Experts Say That This Walking Trick Can Build Strength And Cardio Endurance

If you’ve ever seen people walking about with a weighted pack on, but not really heading on a backpacking trek and thought, what the ruck?! I’m here to explain.

That’s rucking, which is a time-tested way to sweat (the military has used it for years!) quickly gaining ground among exercise fanatics. It started as a military training workout involving soldiers carrying a heavy pack (rucksack) and walking for miles (ruck marching).

It’s possible you’ve inadvertently gone rucking before. The basics of rucking are simply to go walking or hiking with weight on your back. If you want to turn it into a true workout, though, there’s a bit more to it and sweet perks as your reward for the hard ruck.

Meet the experts: Emily McCarthy is cofounder and head of community at GoRuck. Percell Dugger, CPT, is a certified personal trainer and Nike running coach. Katie Knight, CPT, is an online fitness coach with Knight Time Training, an ultramarathon runner, and 2022 GORUCK Games Champion.

But, you don’t have to be in the military to go rucking and try it out for yourself. It’s naturally a social activity, so you can break a sweat while chatting it up with your workout buddies.

Whether you’re hoping to embark on your own rucking journey or just curious to know how it all works, read on for all the expert intel on benefits, safety tips, workouts, and more to get started on the right path.

What is rucking?

To put it simply, rucking involves walking for long periods of time with weights in a rucksack. “We like to say that rucking is active resistance training,” says Emily McCarthy, a former CIA case officer who went on to cofound rucking gear and enthusiast company GoRuck with her husband. “If you’re carrying weight, you’re rucking. Hiking is rucking in the mountains.”

You can go rucking wherever you are, whether you’re in the middle of a city or close to nature. “Rucking is a low-impact exercise that is based on military training workouts, where you walk with a weighted rucksack or backpack,” says Katie Knight, CPT, online fitness coach with Knight Time Training and 2022 GORUCK Games Champion. “It’s simply walking with weight on your back.”

It’s also worth noting you can use a variety of carriers to go rucking, but a rucksack differs from a standard backpack. The rucksack distributes the weight higher on your back so that it slightly pulls your shoulders back, says McCarthy. “It makes you stand up a little straighter as you’re moving, and you’re working different muscles and your core than if you were just going hiking or backpacking,” she adds.

How To Get Started Rucking

Here are a few tips from Knight to get started rucking to ensure you’re safe and have fun along the way.

1. Start small. Begin with a weighted two- to four-mile walk, one or two times a week, Knight recommends. Start out with 10 to 25 pounds, and see how you feel for the first mile. You should be able to move at a moderate pace, a 15- or 20-minute mile. “If you are moving slower than 20 minutes a mile, you should lower your ruck weight,” Knight recommends.
2. Add weight gradually. Only add five to 10 pounds or so of extra weight each week. A solid rucking goal is to be able to carry about ⅓ of your body weight, but that is a long-term goal that you should work up to very slowly to avoid injury. If you don’t want to buy ruck-specific weighted plates, you can load up a pack with dumbbells, books, or even bricks. Just make sure that your pack can handle the extra weight. If something does feel off, like pain in your lower back, extreme fatigue, or aching feet, opt for less weight and a longer walking distance to still reap the benefits, Knight notes.
3. Add distance gradually. Only increase your time or distance by about 10 percent each week. As you increase distance, you should still be able to hold a 20-minute mile or so for your entire workout.
4. Balance the weight. This helps ensure proper posture and muscle engagement. You don’t want all the weight sitting on just your hips or just the shoulders, says Knight. Ideally, the load is situated higher up on your back between the shoulder blades. Pop a towel or something light to occupy the space at the bottom of your pack, and then rest the weight on top of that. And, you want to use a pack that has a hip belt, too, so your lower body supports as well.

Gear up for rucking with these expert-recommended items:

Rucking Gear Recommendations

This responsive and lightweight trail runner has enough cushion to support your weighted strides and keep your feet comfortable.

GoRuck Ruck Plate Carrier 3.0

This pack is designed to hold ruck plates securely. The padding on the handle and back enhance comfort mid-sweat, too.

The standard Ruck Plates fit seamlessly into the Carrier, but with super wide handles on both ends, you can also use for workouts solo. Plates come in 10-, 20-, and 30-pound weights for just the right amount of resistance.

Black Diamond Miniwire Carabiner

This is McCarthy’s go-to for attaching a water bottle or a first aid kit to the outside of her rucksack for easy access.

