If you hate running, get bored in the gym, and want to change things up physically and mentally, then rucking might be the right activity for you.
I get it; sometimes, doing the same activity week after week and month after month gets boring.
And spending all your time inside is also boring.
Now dont get me wrong, personally, I love lifting and going to the gym, but some days I just want to get a different type of workout in a different environment.
At the same time, I want a challenge and something that tests me but is still relatively accessible to get into as an activity.
Enter Rucking:
Rucking is an easy and accessible way to get in shape without having to put aside too much time or money.
In this article, we'll discuss why rucking is such an effective form of exercise and why people should consider adding it to their regular fitness routine.
We'll also explain what rucking is, what equipment you need, and how to get started rucking.
Get ready to take your workouts up a notch with rucking!
What Is Rucking
Rucking is a form of physical exercise that combines walking and weighted backpacks.
While similar to hiking, rucking involves a bit more weight.
Weights can range from 6lbs to upwards of 50lbs, and rucksacks can be loaded with anything from sandbags, weights plates, and even everyday items like books or bottles of water.
Ruckers typically walk at a faster pace than hikers, making rucking an effective training mechanism for both cardiovascular endurance and overall strength. It’s the perfect way to get in time outdoors while simultaneously building muscle.
Rucking takes us back to our roots as human beings.
This is how we evolved as human beings. We carried things.
We carried logs, boulders, rocks, people, and everything else you can think of before the world modernized.
Yes, I get it we had horses, but even with horses, times change, and things get hard, and then humans would load whatever they had on their backs and start walking.
Those people were rucking.
History of Rucking
Rucking is a physical activity that involves walking with added weight.
It originated in the military, where recruits were expected to carry heavy packs up and down mountains during basic training.
The origins of rucking date back even further, with origins in Europe from Roman legions who would march while carrying long spears and shields.
By the 17th century, schools of infantry drill in England had started to teach and include movements that simulated rucking.
There has been a resurgence in recent years, however, as non-military personnel has turned to weighted rucksack exercises as an alternative routine for fitness or morale-building activities.
Nowadays, participating in charity ruck marches has become popular as well!
Benefits Of Rucking
Rucking Improves Your Cardiovascular Health
Rucking is a type of physical activity that can improve your cardiovascular health and benefit your heart.
It involves carrying a weighted backpack while walking or running, which helps your body to use energy more efficiently.
In addition, because it is low impact, it puts less strain on the body than running but still increases your heart rate enough to get a good cardiovascular workout.
Moreover, the weight carried during rucking strengthens and tones muscles all over the body, resulting in improved heart health.
With regular rucking, you can develop better muscle endurance, build stamina and lung capacity, and lower your resting heart rate while improving overall heart health.
Lose Fat
Rucking has become more and more popular in recent years as a way to burn more calories and lose fat effectively in a relatively short amount of time.
Proven to burn up to 3 times more calories than running, rucking can help you speed up your progress toward your desired weight loss goals.
Additionally, due to its low-impact yet intense nature, the risk of injury is lower while maintaining a higher calorie burn rate throughout your training session.
Whether you are looking to jump-start your fitness journey or spike up that stubborn fat area, incorporating rucking into your lifestyle will help you unlock those fat-busting benefits quickly and easily.
If rucking to lose weight is your objective then you made a good choice.
Rucking Is Better For Your Joints
Rucking is a great low-impact activity that is sure to benefit your joints.
Unlike running, which can put excessive stress on joints and cause pain or even injury, rucking is much gentler on the body.
With less force and pressure exerted on joints, this physical activity gives you the freedom to exercise and explore new terrain without worrying about harmful effects on your joints.
Additionally, rucking exercises involve carrying weights in special backpacks so that it works out more than just your joints – it also helps to build strength in other parts of the body, like your core and legs.
Ultimately, if you're looking for a way to get the most out of exercising with minimal risk to your joints, look no further than rucking!
Rucking Is Good For Your Posture
Rucking is a great way to keep your posture in check.
This low-impact exercise works muscles in the back and core, helping to build strength and stability while promoting improved posture.
