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

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

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.

Hello, so I've tried a bunch, RUCKR doesn't even seem to have any functionality with Health Connect, Ruckwell doesn't track gain and the GPS tracker dies like 10 seconds after you tab out or the screen goes off which makes it impractical as fuck.

Strava worked pretty well with my Mi Band 10 but with a Fitbit Air, the heart rate sensor randomly disconnects after a while.

Anything else worth trying? Thank you

EDIT: Gave ruckwell a second chance on another device and it does seem to work as it should, elevation counting and the GPS stays on, I believe I forgot to enable notifications in the first run

I have searched this sub up and down looking at various packs. I'm not new to rucking. I had a Wild Gym at one point and it wasn't comfortable for me. I got a Mystery Ranch Coulee 20 but it doesn't hold weight plates well and gives me back pain. I also have a Mystery Ranch Metcalf 50 that works insanely well but it is large (It is meant for hunting). I would love a pack that I can use for rucking and hiking. I am 5'4" and only plan to carry a max of 25lbs when rucking (likely on average will carry 20lbs). I was going to save up for a GoRuck Rucker but I saw somewhere it isn't good for hiking. I know a hip belt isn't needed at these weights but without it I have noticed in the past I get back pain. Just looking to get the benefits of rucking. Not looking at doing any events.

Right now I am thinking the Mystery Ranch 2 Day Assault is a good option.

Once the pack gets heavy, the first thing that seems to fall apart is pacing. Starting too fast makes later miles ugly, while shortening stride and keeping the load from bouncing seems to help more than just forcing the same pace. For experienced ruckers, what adjustment do you make first when the load feels fine initially but starts dragging down your form later?

I’ll ask for preemptive forgiveness for subjecting you all to this little rant, but it’s rooted in good coaching, and I think you’ll benefit from the discussion. I want to explain why you shouldn’t be doing the “Airborne Shuffle” when you’re rucking. More importantly, I want to explain what you should be doing instead.

Since rucking draws much of its heritage from the military, it’s only natural that some of the terminology follows. The term “Airborne Shuffle” is one of those examples. The problem is that it gets used incorrectly more often than it should. We actually dedicated a section of our soon-to-be-published The Rucking Handbook to this very subject. The “Airborne Shuffle” and the ruck shuffle are two different things. Even most military folks don’t understand the distinction.

The Actual Airborne Shuffle - Imagine the inside of a crowded military aircraft. The fuselage is packed with Soldiers wearing parachutes and carrying an absurd amount of equipment. The aircraft pitches and bucks through turbulence. There are seats, webbing, loose straps, feet, weapons, and assorted other hazards everywhere.

Now imagine standing up, hooking your static line to the anchor cable, checking your equipment, and moving toward the door or ramp. This is a particularly hazardous portion of an airborne operation. A jumper who trips can create an extraordinarily dangerous situation. An inadvertent parachute deployment inside the aircraft can be catastrophic. Getting tangled with another jumper, snagging equipment, or becoming hung up on the aircraft can have fatal consequences. Consequently, movement inside the aircraft must be deliberate and controlled.

The traditional airborne shuffle is a short, deliberate, foot-dragging movement. Rather than taking normal walking strides, jumpers keep their feet close to the floor, minimizing the chance of catching a boot on something and tripping. In some applications, one foot leads while the other follows in a short sliding movement. You’re not trying to cover ground quickly. You’re trying to maintain stability and avoid becoming a casualty before you leave the aircraft. That’s the “Airborne Shuffle”.

To make matters more confusing, much of the formation running at Airborne School consists of a slow, plodding jog. People sometimes call that the Airborne Shuffle, presumably because they’re shuffling along at Airborne School. Close enough for government work, I suppose.

But that’s not the aircraft movement I’m describing. And it’s certainly not the movement I’m trying to teach when we talk about efficient rucking. Enter the Ruck Shuffle. This is where the coaching lesson begins.

