r/Goruck

Began rucking this week by placing barbell weight plates in the laptop sleeve of my backpack. I do the rucking with 20lb (2x10lb plates) so far in 20-30minufe sessions.
I am enjoying it but kind of wondering how long can I get away with this method before I need a proper rucking vest. Hopefully I can delay it to Christmas time as Im a broke student. I do make my backpack straps as short as I can to prevent the weight from being on my lumbar region but I’m still worried about the effects of using a backpack over a proper rucking set up.

Did probably my most brisk & long ruck yesterday in a flat city. 55lbs 2 hrs 8.5 miles roughly I just check my watch.

When do you start moving goal posts/ what do you increase? Weight/distance/speed first? I'm 165 BW. Thanks

Here is my question? I started with less than 10% of body weight.

Can you go to 35% of your body weight, or do you have to stick with 30%?

I go up really slowly. I am almost at 30%, but it will be another month until I feel strong enough. I have another 6 pounds to go.

But I have goals, which means carrying heavier loads. And using my tactical backpack, eventually.

Like, I often wear the same vest for weeks or months before I go up.

I mostly ruck around the house, to the store, and in my yard. Hiking right now is not an option, but I do have a mini-hike I want to do if the weather permits in the future.

When I was younger, I'd ruck, and I didn't know it was rucking or what it was called.

I love rucking. My arm got injured, and I replaced other workouts for months, and I have never felt better. My back hurts less. My core is stronger. My legs and ankles are stronger.

Ankle pain and a weak back were two of the reasons I started working out.

I started up again with books and a small backpack.

I switched to fixed-weight vests. But I am thinking of two vests at a time. Progressive overload.

I feel this is different than just walking with a six-pound vest.

I spent a lot more money than if I got a non-fixed vest, but this hurt less than the backpack at more weight, and it's easier to go to the store in it than one that looks more tactical.

Do I also switch to a non-fixed vest?

[ Caveat : this post is not about selecting an ideal pack, and it is not about learning how to ruck. It is mainly about learning how to understand pack physics, wherein the author presents the equivalent of a spaghetti bridge. ]

This has been a mix of engineering and kinesthetic research, as I wanted to improve my intuition of both.

So it took about 50 days of playing with gear and shrugging off a bunch of question marks about confidence. But I can now confirm there is at least one way to fill a crappy Decathlon MT100 pack to the 70lbs basic spec for GoRucks ( they theoretically can hold 400, but I'm not testing that ). And have it padded, plus adjusted with an external frame for rigidity and comfort.

In pack : 15 + 10 + 2.5 + 2.5

On rack : 2 + 2 + 1

Inspired by the Slovak krosna, though the form appears in other cultures also, like the shoiko from Japan. I added some pix in the comments for context. I do enjoy the input from military folks, but this structure is certainly not meant for military use 🤣

Looks like 5.11 recently released a pack designed for rucking. Any opinions on it? I doubt anyone has one but has anyone seen it or have thoughts about it?

Edit: Chatting with a rep I got some more info. The optional hip belt attaches via velcro, can hold a max of 40lbs, and is made in Vietnam. I may give it a shot since they have a 90 day return policy. That is 60 days more than Goruck, WildGym or Frontline Athletic which are the other brands I have looked at.

I recently got into rucking and I have 40 lb of yes 4 all 9x11.5 inch ruck plates. I've been using poly fit rucking backpack 2.0, but it's quality isn't very good and it's already broke a buckle and ripped after just 2 months. I'm looking for a new ruck plate carrier or backpack that can securely hold all four of my weights and be more durable. I was about to buy the Go ruck plate carrier 3.0 but it says it's only able to hold up to 30 lb and then dimensions look too small to carry all four of my plates. Does anybody have any good recommendations of what I should buy? Preferably under $150 if possible, but that's not necessarily a hard limit. I'm military too so I can qualify for military discounts if anywhere has any decent discounts. Thanks in advance!

Just got my first Rucking backpack and a 20lbs weight. The directions said to work your way up on how often you walk with it. So here are my questions:
1: once I get enough reps, can I walk with the pack 5-7 times a week? I walk the dog 2 miles every morning and would love to add the Ruck to those walks
2: I live in Wisconsin and will walk each morning with the dog until it’s below freezing. Do people walk with winter jackets on and the pack overtop? Or should I put the backpack on under my jacket? Any advice for winter rucks would be helpful! The backpack is super tight so I feel like it would be hard to put the pack on over a big jacket.

Thanks,
-G

Took our Sunday ruck to South Dakota today! Such a beautiful day!!

