Is there one exercise that can offer strength, endurance, muscle gain, and fat loss all at the same time? Arnold Schwarzenegger believes so. On September 6, 2024, in his Arnold’s Pump Club Newsletter, he lays out the overarching physical benefits of rucking or walking while carrying extra weight.  

The fitness space is absolutely obsessed with exercise selection, and for good reason. We have a limited amount of time and opportunities to fulfill our exercise needs, whether it’s at the gym, outside in the sun, or inside of our homes. 

However, with so many different muscle groups and targeted areas of concern, making genuine progress across the board can seem nearly impossible. This has led to a rapid increase in conversations about which exercises are best to build muscle.

We’ve seen countless takes on the hot subject. Nutritionist Stan Efferding, former seven-time Olympia Phil Heath, Chris Bumstead, and Nick Walker have all offered their top 10 exercises for muscle growth, but what if they could only pick one? 

Look no further as Arnold Schwarzenegger breaks down why rucking is the ultimate ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of exercise that can help you ‘achieve every fitness goal imaginable.’ 

Arnold Schwarzenegger Explains Why Rucking Is ‘The Swiss Army Knife’ of ‘Muscle Gain and Fat Loss’

According to recent research shared by Schwarzenegger, rucking may be the only exercise you need to improve strength, endurance, muscle gain, and fat loss.  

“The Only Exercise You Need?
If we told you that there was only one exercise you need to improve strength and endurance — while improving muscle gain and fat loss — would that be something you might be interested in? (Entourage fans, eat your heart out).”

“Research suggests that rucking — or walking while carrying extra weight — might be the Swiss army knife of exercise because of its ability to help you achieve every fitness goal imaginable.”

Of course, as a seven-time Mr. Olympia winner, Schwarzenegger utilized a range of exercises to build his larger-than-life physique and maintains that one movement alone is not likely to fulfill all of your needs. Though he enjoys various exercises, if he had to pick, rucking checks the most boxes. 

“Hype aside, we don’t believe there’s only one exercise anyone needs to do. The best type of exercise is the one that you’ll do consistently, and research shows that you’ll benefit from a mix of strength and cardio.

But if you had to pick one that checks all the boxes, rucking would do it better than anything else. It’s an activity you can do alone or with friends, and it gets you outdoors—which, as we’ve shared before, is good for your physical and mental health.”

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The scientific literature also suggests that rucking makes you stronger, builds endurance, and improves stamina without causing joint degradation. 

“Research suggests that rucking makes you stronger, builds endurance, improves stamina, and does so without much impact on your joints. If that wasn’t enough, studies have found that rucking helps you burn 100 more calories per hour than jogging at a moderate pace. And if you compare it to walking, researchers from South Carolina estimate that rucking can burn at least 2 to 3 times more calories than walking.”

In one study, Schwarzenegger revealed that wearing a heavily weighted pack led to participants losing three more pounds than those who wore lighter vests. He echoed that the ‘pounds seemingly disappeared’ even though they didn’t change other aspects of exercise or diet. 

“One study even found that wearing a heavily weighted pack resulted in participants losing three more pounds than those wearing a light vest. The cool part? The pounds seemingly disappeared despite not changing any other aspects of exercise or diet.

Scientists are investigating whether carrying the extra weight might trick your body into producing more leptin, a hormone in your fat cells. This could reduce hunger, increase your metabolism, and limit fat storage.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t the only proponent of rucking. Health expert and physician Dr. Peter Attia credited rucking as one of his top exercises (among a list of 10 movements) that can aid lifelong fitness and health. Additionally, Stanford professor and neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman commits to one long ruck per week, which has long made up an integral part of his workout split for 30 years. 

I ruck to the gym three days a week and have found success with my endurance and strength over time. If you’re looking for a new way to challenge yourself and want to gain muscle and burn fat, give it a try! 

RELATED: Rucking Basics for Fitness and Fat Loss

Wellness programmes with daily exercise challenges improve employee health and fitness, says new study.

From chair massages to office yoga, more and more companies are introducing wellness initiatives to encourage their employees to stay fit, focused and engaged.

A research team at the University of South Australia (UniSA) suggests that 15 minutes and a bit of gaming is all it takes to positively affect fitness, energy, health, sleep and mood. The findings were published in the journal ‘Healthcare’.

Exercise and some friendly competition

The researchers analysed the results of 11 575 volunteers from over 70 Australian, New Zealand and British companies who participated in a gamified workplace wellness programme called 15 Minute Challenge. This 6-week online workplace physical activity competition asks workers to do at least 15 minutes of exercise every day. They record their activities on an app that has gamification features, such as team competitions and tracking, to keep participants motivated.

