Evidence Based
Put some weight in a backpack.
Put on the backpack.
Walk.
That’s rucking in a nutshell.
While rucking is simple, it’s also one of the most underrated kinds of cardio you can do:
- It burns a boatload of calories
- It boosts your cardiovascular fitness
- It’s easy to recover from
- It’s versatile (you can do it anywhere)
- And, it’s social—you can easily do it with a group
What’s more, it’s also very easy to progressively overload your workouts. That is, you can continually make your rucks a little bit harder, which isn’t easy with walking.
In other words, rucking is one of the best kinds of cardio for people who “don’t like” cardio.
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Timestamps:
3:22 – What is rucking?
7:16 – What are the benefits of rucking?
16:23 – How do you do rucking right?
25:02 – What kind of shoes should you wear for rucking?
26:46 – How do you program your rucks around your weightlifting?
29:40 – How do you make rucking more comfortable?
Mentioned on The Show:
What did you think of this episode? Have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!
+ Scientific References
- Jones, B. H., Toner, M. M., Daniels, W. L., & Knapik, J. J. (1984). The energy cost and heart-rate response of trained and untrained subjects walking and running in shoes and boots. Ergonomics, 27(8), 895–902. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140138408963563
- Pigman, J., Sullivan, W., Leigh, S., & Hosick, P. A. (2017). The Effect of a Backpack Hip Strap on Energy Expenditure While Walking. Human Factors, 59(8), 1214–1221. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018720817730179
- Bell, G. J., Petersen, S. R., Wessel, J., Bagnall, K., & Quinney, H. A. (1991). Physiological adaptations to concurrent endurance training and low velocity resistance training. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 12(4), 384–390. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2007-1024699
- Wilson, J. M., Marin, P. J., Rhea, M. R., Wilson, S. M. C., Loenneke, J. P., & Anderson, J. C. (2012). Concurrent training: A meta-analysis examining interference of aerobic and resistance exercises. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(8), 2293–2307. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31823a3e2d
- Stefanyshyn, D., Stergiou, P., Nigg, B., & Lun, V. (n.d.). The relationship between impact forces and running injuries | Request PDF. Retrieved March 10, 2021, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/295484867_The_relationship_between_impact_forces_and_running_injuries
- Baltich, J., Maurer, C., & Nigg, B. M. (2015). Increased vertical impact forces and altered running mechanics with softer midsole shoes. PLoS ONE, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0125196
- Earl-Boehm, J. E., Poel, D. N., Zalewski, K., & Ebersole, K. T. (2020). The effects of military style ruck marching on lower extremity loading and muscular, physiological and perceived exertion in ROTC cadets. Ergonomics, 63(5), 629–638. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2020.1745900
- Pandolf, K. B., Givoni, B., & Goldman, R. F. (1977). Predicting energy expenditure with loads while standing or walking very slowly. Journal of Applied Physiology Respiratory Environmental and Exercise Physiology, 43(4), 577–581. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1977.43.4.577
- Wilkin, L. D., Cheryl, A., & Haddock, B. L. (2012). Energy expenditure comparison between walking and running in average fitness individuals. In Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (Vol. 26, Issue 4, pp. 1039–1044). J Strength Cond Res. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31822e592c
- Wright, M. (n.d.). Digital [email protected] Marius’ Mules: Paving the Path to Power. Retrieved March 10, 2021, from https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/his
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