The ruck shuffle is a little like riding a bicycle. It’s difficult to describe, sometimes awkward to learn, and remarkably natural once you figure it out. Think of it as a transition between walking and running. During normal walking, at least one foot remains in contact with the ground. During running, there’s typically a flight phase in which both feet leave the ground. Those differences influence how your body absorbs and transfers force.

Running generally produces higher impact than walking, particularly as speed increases. Add a heavy rucksack, and you’re introducing additional forces that your muscles, tendons, bones, and joints must manage. That’s not inherently bad. Your body adapts to mechanical loading. But the amount, frequency, and progression of that loading matter. And there’s the problem.

You want to move faster under a ruck, but you don’t necessarily want to incur the additional mechanical demands of running with a heavy load. So what do you do?
You shuffle. The objective is a quick, smooth, economical gait that allows you to increase speed without unnecessarily increasing vertical movement, stride length, or impact.

Rather than reaching farther forward with each step, you increase your cadence while keeping your foot strikes relatively close to your center of mass. You minimize excessive bouncing and avoid wasting energy moving your body and rucksack up and down. You’re moving forward, not trying to launch yourself into orbit.

Depending on your speed and individual mechanics, your shuffle may resemble a very fast walk, a low-bouncing jog, or something between the two. The important thing isn’t whether your technique fits a particular biomechanical definition. It’s whether you’re moving efficiently and comfortably under load. A good ruck shuffle looks (and almost feels) almost effortless.

The upper body remains relatively quiet. The rucksack doesn’t bounce excessively. The steps are quick and controlled. There’s no exaggerated stride, no dramatic vertical movement, and no unnecessary motion. You’re not dragging your feet. You’re finding a sustainable rhythm that allows you to move quickly while managing the mechanical cost of carrying a load.

There are several coaching cues that can help. Keep your head up and your eyes forward. Maintain a comfortable, relatively upright posture without exaggerating your chest position or arching your lower back. Keep your shoulders relaxed, allow your arms to swing naturally, and avoid reaching too far forward with each step.

Pay attention to cadence, stride length, and vertical movement. Watch how the rucksack behaves. If the pack is bouncing all over the place, you’re wasting energy and potentially increasing the forces acting on your body. A coach can examine your gait, foot strike, arm swing, posture, and breathing patterns. Video analysis can be particularly useful because what you think you’re doing and what you’re actually doing are often two very different things. Not everyone needs a coach. But even a single session with someone who understands loaded movement can help identify inefficiencies that might otherwise take months to recognize.

Why should recreational ruckers care? Because sooner or later, most people who ruck regularly want to improve something. Maybe you want to complete your usual route faster. Maybe you’re preparing for a GORUCK event, a long-distance hike, or a charity ruck. Maybe you simply want to improve your cardiovascular fitness without adding more running to your training.

That’s where movement efficiency becomes important.
There are three basic variables you can manipulate in rucking (aka intensity): load, distance, and pace. Increasing any of them changes the demands of your training. But increasing load and distance also increase risk of injuries. This is significantly less likely with increased pace. So increasing pace becomes the best variable to manipulate.

Learning to move efficiently at faster paces gives you another way to progress. A ruck shuffle can be particularly useful when ordinary walking becomes awkward at higher speeds, but you don’t want to transition into a full running stride. It’s another tool in your toolbox. Technique is only one part of the equation. Load management, progression, recovery, and individual physical capacity still matter. But if faster rucking is one of your goals, learning to shuffle is a skill worth considering.

But, stop calling every awkward, short-strided ruck movement the “Airborne Shuffle”. The traditional aircraft shuffle is a deliberate, controlled movement designed to prevent trips and entanglements inside an aircraft. The ruck shuffle is a technique intended to help you move efficiently and quickly under load. They serve entirely different purposes.

You don’t want a dragging, halting, half-stride when you’re trying to cover ground. You want a smooth, economical, sustainable movement that allows you to increase your pace without unnecessary mechanical cost. The objective isn’t simply to ruck harder. It’s to become a better rucker.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

Hello there!

Getting back into rucking after some time off for a injury, my limited rucking experience was using my backpacking or hunting bag but id like something more low key and purpose built.