Not only can rucking help prevent issues such as poor posture and back pain, but with an emphasis on form and posture, you will be able to enjoy a full-body workout with greater efficiency and fewer risks of injury.
This means that you can get more out of your exercise routine while better supporting your posture, keeping it healthier for longer periods of time.
Rucking Builds Holistic Strength
Rucking is a strength training method designed to build strength throughout the entire body, including muscular strength as well as cardiovascular strength.
Incorporating weight-bearing activities and moving purposefully with a weighted rucksack not only activates multiple muscle groups at once but can also help condition the heart and lungs in addition to building total body strength.
Rucking is an ideal form of strength training for individuals looking to build holistic strength that will benefit them in all aspects of life – physical, mental, and emotional.
Rucking Gets You Into Nature
Rucking is great because it encourages us to take a break from technology and get outside into the open air and into the environment.
Whether it's in the woods, along streams, in a park, or strolling along sandy beaches, rucking lets us escape our modern lives and take in all of nature's glorious sights and sounds.
All in all, rucking is not only a great strength-building exercise but also an opportunity to spend some time outdoors enjoying the beauty of nature.
Rucking Gives You The Opportunity To Exercise And Be Social
Going for a ruck is more than just a workout, it’s an opportunity to socialize with friends and meet new people.
Rucking gets you out of the gym and into nature, so your social interaction takes place in beautiful and inspirational surroundings.
Doing it with a group adds another element of fun, as everyone can discover new areas or test themselves against others with similar fitness goals.
Whether you’re walking solo or chatting with friends, your social experience is enriched by being outdoors and enjoying the views nature offers.
Plus, combining socializing and exercise often makes it easier to stay motivated and get the most out of each workout session!
Rucking Prepares You For Life
In a survival situation, the ability to carry supplies and traverse tough terrain is essential.
Rucking provides an effective way of training the body to carry heavy loads over long distances in difficult conditions.
The physical conditioning and toughness needed for rucking directly translate into heightened survival skills, being able to carry yourself and your supplies further and over more difficult terrain than if you weren't as physically capable.
We live in a modern world that is unpredictable, and just doing the same type of exercise in the gym every week doesn't prepare us for all the variables a life emergency throws at us.
You might have to carry someone out of a burning building or hike your way through a jungle after your vehicle breaks down. Whatever it is, rucking will condition your body for all the unexpected challenges life can throw at you.
Rucking builds mental resilience as well, guiding you through physical adversity while driving home the importance of resourcefulness and perseverance in a high-pressure situation.
Rucking Builds Mental Toughness
Rucking is an excellent way to build mental toughness and resilience.
It involves hiking long distances with a weighted backpack, which provides mental challenges as well as physical ones.
Challenges may include fatigue, pain, mental blocks, fear of failure, and more.
By pushing through these mental barriers and focusing on completing the hike, ruckers can become more aware of their mental capacity for setbacks or uncomfortable situations.
People can develop the resilience to keep going in the face of difficult tasks and overcome adversity.
Ultimately, rucking encourages individuals to dig deep down and tap into their own mental resources when faced with adversity.
How To Start Rucking
Step 1:Get A Rucksack (Rucking Backpack)
It is important to have a comfortable and well-fitting bag when you go rucking.
That's why go ruck, a company that specializes in outfitting their customers for rucking, designed the perfect bag called the Rucker.
It is made with high-quality materials that last long, and it also features compartments to organize every essential you’ll need on your ruck, as well as interior pockets that are excellent for carrying valuables.
Moreover, this product has padded shoulder straps and back panels, which makes it easy to carry a heavy load without being uncomfortable.
But if you already got a rucksack or rucking backpack, then just use that and load it up, and you are good to go.
Step 2: Add Weights To Your Rucksack
As rucking is becoming an increasingly popular form of exercise and stress relief, it's important for beginners to understand how much weight to ruck with when just starting out.
It is not recommended for beginner Rucker to load their rucksack all the way up right away as this can cause unnecessary discomfort and cause strain on joints.