Benefits Of Rucking

• Build strength. Walking with a weighted pack improves strength in muscles all over the bod, according to a 2019 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Participants in the study gained overall strength when it came to squat jumps, push-ups, and sit-ups after resistance training and weighted walking during a 10-week training period. Overall, Knight has found that when her clients get into rucking, they too notice an increase in both upper- and lower-body strength.
• Increase cardio endurance. Not only can rucking amp up muscle strength, but you’ll also be giving your heart a good workout, too. “It’s great for you building your aerobic base,” says Percell Dugger, CPT, a certified personal trainer and Nike running coach. The participants in the same 2019 study also showed an increase in their maximal oxygen uptake, which is a marker of your aerobic fitness. Specifically, rucking is a form of zone two cardio. This means you’ll be working at an elevated heart rate that’s sustainable for longer durations.
• Work your whole body. When rucking, your lower-body muscles are working to keep up the walking or hiking pace. Plus, your upper body is also working to carry a weighted pack with proper form. That engages your core, lower back, and shoulder muscles.
• Easily accessible. “You have all these workouts with gym equipment and extra gear,” says Knight, “but with rucking, it’s the most simple thing you can do.” Even without designated rucking gear (more on that below!) starting a rucking routine is easy. You can add it to your regular weekly workouts as crossing-training, or you can use a weighted ruck to add in certain strength training moves during a walk or hike.

Potential Risks Of Rucking

Although rucking is a low-impact activity with all the above perks, there are still a few risks to be mindful of before you begin and when you’re out.

1. Overuse injuries. With any weighted exercise, a major risk can be doing too much too soon. Walking for longer distances with a load might lead to overuse injuries, one 2016 study from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee found. It’s easy to avoid by starting with lighter weight for a shorter distance and build gradually. About 10 to 20 pounds in the pack is a good starting point, says McCarthy.
2. Increased overall fatigue. Fatigue did increase for soldiers who participated in long, weighted marches, a 2023 journal article from Military Medicine reported. The study measured fatigue by looking at energy expenditure, muscle exhaustion, and cognitive engagement, and found that at the end of the march, stride length lessened while torso lean increased. During your ruck, if you are finding yourself leaning forward or compromising on good posture, take some weight off your back and recalibrate.

Rucking Examples For Beginners

• Load up a pack and walk. A simple way to try rucking is by adding eight to 10 pounds to a backpack or rucksack. From there, slowly increase your rucking time by two to three minutes for every week you train, says Dugger.
• Go rucking on a treadmill. If you prefer an indoor sesh and have access to a gym, Dugger suggests using the treadmill. “Put your treadmill on an aggressive incline between eight to 12 percent and walk at a speed between 2.7 and 3.5 for about 10 to 30 minutes,” says Dugger.
• Do hill repeats. Find a hill in your neighborhood and walk up and down it for your preferred amount of time while carrying your pack.

Best Exercises To Prep For Rucking

If all that has you eager to ruck, you can start strong and prep your body to maintain good walking form with the following exercises, as recommended by Dugger and Knight. Incorporate one or all moves in the middle of a ruck for added challenge, says Knight. Walk a mile, perform a few sets, and then finish your ruck.

1. Forearm Plank

How to:

1. Start on the floor on hands and knees.
2. Place forearms on floor with elbows directly under shoulders.
3. Step feet back, one at a time to create a straight line from top of head through heels.
4. Engage glutes and push toes into the floor, and hold the position for at least 30 seconds.

Why it rucks: Training your core is a smart way to prep for rucking, which requires plenty of core strength. If you want to ramp things up in your plank, Dugger suggests wearing a weighted vest.

2. Reverse Lunge

How to:

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hands on hips. (Option to hold dumbbells at sides to level up.)
2. Take a big step back with right leg and lower knee to tap ground, bending both knees to form 90-degree angles.
3. Push through both feet to stand and lift right leg to return to start. That’s 1 rep.
4. Continue alternating sides. Complete 10 reps per side.

Why it rucks: The added weight of rucking can put stress on your joints. Reverse lunges prep your bod for the movement pattern of walking without as much stress on the knees, says Dugger.

3. Jumping Jacks

How to:

1. Stand with feet together and hands at sides.
2. Jump both feet out wider than hips distance apart and simultaneously swing extended arms out to sides and up above head.
3. Jump feet back together, while lowering hands back to sides.
4. Continue alternating in and out for 30 seconds. Work up to two and half minutes.

Why it rucks: This simple move can be a solid way to prep for rucking. “Rucking is going to challenge your aerobic capacity and your conditioning,” says Dugger. “Jumping jacks are a great endurance and aerobic-based movement to improve your overall heart health.”

4. Bent-Over Row

How to:

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart with a soft bend in knees and a slight forward hinge at hips, holding a dumbbell in each hand or the ends of the rucksack.
2. Holding the weight near your shins, squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull the weight toward your rib cage. Drive your elbows back toward the sky and keep the weight close to your body as you lift.
3. Reverse the movement to return to start. That’s 1 rep.

Why it rucks: This move engages the largest back muscle, the lats, which helps with stabilizing the back, neck, and hips.

5. Shoulder Press

How to:

1. Start with feet shoulder width apart, hold dumbbells at shoulders with palms facing toward body. (Option to grip the ends of your weighted rucksack.)
2. Engage core and lift weights straight above your head, until arms are extended with wrists, elbows, and shoulders in line.
3. Reverse the movement to return to start. That’s 1 rep.

Why it rucks: This move simultaneously engages multiple upper body muscles (anterior delts, triceps, and chest), which also help you hold your heavy pack.

Sabrina is an editorial assistant for Women’s Health. When she’s not writing, you can find her running, training in mixed martial arts, or reading.