Is Go Ruck a good option? I like their 15L Bullet bag although not sure it would be great for ducking over long distances. Do you have any other recommendations? My plan is to use my two old AR500 plates and increase/decrease accordingly.

Thank you!

Good morning,

I live in a cold part of the country and will need different shoes here very soon and I wanted to ask your opinion on these:

https://a.co/d/09DM8d78

I am mostly paved roads and also (thanks to your advice) do the airborne shuffle with a 16lb vest.

I'm doing the NFM in a couple of weeks and looking for input on carrying water.

When training I have a full CamelBak but would prefer not to carry the extra weight if possible.

The route will have water stations every 1.5 - 2 miles but I don't think I want to rely only on those, especially towards the end. I also don't want to have to stop part way through to fill up my CamelBak.

I'm thinking maybe carry some water but save it for when I need it and otherwise use the water stations.

What do you all do?

Male 54 average heart rate 131.

Zone 4 :21%, Zone 3: 20%, Zone 2: 50%

This place is called the 1000+ steps and it's located in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia.

There are actually 1150 steps to reach the top and I did them 3.5 times to stop on the 4000 number. I would have done more but didn't have the time today

These are fairly easy stairs especially at the bottom where there is easily a metre between steps but they get steeper as you climb and 600 metres of elevation in 10 km is still reasonable for an easy short day.

I'm new to rucking currently using my sons old backpack from school, and it is very uncomfortable. What do you guys recommend, and I don't have the money to get a go ruck bag

Little indoor rucking today. 35lbs. 5 miles. Vibram Fivefingers. Strengthening up my feet the same as way I did when I trained for ultras. Don’t recommend this unless you’re used to running and walking in these. Near zero heel-to-toe drop isn’t for everyone. You will hurt yourself. That’s my public service announcement part of this post.

I'm a 30-year-old male, approximately 79 kg (174 lbs), and I've built an exercise routine around my work schedule. I'm wondering whether I should start supplementing electrolytes, particularly sodium, on my two most active days.

My weekly exercise routine (Except the Z2/Vo2 the rest is all on the same day):

That's roughly 9–10 hours of weekly exercise, including walking, with the VO₂max session being less frequent.

My two most active days:

On two workdays per week, I combine:

• 60 minutes of walking through the woods.
• 90 minutes of rucking with a weighted backpack.
• Two climbs up 14 floors of stairs.
• Occasionally, a 60-minute weightlifting session as well.

I sweat during these activities, even when it's cold outside.

My hydration and nutrition:

• I currently drink approximately 1.5–2 liters of fluids on these days, excluding any additional fluids from coffee or protein shakes.
• Around 1.5 liters is consumed during physical activity, with another 0.5 liters around dinner.
• I mainly drink plain water and black coffee.
• During the day, I usually have protein shakes, protein pudding, or similar foods rather than regular meals.
• I generally don't eat a substantial, salted meal until dinner.
• I'm unsure how much sodium and other electrolytes I'm getting from my daytime food and drinks.

My question:

Given the amount of activity, sweating, relatively low fluid intake, and limited sodium intake during the day, would it make sense to add an electrolyte tablet or powder to my water?

I'm not expecting some massive performance improvement. I'm mainly interested in maintaining hydration, replacing sodium lost through sweating, and potentially preventing headaches, excessive thirst, fatigue, or reduced performance.

I've been considering something providing around 500–750 mg of additional sodium during my more active days.

Would this be beneficial, unnecessary, or potentially excessive?

I'd also appreciate advice on whether my current daily fluid intake is sufficient and whether anyone with a similar activity level has noticed a meaningful difference from electrolyte supplementation.

Rucking is keeping me sane. I live in a city that I really don’t like (but have to tough out for a while). I miss the mountains, lakes, rivers, and nature back home. In a very mundane life without any strong social relationships with anyone living within a 200km radius, I have found solace in rucking. Initially done to train for some big summer hikes; but I have found so much peace in the routine of a big Saturday ruck each week. Every Saturday, i increase the weight by 1lb; while keeping the same route (only route with any elevation near me). I hope to reach 60lbs at some point. I am now so motivated an obsessed with reaching this goal, and I feel stronger each week. Wish me luck.

