How To Upgrade Your Weighted Vest
When I bought my first weighted vest, I thought I was set for life. Then a few months of training went by, and the same vest that once left me breathless suddenly felt easy. If that sounds familiar, you are not alone, and you do not need to buy a whole new vest to fix it. You just need to upgrade the plates inside the one you already own. In this post I will walk you through exactly how the weighted vest weight system works, how to pick your starting weight and colour, and how to add extra plates when you are ready to go heavier.
Why I upgrade rather than replace
Buying plates instead of a brand new vest is simply the smarter way to grow with your training. My vest carrier is built to last, so all I have to do is slide in more weight as I get stronger. It keeps the kit I have already broken in, saves me money, and means I am never stuck with a vest that has become too light for a proper session. Whether I am working through calisthenics progressions, rucking, or just adding load to my usual bodyweight routine, having a vest that grows with me is a genuinely brilliant feeling.
Picking your vest and colour
Before we get to plates, it is worth remembering that the vest itself comes in a range of colours, including Black, Army Green, Black Camo, Tan, Navy, Green Camo and Storm Grey. I always tell people to pick whichever colour actually makes them want to put it on. You will train harder in kit you like the look of, and every colour uses the exact same plate carrier, so the weight upgrade options I am about to cover work identically no matter which one you choose. You can see the full range of weighted vests here, including the Black Weighted Vest that I train in myself. Every vest is one size fits all and adjusts to fit chests from 30 to 63 inches, so fit is one less thing to worry about.
Understanding your starting weight
Each vest starts life at a base weight of 7kg, made up of 2 x 2.5kg plates. That is a genuinely sensible starting point if you are newer to weighted training, since it lets your joints and posture adapt before you start loading up. As your strength builds, this is where the upgrade sets come in. Here is how the maths breaks down as you add plates:
7kg vest: 2 x 2.5kg plates (the base setup)
10kg vest: 2 x 4kg plates
15kg vest: 2 x 2.5kg plates plus 2 x 4kg plates
20kg vest: 4 x 2.5kg plates plus 2 x 4kg plates
From there, you can keep adding upgrade sets to push your total weight all the way up to 40kg, which is genuinely serious load for anyone chasing strict pull ups, dips, or a heavier ruck.
Meet the two plate upgrade sets
Force Fitness sells two upgrade sets, and once you know how they are made up, choosing between them is easy.
5kg Plate Upgrade Set: a pair of 2.5kg steel plates, £34.95. Perfect for a small, controlled step up in weight.
8kg Plate Upgrade Set: a pair of 4kg steel plates, £49.95. A bigger jump for when you are ready to feel the difference.
You can browse both the 5kg Plate Upgrade Set and the 8kg Plate Upgrade Set on the site. Both are made from competition quality steel, shaped to sit comfortably against your body, and designed to slot straight into the plate pockets you already have, so there is no new vest, no new carrier, and no faff.
How I choose which set to buy
My rule of thumb is simple. If I want a gentle, controlled increase, I reach for the 5kg set. If I am ready for a proper jump in intensity, or I am building towards that 40kg ceiling, I go for the 8kg set instead. There is nothing stopping you buying more than one set either, so if your goal is to build all the way up to 20kg and beyond, you can simply combine sets until you reach the total you are training towards. It is worth noting that both sets are sold as a pair of plates and do not include a vest, so make sure you already have your carrier ready to go before you order.
Fitting the new plates
Fitting new plates takes a couple of minutes. Open the plate pockets on your vest, slide the new plates in alongside your existing ones, and make sure the weight is distributed evenly between the front and back panels. Keeping the load high and snug against your torso will help it stay stable, whether you are working through a calisthenics session or heading out on a ruck. If you want a full walkthrough, I would recommend checking out the guide to loading your weighted vest, and the weighted vest size guide if you want to double check your fit before you add more load.
My final thoughts
What I love most about this system is that it puts you in control. You are never locked into one weight, and you are never forced to buy a whole new vest just because your training has moved on. Start at 7kg, add a 5kg set when you are ready for a small step up, reach for the 8kg set when you want a bigger one, and keep building until you are training at the full 40kg if that is where your goals take you. That progression, at your own pace, in a vest you already know and trust, is what makes this such a smart way to train.