Instead, carry a relatively light ruck (10-15% of your body weight) while familiarizing yourself with the technique.
As your strength progresses, you can build up over time to increase the amount of weight rucked.
This gradual approach will ensure that rucking is a safe and enjoyable activity!
When going rucking, adding plates to your rucksack can make all the difference.
With proper form and balance, rucking with plates will help you tone and build muscle while conditioning your body for heavier loads.
Choosing the right weight of plates is necessary if you want to challenge yourself without overexerting yourself.
This extra weight can also come in handy when you have time constraints or if you are aiming for a certain pace.
Remember to pay attention to your posture and remember to adjust the rucksack if it becomes too uncomfortable.
Adding plates is an effective way of taking your rucking experience to the next level and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
Step 3 Make Sure You Are Hydrated
Staying hydrated is essential to any outdoor activity, especially rucking.
Without fluids, the body can quickly become dehydrated and cause severe distress.
Therefore, it's important that you prepare beforehand and make sure you are adequately hydrated before going out.
Including electrolyte drinks in your rucking routine can also help balance fluids and electrolytes lost through heavy sweating.
This will help ensure maximum energy levels throughout your rucking workout.
Ultimately, being prepared with fluids means that you'll be well-equipped for a successful and enjoyable rucking experience!
Step 4: Take Care Of Your Feet.
Taking care of your feet before and during a rucking event is essential to maximizing safety, performance, and comfort.
The best way to prepare ahead of time is to invest in ballistic trainers or rucking boots, which offer superior protection and support on any terrain or extreme weather.
These types of shoes are made with high-quality materials, so they won't break down easily and will support you long-term.
Wearing ballistic trainers or rucking boots while rucking can help prevent blisters, reduce foot problems like plantar fasciitis, decrease joint pain or fatigue due to impact on the knees and ankles, and increase overall efficiency during movements.
Boots for rucking will also provide a better grip for more stability on uneven ground like trails, mud, rocks and more.
Don’t let poor gear get in the way of your performance; make an investment ahead of time in ballistic trainers or boots for rucking so you can be better prepared.
Step 5: Get Out There And Start Rucking
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”
Talking about Rucking is great.
However, it is essential to take the last and most important step – actually going out and walking.
Too many people procrastinate and do not take action.
It's easy for anybody to find a reason not to take action, but in order for rucking to be a beneficial activity, you must go out and just start walking.
Rucking requires commitment,discipline, dedication, and hard work, but it ultimately pays off if somebody takes action right away.
Don't procrastinate; take that first crucial step today!
If You live In A City
Rucking is an increasingly popular outdoor workout that combines elements of walking and strength training, making it perfect for a city dweller looking to get their heart rate up without leaving the urban landscape.
Depending on where you live, rucking may take you down busy streets or off the beaten path of your urban environment.
The best places to ruck in a city are parks and trails, any open spaces where there can be some room to roam with plenty of natural scenery to make rucking even more enjoyable.
But don't let the lack of access to parks stop you from rucking.
Rucking around a city's downtown core can still provide an intense workout, as well as a unique perspective on your hometown.
The Evolution Of Rucking Workouts
Rucking is an effective workout strategy as it combines cardio with weight lifting.
While beginners may feel uncomfortable about having to carry a backpack for long periods of time, over time, rucking workouts can be highly beneficial.
After a few weeks of acclimatizing the body to this form of exercising, beginners can start adding in extra challenges by gradually increasing the amount of weight they carry in their backpacks.
Additionally, they can target improving the speed and intensity of their workouts, ensuring that they are working out both aerobically and anaerobically throughout their routines.
With consistent effort utilizing these techniques, beginners will be able to maximize the effectiveness of rucking workouts and enjoy long-lasting benefits.
Conclusion
Starting to ruck is an excellent holistic fitness activity for those looking to take their fitness routine to the next level.
Not only does it challenge you in a different way than just running or lifting weights, but it can also be fun and creates a great social atmosphere.
Whether you are an experienced athlete looking for a new challenge or someone who simply wants to get fit in a new and exciting way, rucking offers something for everyone.