Y'all seem to mainly be into moving with the ruck 😅

I try to use my Ruck for camping mainly but in any case

Wanted to ask how you guys packed any cooking set ups lol

Ideally would like to cook steaks for 4-6 people

Alongside mashed potatoes (easy with pre made packs though) and asparagus.

the little "stove" i bring is really only good for boiling a canteen cup of water at a time 😅

desert vista for your time

Oh I use a huge ASS USMC FILBE when going around lol i save most of my weight by not using a tent and cowboy camping with the USMC sleep system as well, which coincidentally, fits right into the FILBE pretty easily.

Hey Guys!

I have not yet started rucking, but I would love to. I have walked a few hours before with quite a loaded backpack, and always had neck/Shoulder pain, where the straps lay..

Do you guys have any tips on how to avoid that? Thank you guys!!

A group of guys from my firehouse and I decided we're doing an 8-hour ruck in early January with 30lb plates. Most of us are pretty new to rucking, and we're all at different levels endurance-wise. One of the guys runs ultramarathons and is actually the asshole who convinced me to do this lol, but somehow I've ended up being the one putting together our training and keeping everybody on track.

Right now we're doing two weighted rucks a week, one short and one long, with about 48 hours between them when we can. We're starting at 45 min short/60 min long and slowly building from there. The long rucks eventually get up to 3+ hours, with a 4-hour ruck a couple weeks before the event as a full dress rehearsal using the same gear, food, hydration, etc. we'll use for the 8-hour. 30lb plate for all of them.

We started this week and knocked out our first 45 min today with around 35lbs. Felt pretty good, but obviously that's a hell of a lot different than doing it for 8 hours lol.

Since I'm apparently the training guy now, what advice do you guys have? Anything you'd change about the training? Anything we should be doing now for our feet, pacing, food/hydration, gear, recovery, etc.? For those of you who've done really long rucks, what caught you off guard the first time?

I'm also curious how you'd approach training with a group that's all over the place endurance-wise. We're not trying to race it or set some crazy pace, and we're definitely not ruck running. Just walking and trying to get everybody through the full 8 hours.

Appreciate any advice. Feel free to tell me if our plan is stupid before we find out the hard way lol.

Greetings from sunny Budapest!

Recently I've been adding weights to my backpack to intensify my daily walk routine (avg 13/14k, 850 day streak), and I like it a lot so far.

It tires me out, makes me break a sweat, burn some extra calories to maintain my weight.

Plus I could swear posture improved, my lower back and core is stronger and maybe even my balance point shifted. I've noticed I'm tilting forward a little, not as bad as the" smooth criminal" video but you get the idea, now I feel as if I can lean back a bit and stand straight.

Anyway, I'm gonna swap my regular walks for rucking and would like some pointers.

Let's start with some stats.

- 45m, 2.05m, 108 kg, 6,5k steps per hour on average.

- current weight I can comfortably carry for 2 hours on end: 15-20kgs (sandbags and a few extra 1,5l water bottles)

- Surface is mostly flat, with some minor elevation, unless I decide to climb the Gellert Hegy.

- I' m using a sturdy backpack I got at the local army dump store. Mil-tec, nice wide straps.

What I'd like pointers on

- I've been rucking off and on for 2 months, as a daily routine about 3 weeks. Apart from minor soreness in my feet and shoulder joints at the end of my stroll I'm good. Are there any signals to watch out for?

- I'd need to swap my shoes, currently using my indoor basketball shoes. Nice ankle support, bouncy soles, way more comfortable than my combat boots. As I have size 50 feet I do not have a lot of choice. Are insoles worth a look?

- Things to watch during my walks, apart from this beautiful city. Posture perhaps?

- My feet feel kinda dry, lots of callus, are there any routines for my feet to consider, and things to look out for to prevent injury ?

- I don't have any targets or goals in terms of weight/distance. I just need to tire myself out twice a day for an hour, every day. Would you increase weight, distance or steps/hour once you notice you need more?

Looking forward to your insights,cheers!

