Cycling vs. Walking With a Weighted Vest: Which Is Better for Cardio, Strength, and Weight Loss?

4 min readI don’t know about you, but two cardio trends have been taking over my local walking trail lately: cycling and weighted vests. As I head out on my Sunday long run, I pass by bikers gliding through the air and walkers soldiering on with their added pounds, and can’t help but wonder, should I get in on the fun too?Each has its pros. They’re both low-impact and can be done either inside or outside. Walking with a weighted vest also requires very little investment when it comes to gear—always a perk if you ask me.Meet the experts: Gab Reznik, CPT, is the head coach at Tone House. Laura A. Richardson, PhD, is an exercise physiologist and clinical associate professor at the University of Michigan. Alex Rothstein, CSCS, ACSM-EP, is an exercise physiologist and instructor for the exercise science program at the New York Institute of Technology.But, when put head-to-head, how do these cardio modalities really stack up? Here’s what experts think.Cycling vs. Walking with a Weighted Vest for CardioEndurance and cardiovascular training are where both cycling and walking with a weighted vest really shine. “Both are highly effective at improving cardiorespiratory endurance,” says Richardson.But which one is better? Cycling has the edge for a few reasons. “For many folks, cycling is often better for building pure cardiovascular, high-tempo endurance because you can easily sustain a high heart rate without joint impact,” she says. Not only does the fact that it’s lower-impact help, but it’s also easier to incorporate higher-intensity workouts and interval training into the modality, Reznik adds, both of which are effective for improving aerobic fitness.Still, walking has plenty of cardiovascular benefits too. Adding in a weighted vest further challenges your muscles and cardiovascular system, but it’s important to note that just because you’re using a weighted vest doesn’t automatically mean you’re getting a better workout. “You still need to have enough pace to stress the cardiorespiratory systems,” Rothstein says. “So you can’t slow down from your normal walk if you add a weighted vest.”Cycling vs. Walking with a Weighted Vest for StrengthIf your goal is to build strength or muscle, neither cycling nor walking with a weighted vest is a great way to get there, experts agree.Cycling can build some lower-body strength, mostly in the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, with stabilization provided by the core, Reznik says. Just how much really depends on how you’re doing it. High-intensity, high-resistance cycling can build some strength, Rothstein says. “And then it’s only really building strength for cycling.”The same can be said for walking with a weighted vest. Even though you’re adding weight, it’s not providing major strength gains. The added load of a vest primarily challenges the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and core muscles, Reznik says, while the upper back also works to maintain good posture. But, again, any strength-building benefits will be most applicable to walking with added weight.If hiking or backpacking, or even just commuting with a backpack, is something you do often, then walking with a weighted vest will help improve your strength specifically for that activity, says Rothstein. “But to say that walking with a weighted vest will make it that much easier for you to do other things, like lifting heavy objects, isn’t necessarily true. You’re not going to be better at getting yourself off the floor because you walked with a weighted vest.”For beginners especially, both cycling and walking with a weighted vest can help strengthen the muscles in your legs and lower body, and over time can make you a stronger cycler or walker. But all our experts agree that if building strength is your top priority, neither exercise is going to be best for the job. “For maximizing strength, weight training remains the gold standard,” Reznik says.Editor-Loved Weighted VestsOmorphp G-Vest Henkelion Weighted VestRitFit Weighted VestProdigen Running Weighted VestNow 57% OffZelus Weighted VestVivitory Weighted VestCycling vs. Walking with a Weighted Vest for Weight LossEither could be supportive of a weight loss goal, experts agree. “Ultimately, weight loss depends more on maintaining a calorie deficit than on choosing one specific form of exercise,” Reznik says. However, she, Richardson, and Rothstein all agree that it is easier to up the intensity of a cycling workout, which will result in greater calorie expenditure in less time.“Cycling generally allows for higher-intensity intervals, which can burn more calories per minute,” says Richardson. So if you’re crunched for time, cycling will likely be the more effective exercise for losing weight.But, again, consistency is the real key to maintaining weight loss. “The most effective option is the one a person enjoys and can perform consistently and for longer periods over time,” Reznik says. If that’s walking with a weighted vest for you, then that’s the better option.How to Decide Between Cycling and Walking with a Weighted VestSo, between these two aerobic exercises, which one will be best for helping you achieve your fitness goals? “At the end of the day, adherence is the key,” Rothstein says. “Whichever exercise is the one that you’re going to actually do—and the one that you're going do with more intensity and enjoyment—is going be the one that’s more valuable.” In fact, all three experts mention that narrowing down some form of exercise that you can do consistently trumps most other factors.“The age-old comparison between cycling and walking is well debated, but these are simply modes of exercise, just like running, swimming, rowing, and dancing, that excel at building cardiorespiratory fitness,” Richardson says. “The right choice is simply to pick a form of cardio you enjoy and commit to doing it multiple times a week.”At the end of the day, making a habit of regularly cycling or walking with a weighted vest is going to be great for your overall health and well-being.Find the Right WH+ Plan for YouBest Exercises for Pregnancy and PostpartumRona Ahdout//Hearst OwnedGlute Gains Workout PlanBuild Muscle, Lose Fat: The Body Recomp GuideDumbbell BurnKettlebell BurnBarbell Burn4 Weeks to Stronger ArmsStrength Training for Weight LossThe Ultimate Pull-Up PlanThe 4-Week Walking PlanStick to Your Goals: Your 4-Step Plan4-Week Beginner Workout PlanJustin SteeleAbby Hepworth is a freelancer writer who covers all things running, wellness, and fashion. Her work has appeared on Runner's World, PureWow, and Coveteur. She is an RRCA-certified run coach and is currently working toward USATF certification as well. If she's not out for a run in Central Park, you can likely find her hiking and backpacking along the Sierra Nevada range out west.