- Adjustable weighted vest
- Tactical backpack (padded shoulder straps, ventilation, side pockets)
- Ruck plates (to add to backpack)
- Reusable water bottle
- Reflective bands (for rucking at night)
5 Rucking Exercises to Boost Strength and Stamina
1. Classic Rucking
Load up a backpack or vest (start around eight to ten pounds) and start walking. If you’re using a backpack, grab a weight, wrap it in a towel for cushion and put it in your bag. Put on your pack and start walking. Start at a comfortable pace and keep an upright posture. You can slowly increase your rucking time, weight, and speed each week you train.
2. Add Hills
While rucking through parks and paths is already a great workout, adding hills will boost your strength and cardio even more. Find a hill in your neighbourhood and walk up and down it for your preferred time while carrying your pack. This adds an awesome challenge when you’re ready for it!
3. Treadmill Rucking
Prefer to workout indoors from time to time? Try rucking on a treadmill. Put your treadmill on a steep incline between eight to 12 percent and walk at a speed between 2.7 and 3.5 for 20 to 30 minutes. If you prefer a slower start, you can start with the incline at 0 and add one percent every minute or two.
4. Interval Rucking
Interval rucking allows you to push your limits, getting your heart rate up and muscles burning, and then slowing down to a recovery range before speeding up again. During high intervals, aim to ruck faster than 15 minutes per mile without running, and for low intervals, switch to a quick yet comfortable speed of around 20 minutes per mile.
Try starting with five minutes of the high intensity interval followed by five minutes of the low intensity interval. Do the switch as many times as you can. As time goes on, you can add more time to the high intensity interval or add more weight to make it more challenging.
5. Non-Walking Exercises
If you don’t have access to a treadmill and can’t ruck outside due to weather or other circumstances, there are other exercises you can do with a ruck to elevate to your workout. Wearing a ruck while doing these exercises will make your rucking stronger and also build strength and muscle. While wearing a ruck, try the exercises below for amazing results:
- Squats
- Lunges
- Push ups
- Planks
- Mountain climbers
- Dead hangs
- Bear crawls
- Burpees
If you’re interested in getting into rucking, we hope you found this post helpful to get started and get the most out of rucking!
