Rucking | Five Benefits of the Trend That is Taking Over The Fitness Industry

Humans have been doing this simple fitness activity since the beginning of time when we were hunter-gatherers.

The Military has used this activity to turn their men into the fittest and toughest soldiers they could possibly be.

The activity is none other than weighted walking also known as rucking.

Here are five benefits of Rucking:

Unlike weight training, this is a great way to build your endurance while keeping fatigue to a minimum. Work Capacity is crucial for building a foundation that is required to progress in the gym. That is why Louis Simmons founder of Westside Barbell is very big on Work Capacity Training(GPP), which involves sled pulls, farmer walks and variations of carrying weight across distances.

2) Helps with posture

Contrary to what you may believe, when distributed properly, adding weight can actually help with posture. It strengthens the muscle responsible for staying upright, therefore, allowing your body to keep that position easier when you remove the weight.

3) Burns Calories

According to studies done by the Compendium of Physical Activities, rucking burned 650 calories per hour, a whopping 300 calories more than walking without weights. If you do 5 hours of weighted walking a week, that’s 3250 calories in one week!

4) It Gets You Outdoors

Being outdoors is a huge benefit. It lowers your stress, cortisol levels, helps with vitamin D and testosterone levels.

5) It’s easy and safe to do.

Unlike jogging, rucking is not brutally exhausting. It is much more enjoyable and is much easier to do consistently. The secret to reaching any fitness goal(whether it be strength gain or weight loss) is always consistency ( to training and adhering to a good diet). 

Secondly, unlike jogging, rucking is a low impact exercise and is much safer for your joints. 

How to start:

1. Pick a lightweight. Your body, especially your shoulders and traps need to adjust to this activity. We recommend starting with just 25lbs.
2. Load a backpack or better get a weighted vest for better weight distribution, comfort, and stability.
3. Start rucking! You can always invite a friend, listen to music or a podcast, or just enjoy the present moment!

About the Author

Remy started calisthenics in 2014 and has mastered advanced movements such as the one arm pull-up, front-lever, one arm muscle-up and more.