Sorry if you guys felt tricked, this is one of those SOG (or as I call it SAG) duffel backpacks.

I wanna upgrade to a cheaper option within the $100 range, but I'm limited to specifically new England to buy the bag. I'm a traveling nomad, think like a techie gone guru, still kind of a beginner, but I've got some feats under my belt.

Few questions, first, what bag would you suggest? I want something that packs a laptop, about 4 changes of clothes, and maybe something with bag space for cosmetics and other stuff (mostly a power Bank). Medium/large works for me. I don't carry a sleeping bag nor tent or bivy but I am looking for some space to also add thermal underclothes, maybe a lightweight jacket as well.

Second, I'm 36, 225 pounds, on a current loss of weight. I do about 15kg in this ruck generally but I have to push a good 20 miles nearly each day. Is there like something specific I can wear that deals with foot strain and ankle swelling? Compression socks and footwear suggestions?

Third, I want to travel in a metro area that's mostly flat. I've done Philly, Boston, NY, and Orlando. I'm not really interested in California. Does anyone have any suggestions for the warmer months? Cooler temperaments are okay, but I abhor the cold due to my asthma.

______

More about me, I lived a mostly sedentary life but I have learned from military about pushing yourself past limits and when you should stop to avoid injury. My grandfather was in the air force, and I actually was trying to drop to the 180 range to maybe try my hand at joining. I'm not really sure what branch I'd be best at but I kind of want something that gets me into service, but I'm really not the hardiest MF, I seriously could never be like a marine or army guy. Kind of looking on suggestions on branches, I have asthma, so it makes it hard to figure out what branch I can even go into.

When I say I'm a nomad gone guru, I am effectively a gutter punk that's not part of that whole culture. I'm not like I'm actually against the system or anything. I just want to do something to help my country as an independently pushed person. I abandoned my cushy life really back in 2018, started homeless, and then adapted a modernized lifestyle.

I don't believe in busking or panning or any of that myself. In fact, part of what I wanted to do was join the military to assist homeless veterans in my travels because it just sort of perturbs me the lack of people not really helping out each other even in the punk and cyber nomad community. Like, I don't know if that exists, but an on the ground outreach assistant for these dudes who can't get VA benefits that need help or direction.

It might sound weird (maybe a little 🌈 fruity) but I just do want to give back and have experience here as a citizen myself. I think we have potential to help everyone, but it starts with unifying people, and I know it starts as an army of one.

None of my family except for my grandfather was in military service, my mom was a nurse, so I think that's why I'm self driven. I want to help people at the end of this journey. I'm studious especially in the ways of philosophy, I love reading about samurai, the book of five rings literally replaced the Bible to me, right now in my rucks I'm reading the hagakure.

I also do ubereats but if you haven't figured this out I literally do ubereats while rucking. It's straight up pain. This is how I pay my bills but stay active. I've also experienced the other parts I've heard service guys kind of want, like not having full rest, not fully being "ready," being in inclement weather, that stuff is a cake walk to me. I actually did a 16 mile day recently on like 3 hours of sleep. This stuff is no joke. I don't have a real place to actually sleep. I don't do the ground, usually it's like a chair or something.

Lastly, I'm a savant, sort of hiding amongst said "punks." I published a game, a book when I was homeless, made a movie without much money at all (no budget) and made cartoons. I also do dark comedy on YouTube, like skits, but neither here nor there. I actually don't care for making money besides saving it up now. I learned to subsist on small amounts and seasonal work but the seasonal work has seemingly dried up.

That being said if it doesn't work out on service stuff, I want to maybe get into healthcare, but I want to keep a traveling lifestyle.

So TLDR, with a question, what branch would you suggest, and if I'm stuck to civvy life due to asthma, what traveling healthcare career would you guys suggest? Sorry for a big ol post lol.

- NEGP

I was a distance runner for ages and always followed a training plan. I have been rucking for 4 years now and realized that I have never followed a plan or even thought about it. I just go. Actually, when I head out I usually have only a general idea how far or long I will go. I am curious how many of you "just go" vs use a training plan?