RUCKING 101
GET STARTED RUCKING
RUCK•ING [VERB]
WHAT IS RUCKING?
Rucking is walking with weight on your back. It’s simple, scalable, and one of the most effective ways to build strength and endurance at the same time.
By adding load to low-impact movement, rucking turns an everyday walk into a full-body workout. It improves cardio, builds real-world strength, and supports fat loss — without the wear and tear (and misery) of running.
If you’re new to rucking, getting started is straightforward: choose the right weight, walk with purpose, and progress gradually.
1. GET A RUCK
Any backpack works.
Don’t overthink it. If you’re new, you can use whatever you already have. There are rucksacks made specifically for rucking, but the important part is that you get started, so grab any backpack you find laying around.
2. ADD WEIGHT
Now that you have your bag, you need to put some weight in it. We recommend Ruck Plates, specifically designed to fit GORUCK Rucksacks, but anything works to start. Dumbbells, bricks, books, even a bag of soil. Wrap it for padding and stability. When in doubt, start with 10-20 pounds.
3. JUST WALK
Put your pack on and start walking. It's that easy. Start at a comfortable pace and keep an upright posture. Over time, you can increase the weight, speed, and distance. (Tip: start light and if your pack allows, keep the weight high and stable next to your back)
RUCKING FAQ
How often should I ruck?
Start with 1-2 rucks per week if you're new to working out, or 3-4 rucks per week if you already work out. Build your way up from there and give your body time to recover after rucking.
How Fast Should I Ruck?
Go at your own pace, you can ruck however fast or slow you'd like. If you'd like to set benchmark goals and you're just getting started with rucking, aim for 17-20 minutes per mile.
The Army minimum standard is 15 minutes per mile, which is a great goal pace to meet (or exceed) over time as you progress in rucking.
How much weight a beginner start with?
Start with 10 - 25 pounds, depending on your current fitness activity level and bodyweight. When in doubt, aim for lighter weight and longer distance on your first few rucks. If you can't maintain good posture for the entire ruck, lower the weight and build up over time.
Work your way up in increments of 5 pounds each week, or as you see fit. Listen to your body, stretch, hydrate, and adjust as necessary.
Is it possible to carry too much weight while rucking?
A good rule of thumb is to not carry more than ⅓ of your bodyweight.
In 1950, Colonel S.L.A. Marshall published a book called The Soldier’s Load and the Mobility of a Nation, which is still widely regarded as the reference of choice on the matter. In this book, Marshall details at great length how and why soldiers are required to carry too much weight, which was as relevant then as it is to today’s combat loads in excess of 100 lbs.
Marshall contends that based on past studies on the loads carried by armies throughout history, the soldier should be limited to ⅓ of his bodyweight.
In our experience, we've found the ⅓ rule to be true, and a great goal to work up to over time, and not exceed. Remember, if you need a bigger challenge you can always increase speed and distance rucked, too.
If you do need to go above ⅓ of your bodyweight, such as for military training or backcountry hunting, make sure you’re ready for it and that you progress safely.
What are the origins of rucking and ruck march?
The military ruck march, otherwise known as a loaded march or forced foot march, is part of army training for different militaries all over the world. The ruck march is one course in a series of tests under U.S. Army regulations in order to earn the Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB).
The EIB is a special skills badge awarded to recognize Infantrymen who have demonstrated a mastery of critical tasks, including the ruck march, physical fitness assessment, land navigation, weapons navigation, and other individual tasks.
The ruck march requires the candidate to complete a 12-mile march within 3 hours while carrying a rifle and 35 lb minimum load that add up to the Army ruck weight standards, for a total of up to 70 lbs.
Does Rucking Build Muscle?
Absolutely, rucking builds muscle in your back (traps, lats), core / abs, legs (quads, hamstrings, calves), glutes, and stabilizer muscles groups.
When paired with a Ruck PT workout, rucking becomes the ultimate full body exercise.
Is Rucking Good for weight loss?
Yes, rucking is one of the safest and most efficient ways to burn calories and lose weight.
Also known as Active Resistance Training (ART), which is part active cardio and part strength training, rucking will burn significantly more calories than walking. With the added benefits of permanent metabolic gains from stronger muscles at a fraction of the cost to your knees, and plenty of benefit to your heart.
Check out the Rucking Calorie Calculator to get an estimate of calories burned while rucking.