How To Use a Plate Carrier & Weight Vest To Maximise Your Workouts

Using a plate carrier or a weight vest is a great way of taking ordinary movements in your workout to the next level, maximising your workouts potential. They allow you to increase the load you're carrying by adding weights into the carrier, which instantly increases the intensity of traditional body weight exercises such as planks/push ups/pull ups and can also increase the intensity of runs.

Which Plate Carrier/Weight Vest Should You Use?

Here are the features to look for in a plate carrier/weight vest:

• Even weight distribution, preferably through back yoke shoulder pads
• Adjustable waist and tensional bands
• Hook-and-loop fasteners to maintain plate placement
• Elastic to secure the straps
• One-handed quick-release system

Here are some options:

5.11 TacTec Plate Carrier

5.11 TacTec Trainer Weight Vest

5.11 Prime Plate Carrier

Viper Lazer Special Ops Plate Carrier

Which Weights Should You Use?

You should start with a small amount of weight for your first plate carrier workouts and gradually build up the weight over time as you become stronger, to make sure you're continually pushing yourself.

The best weight to put into your plate carrier for a workout is purpose built weight plates such as the BeaverFit Weight Vest Plates or the Wolverson Bison Weighted Vest Plates. This allows for clear weight amounts to be put in your vest so you can be confident in the increments you're increasing, allowing for you to better track the weight and reps you're doing to have a consistent picture of your progress across workouts when using a plate carrier. As these weights usually increase in 5KG or 2.5KG increments, a 5.11 TacTec Weight Plate Sandbag might serve you better as you control the weight of sand (or whatever material you want) allowing for more incremental changes in weight to best achieve hypertrophy in your workout.

How To Exercise With A Plate Carrier?

WARNING:Working out with a weighted vest is not for beginners. If you can't do an exercise properly without weights, doing it with weights is a recipe for disaster. There's always risk associated with trying new exercises, so talk to your doctor before starting a new fitness program. Don't learn the hard way.

First things first, you need to get the right fit in your plate carrier.

1. Center the front plate on your torso. The back will even itself out.
2. Adjust the shoulder straps evenly.
3. Tighten the side straps, but not so much that you restrict breathing.
4. Raise your arms, and bend and rotate at the waist. If the plate carrier rubs against your skin, it's too loose.
5. Test the fit by doing a few burpees. If it stays secure and doesn't cause discomfort or throw off your balance, you're good to go.

Once you have the correct fit, you can use your plate carrier to enhance traditional body weight exercises such as:

• Planks
• Pull-ups
• Sit-ups
• Push-ups
• Lunges
• Squats or Iron Mikes
• Thrusters
• Burpees

Plate carriers can also provide added resistance to runs, taking them to the next level. Add a small amount of weight then go for a run, the added weight will increase the difficulty of your run and improve your muscular endurance.

Head to our plate carrier category on our website now to get yours now, plus any other fitness items you may need.

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