“With the majority of adults spending much of their waking time working, workplaces present ideal settings for promoting physical activity,” commented UniSA research fellow Dr Ben Singh in a news release. “In this study we showed that as little as 15 minutes of physical activity per day, can make a big difference when it comes to people’s health and wellbeing. And while the program only required 15 minutes of activity, most people tended to do more.”

After 6 weeks, most volunteers met (36 %) or surpassed (59 %) the World Health Organization physical activity guidelines. Their average daily physical activity levels rose by 12 minutes daily (85 minutes per week) during the challenge. In addition, they saw improvements in fitness (14 %), energy (12 %), overall health (8 %), sleep quality (8 %) and mood (7.1 %).

Putting workers on the path to wellness

“The 15-minute goal essentially serves as an accessible starting point – especially for people who are particularly sedentary. So, it reduces barriers to entry and helps build the habit of regular exercise,” explained Dr Singh. “Ultimately, the 15-minutes is a catalyst for increased physical activity, with many participants ending up exceeding the minimum goal and moving closer to or surpassing national recommendations.”

Not to be overlooked was the gamification aspect that kept everyone motivated, added Carol Maher, professor of population and digital health at UniSA. “The program encourages team collaboration, to track rankings, and display cumulative exercise. Achievements are clearly noted, and successes are celebrated. So, it’s certainly a tool that engages people to work together and have fun.”

The big health improvements emphasise the potential of wellness interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour and promote a healthier, more active lifestyle.

“Physically active employees are happier and healthier; they are more productive, more satisfied, less stressed and less likely to get sick,” stated Prof. Maher. “Sustainable, scalable initiatives – like the 15 Minute Challenge – that can support employees to change their health and well-being for the better, should be on every employer’s agenda.”

Keywords

health, work, wellness, exercise, wellbeing, employee, workplace, wellness programme, physical activity, gamification

Gordon Ramsay is in fucking good shape. Sorry for the language, maybe we’ve been hanging around with him for too long.

Let’s forget that he’s 57 years old for one second. When we shot our Men’s Health cover with him, the world-renowned chef, TV personality, and ultra-endurance athlete was only five weeks post-bike accident – Ramsay crashed into a pothole during a training ride in Connecticut and had to be rushed to the hospital for scans.

Most people would have cancelled the photoshoot under such circumstances. Moreover, after being advised to stick to walking for four weeks post-crash, you wouldn’t expect someone to be in such great shape, especially for a Men’s Health cover. But Gordon Ramsay isn’t most people. With biceps, shoulders, and a chest that many would envy after months of dedicated gym time, the question on everyone’s mind is, ‘How does he do it?’

If you check out the early episodes of Kitchen Nightmares on YouTube, you’ll notice that Ramsay’s physique has hardly changed over the years. While he might have good genetics, it’s clear he’s also putting in the work. Ramsay’s love for endurance sports might suggest hours on the bike, but that’s not the secret to his muscular build.

The answer? Push-ups.

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‘Simple push-ups,’ Ramsay reveals. ‘You can gain so much from just a daily routine of 25 push-ups, doubling up on weekends before you even get out of bed. It’s something I strongly recommend.’

Ramsay credits fitness as one of the best-kept secrets of his life. ‘Anywhere I go, whether it’s a swim, a bike ride, or even a walk – keeping fit is essential. A healthy lifestyle leads a healthy life. And the energy you get from even a 20-minute training session, not necessarily every day but every other day, adding just 1% to that, gets you to where you want to go.’

The Benefits of Press-Ups

MH Fitness Director and self-professed ‘huge fan of press-ups’ believes press-ups are the ultimate, portable, upper body muscle-builder. ‘You can do them literally anywhere to hit the muscles of your chest and triceps, as well as helping to build your shoulder strength and stability,’ says Tracey. ‘Maintaining a straight, rigid plank position offers significant benefits by engaging your core isometrically, which helps build a solid foundation that supports other movements and daily activities. Given their low load [just your body weight], press-ups can be performed frequently, even daily. Over the years, many impressive physiques have been built with little more than a consistent daily dose of press-ups.’

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The latest issue of Men’s Health is out Tuesday, or grab a digital edition today by hitting the link, where you’ll also get exclusive video content featuring Gordon.

Robert Hicks is the multiplatform director at Men’s Health UK. A Sport Science graduate and author of three fitness books published by Bloomsbury, Robert has written numerous articles on health, fitness and nutrition and created several documentaries, most notably Britain’s Steroid Epidemic and The Faces of Attempted Suicide. Robert has been working at Men’s Health UK for seven years.