Not everyone appreciates HIIT or the urge to push themselves to their limits during every workout. There are many people  who want the advantages of strenuous exercise but are looking for new ways to safely challenge their bodies while minimizing their risk of injury.  Rucking is one such activity that fits the bill.  

What exactly is rucking?

Simply described, rucking is the act of walking while carrying a load on your body, most commonly a backpack, but in other cases a weighted vest. Rucking is an important part of military training, since troops wear heavy packs while hiking for kilometers to complete a mission. Rucking was introduced to the  public by ex military personnel who wanted to maintain their fitness levels in the general world. 

All you require  to get started rucking are a good pair of walking or hiking shoes, a weighted backpack or vest, and a location where you can go for a long, uninterrupted stroll. This low barrier to entry is one of the reasons why rucking has grown in popularity in recent years, with committed rucking clubs, organizations, and challenges springing up all over the world.

The Social Advantages of Rucking

As you are aware, social connection is an important component of wellness, and taking part in an event or competition can assist in making exercise a social activity. Although rucking can be done alone, rucking enthusiasts can push themselves by participating in events and competitions where people join together as a community to enjoy a hard ruck. Rucking is absolutely unique in its capacity to bring people from all walks of life together to enjoy intense physical activity in the beautiful outdoors.

Physical Advantages of Rucking

Rucking mixes walking's low- to moderate-intensity cardiorespiratory exertion with the muscular endurance training provided by carrying a loaded backpack or weighted vest. This indicates that carrying a load has the ability to burn calories, enhance aerobic capacity, and increase strength in the lower-body and core muscles. Furthermore, it can help lower the risk of age-related health issues such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sarcopenia, and osteoporosis. And, as previously said, rucking provides extra social and cognitive benefits when done in a group setting.

Walking at a brisk pace while carrying a load forces muscles to produce energy through both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism. To burn calories, the body demands oxygen; the more oxygen absorbed during a workout, the more calories expended. Rucking demands a large quantity of oxygen when conducted at a fast speed and with a difficult load, and you may expect to burn nearly as many calories as you would when jogging, making it an efficient outdoor workout. And rucking is a more joint friendly activity, because one foot is always in contact with the ground and the amount of stress on the joints while walking, even when carrying a load, is often less than that of running. 

How to get started with rucking?

As previously stated, getting started is rather simple: all you need to do to begin rucking is put a weight on your body and go on a stroll. Of course, there are a few things you should keep in mind to make rucking more fun.

In addition to comfortable walking or hiking shoes, a robust backpack capable of carrying a substantial weight is essential. Backpacks with padded shoulder straps and a waist belt can help to disperse part of the load to the hips, making the ruck more comfortable.

Loading a couple of full water bottles into a strong backpack may be as simple as adding weight to a rucksack. Other methods for increasing load to a pack include heavy books or sandbags. Rucking needs the ability to walk at a hard pace while maintaining proper posture—you don't want to be bending over at the waist from the pressure of carrying too much weight on your back. The most critical aspect is that the weight is evenly distributed so that overuse or strain problems are avoided.

While rucking is often done with a weighted backpack, some of you may benefit from a weighted vest, since they are more comfortable. 

Benefits of rucking

Rucking helps increase your aerobic ability, along with core, hip and lower body strength while also allowing you to spend time outside in the fresh air and sunshine.

How much load to carry?

It is suggested to start with a load of 3.5 to 4.5 kg for persons weighing less than 70 kg. Individuals who weigh more, with adequate level of fitness and overall level of conditioning may be able to manage a heavier load of up to 9 kg.  

Energy Cost of rucking

According to "The Compendium of Physical Activities", a client weighing 75 kg who does a 45 minutes rucking, carrying a 9 kg weight will burn around 9.6 calories per minute or approximately 432 calories for the entire session. Not a bad work rate while enjoying the advantages of fresh air and sunshine.

How to include rucking in your workout?

Your goal must be to build enough strength to enjoy a ruck without becoming exhausted and unable to complete. While rucking is essentially walking, if you want  to incorporate rucking into your fitness routine, you need to prepare physically differently. This entails starting with mobility exercises as a dynamic warm-up and then adding strength training for lower-body and core muscles to prepare for the rigors of walking while carrying a weight.

