Weighted Vests: What’s the Real Deal?

I want to start this off by correcting my own stance. In the past, I’ve used weighted vests to try and make walks harder, thinking it would help with fat loss. But after getting curious and digging deeper into the research, I realized the science doesn’t really support that idea. So let’s break down what weighted vests actually do, and what they don’t.

You’ve probably seen people walking around with weighted vests, or maybe you’ve heard on social media that they’re the secret to stronger bones, more muscle, or faster fat loss.

It sounds great in theory, but when we look at the research, the truth is a lot less exciting.

Stronger Bones? Only If You Train, Not Just Walk

When it comes to bones, weighted vests can help in certain situations, but only when they’re used for resistance training.

In one study, women who did squats, lunges, and jumps with vests saw small improvements in bone health (Shaw & Snow, 1998).

Another long-term trial found similar benefits for women who used weighted vests in resistance exercises over several years (Snow et al., 2000).

That sounds promising, but there's a catch: when researchers compared walking with a vest versus walking without one, there was no real difference in bone strength (Tantiwiboonchai et al., 2011; Roghani et al., 2013).

In other words, it wasn’t the walking that helped, it was the resistance training. The vest was just extra weight.

Sorry, a Vest Walk Won’t Build Your Biceps

For muscle, the story is even simpler. Walking with a vest just isn’t enough to stimulate growth.

Muscles respond to progressive overload, gradually lifting more weight or making movements harder over time.

That’s why vests can be useful if you’re doing push-ups, squats, or step-ups.

But just walking with one? It won’t help you build or even maintain muscle in a meaningful way (Colenso-Semple, 2025).

What about fat loss? This is where a lot of people get excited, thinking a vest will help them burn more calories.

Weighted Vests Won’t Magically Melt Fat

This is the part everyone asks about — “If I wear a weighted vest, won’t I burn more calories?” Technically, yes, you burn a few more. But the reality is that it's not enough to matter.

There’s a study where people wore weighted vests for up to eight hours a day. Eight hours! And guess what? They didn’t lose any more fat than the group that didn’t wear one. A few of them even complained about back pain from wearing it so long (Ohlsson 2020; Normandin 2018).

Plus, our bodies are smart. If you push harder in one spot, they usually make up for it somewhere else. Maybe you eat a little more without noticing, or you move less later in the day. That cancels out most of the “extra burn” (Broskey 2021).

So no, wearing a vest isn’t a magic fat-loss hack. If fat loss is the goal, nutrition and overall consistency are what get you results.

The Real Takeaway: Lift Weights, Walk for Health

Weighted vests aren’t useless. They can be a helpful tool if you use them for strength training exercises, but walking with one won’t magically improve bone density, muscle, or fat loss.

And honestly? Don’t feel like you need to make walking harder. A vest is not a magical fat loss pill. Walking itself is one of the best things you can do for your health. Strapping on extra weight isn’t necessary, nor is it the magical pill influencers and social media make it out to be. If wearing a vest makes walking more enjoyable for some reason, go for it. Walking is always good for your health.

But, the bottom line is that if your goal is stronger bones, more muscle, or fat loss that lasts, the most effective path is still progressive strength training combined with smart nutrition.

---

References for further review

• Colenso-Semple, L. (2025). Weighted Vests: What the Science Actually Says. MASS Research Review, Vol. 9, Issue 10.
• Shaw, J.M., & Snow, C.M. (1998). Weighted vest exercise improves indices of fall risk in older women. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, 53(1):M53-8.
• Snow, C.M. et al. (2000). Long-term exercise using weighted vests prevents hip bone loss in postmenopausal women. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, 55(9):M489-91.
• Tantiwiboonchai, N. et al. (2011). Walking exercise with and without weighted vests on bone resorption. J Med Assoc Thai, 94 Suppl 5:S24-30.
• Roghani, T. et al. (2013). Effects of short-term aerobic exercise with and without external loading on bone metabolism. Rheumatol Int, 33(2):291-8.
• Ohlsson, C. et al. (2020). Proof-of-concept study on gravitostat and weighted vests. EClinicalMedicine, 22:100349.
• Normandin, E. et al. (2018). Weighted vest use during diet-induced weight loss in older adults. Obesity, 26(7):1172–1180.
• Broskey, N. et al. (2021). Effect of aerobic exercise-induced weight loss on energy expenditure. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 53(10):2164-2172.