What Is Rucking

Rucking Tips: Level Up Your Workouts Rucking is a simple yet powerful way to boost your fitness routine. In essence, it’s just hiking with weight. Whether you’re walking, jogging, or even supplementing your regular workouts with push-ups and lunges, adding a bit of extra weight can take your exercise to the next level. What Is…

Rucking Tips: Level Up Your Workouts

Rucking is a simple yet powerful way to boost your fitness routine. In essence, it’s just hiking with weight. Whether you’re walking, jogging, or even supplementing your regular workouts with push-ups and lunges, adding a bit of extra weight can take your exercise to the next level.

What Is Rucking?

Easy Setup:
Grab a backpack, load it with some weight, and strap it on. It’s as simple as that.
Versatile Workout:
Whether you’re on a walk, a jog, or even running, the added weight makes your body work harder and more efficiently.

How to Get Started

Choose Your Gear

No Fancy Equipment Needed:
You don’t need an expensive, high-tech backpack. Any sturdy bag that you can load up will do the trick.
Weight Options:
- You can use weight plates, sandbags, or any objects that add resistance.
- Experiment with different weights until you find what challenges you without causing discomfort.

Pack It Right

Balance Is Key:
Make sure the weight is distributed evenly. Poor packing can lead to discomfort—like your shoulders feeling squeezed or your hips feeling compressed.
Secure Your Load:
If a zipper fails or a bag shifts mid-ruck, it can interrupt your workout. Take a minute to double-check that everything is snug and secure before you head out.

Why Rucking Works

Boosts Cardio & Strength:
Rucking challenges your legs, builds your core, and even gives you a cardio boost—all without the harsh impact of running.
Great for Zone Two Training:
If you’re into moderate-intensity workouts, rucking is an excellent way to keep your heart pumping while working on endurance.
Mix It Up:
Not a big fan of running? Rucking offers a fantastic alternative to get you out on the trails and change your routine.

Practical Tips for a Successful Ruck

Keep It Simple:
Don’t overcomplicate your setup. A basic backpack with some added weight is all you need to maximize your time and effort.
Be Ready to Adapt:
Sometimes, your setup might not go as planned—a zipper might fail, or the weight might shift. Learn from each session and adjust accordingly.
Embrace the Environment:
Let the natural surroundings motivate you, whether you’re hitting the trails on a crisp winter day or enjoying a sunny hike. Rucking is not just about the workout—it’s about connecting with your environment and enjoying the challenge.

Final Thoughts

If you want to add a fresh twist to your workouts or push your hiking routine further, try rucking. With minimal equipment and a straightforward setup, you can easily incorporate it into your fitness regimen. So, pack that backpack, load it up, and hit the trails—your body and mind will thank you for it. Get out there and embrace the challenge!

Transcript

You take a backpack, you put some weight on it, you put it on yourself, then you go for a walk, jog, a run, or you can just supplement your workouts, you can do push-ups, lunges with it. That’s what rucking is. Yeah. Yeah. And to me, rucking is basically hiking with a weight. So if you’re interested in backcountry camping or maybe just pushing your hiking a little bit further, rucking is basically hiking on steroids. Shut that weight in and get to work. Yeah buddy!

When I went out there and started hiking with that makeshift setup, it kind of sucked really. Because it was very uncomfortable, it just felt like it was gouging into like the top of my shoulders. And by the end of that rucking session, it just felt like my hip joint was being like compressed. I had no idea how much weight was on there. I had no idea how to pack it. And actually one of the sandbags unzipped zipper that was at the very bottom and it fell down so I had to like redo it in the middle of my ruck.

I remember it felt great, it challenged my legs, but it was also cardio, but it didn’t feel so hard like running because I’m not the biggest fan of running. So at this point, you know, sucking a little bit, going uphill especially, 50, 25 pounds on your back, but we’re in that zone two training. Yeah. You know? Feels good. It’s like, instead of me always being on the mountain bike, just getting out on the trails, mix it up a little bit. Definitely my heart is pumping.

All right. Well, enough talk. You ready to get back to it? That’s enough recovery. Let’s do it. Come on now. Yeah. You don’t need much equipment. It doesn’t have to be a fancy backpack. If you walk, if you hike, it’s really, it’s the same idea. You’re just bumping up the intensity a little bit so your time is being maximized. Yeah.

I’m so excited in the back of my truck. It adds a little bit of weight during the snow, whatever, but I just have it and in the case of like, oh, look, I’m out somewhere where I’m going to go rucking, walk my dog. I just throw it and I’m ready. Yeah. Exactly. Easy.

Hey, get yourself a little snow. Ah. Come on. That’s pretty good. This is your environment. It tastes so damn good. You got it back in bicep stay? Say less. You got yourself a tree. Check it out. Here. Ah. There you go. Get it. Nice. That’s on the fingers. There you go. There you go. Get it. Nice. That’s on the fingers.