Force Fitness might have just the solution for those “chicken legs” often associated with Calisthenics practitioners. This UK company specialises in weighted training, particularly in weighted apparel that you can wear during your workouts. Force Fitness currently offer three products for your Weighted Calisthenics: a “Plate Carrier” style Weighted Vest and 2 Weighted Backpacks. We got both the Force Fitness Weighted Vest and the Rucking Backpack to review.
You can also watch my Force Fitness Review on YouTube:
Key Takeaways
- Force Fitness is a UK company that produces Calisthenics Equipment for weighted training. Most of their products are in a military style.
- Their Weighted Vest is a “plate carrier” style vest that closely resembles military-style body armour. It fits snugly around the body and can be used for weighted walking and most Calisthenics exercises.
- The vest limits your movement directly in front of your chest. From a purely Calisthenics point-of-view, this is not ideal.
- The Force Fitness Rucking Backpacks are high-quality backpacks that can be used for everyday use, hiking, walking, or rucking.
- The backpacks can be fitted with large weight plates for weighted walking or hiking.
- Side strap add-ons are almost mandatory when you’re using the weight plates with the backpack, as they help transfer some of the weight from your shoulders to your waist.
Force Fitness “Plate Carrier” Weighted Vests
The Force Fitness Weighted Vests are of the “Plate Carrier” type, which mimics the look and function of military-style body armour. This military theme is extended to the camouflage pattern design and Velcro panels, where you can attach patches. The front and back of the vest are joined by stretchy webbing, resulting in a snug fit against your chest and back.
First Look at the Force Fitness Weighted Vest
The vest looks well-padded and rugged. The shoulder straps have extra padding on the inside. Force Fitness also added padded areas to the plate carriers in strategic pressure points to make them more comfortable to wear.
You add weights by adding weight plates. These plates are also similar to military-style armoured plates, which insert into Velcro-covered sleeves on the chest and back. The plates have a slight ergonomic shape, and you can get plates in different weights. However, micro’ing your weight increase will be harder than with smaller inserts. Despite looking the part, the weight plates are not armour plates.
The plates are inserted from the bottom. Two Velcro straps are used to hold them in place, and the sleeve is also closed off with yet another Velcro-covered flap. After that, you can press the two sides together with a Velcro-assisted closure, and finally, two smaller straps hold it all together, again with Velcro. That’s a lot of Velcro! But the plates do sit securely, and that is necessary, especially if you go jogging or are wearing heavier plates.
Exercising with the Force Fitness Weighted Vest
You lower the vest over your head and shoulders, preferably with the side webbing undone. You can then join the front and back together with thick Velcro straps that go over the front of the vest. Once you’re strapped in, you really feel boxed in between the plates. The plates have a slight curve, so they really encapsulate your torso. This again gives the Force Fitness Weighted Vest a military utility feel.
The sides are left open, and you have enough freedom of movement for your regular Calisthenics exercises. The plates are pretty wide, so you will encounter them when you’re doing narrow-grip exercises. It can still be done, but your freedom of movement directly in front of your chest is a little more limited. For normal-width and wider exercises, you won’t feel any limitation to your movement.
The shoulder padding does a good job of keeping the weight comfortable. However, I was only exercising with 2.5kg plates. With heavier plates, it would be nice to transfer some of that weight to your waist instead.
I did pull-ups, chin-ups (with a slightly wider grip than usual) and dips without any problems. I could also do my push-ups without the front plate dangling uncomfortably in front of me. There was a bit of a gap between my torso and the plate during push-ups, but it was very minimal.
Running is also possible with the Force Fitness Weighted Vests. The plate carrier sits snugly enough around your body so it doesn’t bounce too much. Of course, this comes down to how tightly you pull the side straps. The plates do restrict deep breaths a bit, just like “real” military plate carriers do, so it’s not ideal for jogging. Just walking is fine and can already be a viable exercise for building endurance.
Force Fitness Weighted Rucking Backpack
If you want to do weighted walks, the Force Fitness Weighted Rucking Backpack is a much better fit than the weighted vest. There is again a “military-esque” look to these backpacks, reminiscent of “assault pack” style military backpacks. Again, a lot of Velcro is used. “Molle” type webbing is also attached to large parts of the backpack. The Force Fitness Weighted Rucking Backpack is also just a backpack; you do not have to use the weights, and it will function like a high-quality, military-style backpack.
The Force Fitness Weighted Rucking Backpack come with a series of weight plates, and up to 60kg can be added. The plates are tall, covering nearly the whole back. They fit quite snugly inside the pack, which helps keep them in place and prevents jostling while you’re walking. The thick shoulder straps make this a comfortable wear.
With a higher weight, like 25 to 60 kilos, you do want to transfer some of the weight from your shoulders to your waist. To this end, Force Fitness sells a separate waistband kit.
The Force Fitness Backpacks are good quality and sit comfortably. The weight plates turn just walking or hiking into a real exercise, but the pack itself can also be used as a backpack.
Pricing Overview
Here is a pricing overview of the various Force Fitness products we tested:
| Force Fitness Product | Price |
| Weighted Vest | £69.95 |
| Rucking Backpack | £89.95 |
| Hip Strap Addon | £14.95 |
| Rucking Weights | £29.95 – £249.95 |
| Running Weighted Vest | £42.95 |
Conclusions About Force Fitness
The Force Fitness products fit right in the Military Calisthenics niche. With everything happening in the world, this specific style of Calisthenics is gaining more and more traction. You not only sculpt a strong, beautiful body, you’re also preparing it for potentially troubling times. The military also likes efficiency, so this stuff just works.
That said, purely for Weighted Calisthenics there are definitely better Weighted Vests out there. The Force Fitness Weighted Vest limits your movement, especially with pull-ups and chin-ups. The only reason to choose the Force Fitness Weighted Vest is the military look, and maybe getting used to wearing that style of vest.
The Force Fitness Backpack is high-quality and highly functional. You can use it specifically for weighted walking, but it also works as a regular rucking backpack. The larger version also has plenty of room for Calisthenics Equipment, such as a dip belt and weights. If you add the Force Fitness weights, you can quickly get to a point where you need the hip straps. It would be our preference if they just always shipped their backpacks with these addons. All-in-all, though, they are good backpacks that can also be used for weighted walking.
Frequently Asked Questions About Force Fitness
Here are a few more frequently asked questions about Force Fitness products.
Does Force Fitness ship worldwide?
Yes, Force Fitness ships both domestically in the UK and worldwide. Expect variable delivery times outside of the UK.
Is Force Fitness good?
The Force Fitness Rucking Backpack is a high-quality, military-style backpack. It can be used for both normal use, rucking or weighted training by adding the weight plates. Their weighted vest closely resembles a military plate carrier, which restricts your movement right in front of your chest. From a purely Calisthencis point-of-view, this is less ideal.