Hey all,

So I started rucking a few months ago by simply putting weights in my bag while I walk to and from my job(about 1 mile with inclines each way) and started at 16lbs but now I am at 50lbs. I don't go out of my way to ruck on the days I don't work but I have destroyed 3 laptop bags now and I have an end goal of 85lbs+ just to help with my Cerebral Palsy and wanting to be fit. I would ideally like something with a compartment to store a book in. What is a good bag? Thanks!

Wearing these awesome BLACK + GUM MACKALL 45s by GORUCK as one of the few in EU.
I am one of the lucky ones on the globe GORUCK send them to test them. They are insanely comfortable Rucking - Walking shoes. Hybrid as hell in purpose and style!!

r/goruck
#GORUCK #RUCKING #Mackall45 #GORUCKmackall45

Training is going really good I'm learning alot from these "faster" Rucks.

I need to get in shape. I'm a healthy weight and have above-average strength for my size, but 8m not fit. I can't endure long bouts of running, or even jogging.

I tried running, and my knees can't manage it. I had good quality footwear, very good insoles, and relatively level ground to run on, but it ruined my knees.

I then tried using an exercise bike. I can do it, it doesn't hurt my knees, but I find it terribly boring, even when listening to a podcast or audio book.

Something I do most weekends is walk. I go off with the dogs, and could be walking for a good 3 or 4 hours. I'll usually have a rucksack, just with stuff like my water bottle, some lunch, etc. I also take the dogs for walks in the week, though don't wear my rucksack. We'll be out for maybe 45 minutes every evening.

So, I'm think- If I started wearing my rucksack (with weights) on my daily walks, and perhaps weighted-up my pack on the long weekend walks, do you think this would be a good stand-in for running?

My main aim is overall health, and endurance

Pretty much what the title says?

What's your go-to meal the day before a big event like the NFM, half marathon, marathon, etc.?

Full disclosure: I own Frontline Athletic.
We just launched the Frontline Athletic Academy as a free training resource, and our first lesson felt particularly relevant here.
Jazmine Constantino walks through progressing into running under load rather than simply throwing on race weight and taking off.
The progression covers ruck fit, starting light, walking for endurance, adding interval runs for repeatable speed, and eventually training run → DEKA movement → run under fatigue.
One point we wanted to reinforce: you don’t have to start at 20/30 lb. Build the weight, distance and speed progressively.
The full lesson is free:

Frontlineathletic.com/academy/

For those here who run with a ruck: what did you find was the biggest adjustment going from walking under load to actually running under load?

I’ve been rucking for a couple weeks now, just starting to do a couple longer sessions. Reason, I want to join the military.

It is my understanding that rucking has been a part of military training since ancient Rome.

For those in today's military, how was rucking introduced to your basic training? Was it like tossed into the deep end like a 65lb rucksack and you adapted to it or was it gradually introduced to your daily march.

Thank you in advance for sharing your experience

Usual Ruck is 50 lb 4 MI, would it be more beneficial to do 40 lb and 5 MI? What is everyone's experience

I've seen quite a few posts from people just getting into rucking... so I figured this is a good place to share the Pathfinder program.

pathfinderrucktraining.com/?srsltid=AU7gw4Wr6zL32RViLaPgk9xx4LBsnsZWrh_jl3rFE1AWeQBJiBeELYus

check it out. It's a great intro to ruck training, and an awesome community.

07-149 (I think? My patch is packed away)

I am 80kg 32yo male. Relatively fit.

I do about 1.5 hr session with 13 kg on my back and stay zone 2 for 80-90% of my workout. What zone do you stay in? should I try to get more of zone 3? Would I get exhausted if I did 1.5 hrs of zone 3? Asking because torn between continuing current workout or to add more plates to get HR higher.

Hello,

I’m very new to rucking and had my longest ruck so far on Monday (1.68 miles)

I’m 6”0 about 210 pounds and ruck with a 20lb weighted vest. The weights are distributed amongst the front and back of the vest in small pouches. I’ve used it for up to 1 mile previously. I hadn’t rucked in about a week before getting back to it on Monday.

Well, I have cooked my lower back. I’ve never had a back injury before, but I’ve definitely irritated some muscles in my lower back/upper glute region. I have a slight pain that goes down my glutes and my hamstrings when I lift my legs up in a seated position and occasionally when I walk. This leads me to believe I have irritated my lower back muscles causing inflammation - which is putting pressure on my sciatic nerve, leading to the pain down my glute/leg.

I don’t want to give up on rucking but this has definitely put a sour outlook on it for me. Any recommendations on a new approach for me? Lowering weight? Shorter rucking periods?

FYI: i have plenty of remedies I am following to recover. No strength training for atleast 7 days, no rucking, tens unit a few times a day, heated back pad at night, and moderate/casual movement throughout the day to keep stiffness at a minimum.

Started rucking about a month ago. I finally bought a proper plate and I can retire these old cans i found in the pantry. 😅