You must start with lesser weights and gradually proceed to greater loads, as carrying too much weight without first developing a solid foundation of strength may result in damage.

Unilateral exercises that engage only one leg or arm at a time may be useful in  developing the lower-body and core strength required to enjoy a hard ruck.

Furthermore, workouts that strengthen both the hips and the shoulders work well for strengthening the core strength needed to carry a weighted backpack or vest during a ruck. Strength-training exercises with a higher repetition count can be useful for increasing the physical endurance required for rucking. For example you can begin with sets of 12 repetitions and progressively proceed to sets of 20 or more repetitions.

Rucking can be started simply with a 10 minute walk in one direction and then turn around to walk back. It is advised to stick to the 20 minute limit for the first 2 weeks to get used to walking with a load. For this initial phase, it is suggested to ruck  2 - 3 times per week. After that, it is encouraged to add 5 minutes per week until you are rucking for 40-60 minutes at a time.

Strength training has numerous benefits for both men and women, including improved overall health, increased muscle mass and endurance, and reduced risk of injury. However, there are some differences between the way that women and men should approach strength training. In this article, we will discuss why women should train differently than men.

1. Hormonal Differences

One of the main differences between men and women is the hormonal makeup of their bodies. Men have higher levels of testosterone and lower levels of estrogen, which promotes muscle growth and recovery. Women, on the other hand, have higher levels of estrogen and lower levels of testosterone, which can make it more difficult to build muscle mass. This means that women may need to focus more on strength training techniques that are designed to optimize their hormonal environment and promote muscle growth.

2. Body Composition Differences

Another key difference between men and women is their body composition. Women tend to have a higher percentage of body fat than men, which can make it more challenging to build muscle mass. Additionally, women tend to carry more weight in their lower body, while men tend to carry more weight in their upper body. This means that women may need to focus more on exercises that target their lower body, such as squats and lunges, in order to build strength and muscle mass.

3. Joint Structure Differences

Men and women also have differences in their joint structure. Women tend to have wider hips and a narrower waist, which can place more stress on their knees and ankles during exercises such as squats and lunges. This means that women may need to modify their form and technique when performing these exercises to avoid injury and optimize their results.

4. Recovery Time Differences

Finally, women tend to have a slower recovery time than men due to hormonal differences. Women may need to take more rest days between workouts and focus more on recovery techniques such as stretching, foam rolling, and massage in order to prevent injury and optimize their results.

What Type of Exercises a Woman Should Do?

It's important to note that specific exercises, sets, and rep ranges can vary depending on individual goals, fitness level, and experience. However, here are some general guidelines for women who are looking to optimize their strength training program:

Should Focus on Compound Exercises

Compound exercises are those exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once, such as squats, deadlifts, bench press, and lat pull downs. These exercises are effective at building overall strength and muscle mass and should be a core component of any strength training program.

Should Use Moderate to Heavy Weights:

Women should aim to lift moderate to heavy weights in order to promote muscle growth and strength development. This typically means using weights that are around 70-85% of their one-rep max.

Should Perform 3-4 Sets per Exercise

Women should aim to perform 3-4 sets of per exercise, with 8-12 reps per set. This rep range is effective at promoting muscle growth and strength development.

Should Take Adequate Rest Between Sets and Exercises

Women should take adequate rest between sets and exercises in order to allow their muscles to recover. This typically means taking 30 - 60 or more seconds of rest between sets and 90 - 120 or more seconds of rest between exercises.

Should Incorporate Appropriate Recovery Techniques

Women should also incorporate appropriate recovery techniques such as stretching, foam rolling, and massage into their strength training program in order to prevent injury and aid in recovery.

Here's an example workout that incorporates these guidelines:

1. Squats: 4 sets of 10-12 reps

2. Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8-10 reps

3. Bench Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps

4. Lat Pull Downs: 4 sets of 10-12 reps

Remember to start with lighter weights and gradually increase the weight as you become stronger and more comfortable with the exercises. It's also important to listen to your body and rest as needed to prevent injury and promote recovery.