Rucking: The Strong (Wo)Man's Walk

This week’s workout is the simplest way to break a sweat you never thought of. It's about to be hottest week of the year, so why not head into the great outdoors and go for a Ruck! First thing you are thinking….

What does it mean to go rucking? 

A ruck is a walk with a weighted backpack called a rucksack.

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The Benefits of Rucking: 

1. Burns more calories than walking
2. Can relieve and even prevent back pain
3. Builds your endurance
4. Aids in building muscle
5. Improves posture
6. Gets you out of the gym
7. Helps prevent injuries

Rucking is something that has been used by the military for years. Soldiers will ruck with their packs for 20+ miles and around 200 lbs and the benefits far outweigh the other alternatives (running, walking, etc.). PLUS you can go for a ruck with kids and/or furbabies. #NoExcuses!

Who should do it?

Anyone and Everyone. Seriously. You can go rucking... And YOU can go rucking... And YOU can go rucking. Everyone can go rucking!

What do I need to go rucking? 

A good pair of shoes (I prefer running shoes), a backpack (I prefer a pack with a chest strap and padded straps), and weights to put in the pack (I wrap them in an old towel to prevent clanging.)

When should I go? 

Obviously you can go anytime but if you live in NC like we do… We know that is not an option from 11 am to 3 pm. This will take more out of you than a plain old walk so try early morning or late afternoon/evening to avoid a heat stroke.

How much weight should I take rucking? 

Start at a weight no more than 10% of your body weight. Feel free to start lower if needed. The key is to maintain proper posture while walking with the pack. If you are counting macros and want to know how to calculate what you are burning. Just calculate how many calories someone at your weight PLUS the weight you added to the pack would burn for the distance walked. For example, a 150 lb male with a 50 lb pack will burn 344 calories vs his typical 258 per hour (17 minute mile ~ 3.5 mph). I like that math.



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Links for additional info:
The Power of Rucking (from a former soldier)
More on Rucking as A Tool in your Fitness Arsenal