Chest · Bodyweight
Weighted Push-up with Vest
How to do the weighted push-up with vest, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Put on a weighted vest and set up in a push-up position with your hands a little wider than your shoulders and your body in a straight line. Lower your chest toward the floor by bending your elbows to about 45 degrees, then press back up until your arms are straight. Keep your core and glutes tight so your hips don't sag under the added load.
- 1Feel the extra load from the vest driving through your chest, shoulders,
- 2and triceps
- 3Keep your core tight and hips level so your whole body moves as one line
- 4Press through your palms and lock out at the top
Common mistakes
- Avoid letting your hips sag or your head crane forward
- Don't flare your elbows out wide; keep them around 45 degrees
- Don't shorten the range; lower until your chest nearly touches
Muscles worked
The weighted push-up with vest mainly works the mid chest and triceps, with the upper chest, lower chest, front delts, upper abs, and lower abs assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsPrimary
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- GlutesMinor
Kovo programs the weighted push-up with vest for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More chest exercises
- How to do the archer push-up
- How to do the assisted dip
- How to do the resistance band chest flyes
- How to do the resistance band push-up
- How to do the barbell bench press
- How to do the paused bench press
Last reviewed June 2026.