Do you want to push yourself further with your CrossFit workouts? If so, you might think about using a weighted vest.
A weighted vest is a great way to increase your strength, power, and endurance. Furthermore, it is a versatile exercise tool that can be incorporated into a variety of CrossFit workouts of the day (WODs).
In this post, we are going to review a few WODs that use a weighted vest. They include:
- The Angie
- The Bambi
- The Gunny
- The Murph
- The Riley
Take a look at some of the most popular workouts below, and think about challenging yourself by tracking your times!
1. The Angie
This first workout of the day is called Angie. The goal is to increase the strength of your upper and lower body by trying to get through 100 repetitions of multiple exercises as quickly as possible.
Without a weighted vest, this workout will still be a challenge. With a weighted vest, it will have your muscles screaming by the end.
After putting on your weighted vest, the goal is to get through the following as quickly as possible:
- 100 Pull-Ups
- 100 Push-Ups
- 100 Sit-Ups
- 100 Air Squats
A few tips for improving your time with this workout of the day include:
- Do not put your weighted vest on until you are ready to start the workout. That way, you don’t delete your muscles before you start going through the repetitions.
- You do not have to do a hundred all at once. For example, you may want to do 25 pull-ups before completing 25 sit-ups to try to break up the repetitions.
- Try to perform your push-ups, sit-ups, and air squats relatively close to the pull-up bar. That way, you don’t have to walk very far between exercises.
There are ways you can scale the workout as well. One of the easiest ways to scale this workout is to perform it without a weighted vest. Then, gradually increase the weighted vest until you reach your goal. Remember to track your progress in a journal so that you can watch yourself improve.
You can also take a look at a video of someone performing this workout here.
2. The Bambi
If you are someone who enjoys doing sprints, you’ll enjoy the Bambi WOD. This is an exercise that is designed to get you through multiple exercises as quickly as possible. By changing up the exercise, you prevent your muscles from burning out, so you should be able to push your hardest throughout the entirety of this WOD.
During the Bambi, you will complete the following:
- Sprint 800 meters
- Do 40 air squats
- Do 30 walking lunges
- Finish with 20 burpees
The goal is to get through three rounds of the exercises above as quickly as possible. There isn’t a specific weighted vest you need to use, but you can work your way up as you get stronger.
There are also a few ways you can scale this workout. They include:
- You may want to perform only two repetitions instead of three.
- You can break up the repetitions of individual exercises to give certain muscle groups a rest.
- You can schedule breaks in between the rounds.
After you finish, write down the weight of your vest and your time in a journal. Follow your progress as you get stronger. You can also take a look at a video of someone performing this workout here.
3. The Gunny
This is a challenging workout of the day that keeps you moving. The Gunny requires you to use a 50-pound weighted vest while going through this exercise.
During this workout of the day, time yourself as you go through the following:
- Run 1 mile
- Do 50 push-ups
- Do 50 sit-ups
- Run another mile
- Do 50 more push-ups
- Do 50 more sit-ups
- Run 1 final mile
During this workout, you may feel like you are sprinting the entire time. You will run a total of 3 miles during this workout of the day. Even though you may not feel the need to break up the push-ups and sit-ups, you can do so if you feel your form breaking.
Remember that even though this workout requires a 50-pound weighted vest, you can use a lighter vest as you scale up. You should pace yourself as you run the first mile so you do not burn out at the end.
Track your time and weight in this journal as you improve. You can also take a look at a video of someone performing this workout here.
4. The Murph
Another workout of the day you may want to try with a weighted vest is called the Murph. This is a workout that not only builds your strength but also tests your endurance. It is one of the more challenging workouts of the day that uses a weighted vet.
To complete this workout, you will do the following:
- Run 1 mile
- Perform 100 pull-ups
- Do 200 push-ups
- Perform 300 air squats
- Run 1 mile again
This is one of the longer workouts that uses a weighted vest, but you will feel amazing once you have conquered it. The first time you do this workout, you might not be able to finish it, but there are a few tips to follow. They include:
- Do not sprint the first mile. You will need your legs to perform the air squats right before running another mile. Pace yourself.
- Remember that you do not have to do the pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats in order. You may want to perform a few pull-ups before moving to the air squats and coming back to the pull-up bar.
- As an extra challenge, try to run the last mile faster than you ran the first mile. That way, you can show yourself that you have paced yourself accordingly.
Do not forget to track your progress with this workout. You can also take a look at a video of someone performing this workout here.
5. The Riley
Finally, another workout of the day with a weighted vest you may want to try is called the Riley. This is a workout of the day that is designed to help you build your cardiovascular endurance.
To complete this workout of the day, you will:
- Run 1.5 miles
- Complete 150 burpees
- Rune 1.5 more miles
This specific workout of the day uses a 20-pound weighted vest; however, remember that you can scale this workout by starting with a lighter vest and working your way out. You can also break up the burpees to make it easier on your upper body.
If you like to run, you’ll enjoy this workout of the day. You can also take a look at a video of someone performing this workout here.
Use A Weighted Vest During Your Next CrossFit Workout
These are just a few of the many CrossFit workouts that incorporate a weighted vest. You can use a weighted vest to increase your strength, power, and endurance. During these workouts of the day, remember to track your progress in a journal.
Then, consider comparing your times to others who have completed these workouts as well. These workouts of the day are great ways to increase your power and mark your progress.
