy should a weighted vest be for push-ups?

Start light. Many athletes use 10 to 20 lb. A 20 lb vest is a solid target once you can do several sets of 15 to 20 strict push-ups without it.

How many weighted vest push-ups should I do?

For strength, 4 to 5 sets of 6 to 10 reps, two or three times a week. Stop each set before your form breaks down.

Do weighted vest push-ups build muscle?

They can. Adding load is one way to keep a set challenging in a typical muscle-building rep range once bodyweight push-ups get easy. Progress them over time by adding reps, then sets, then weight.