Rucking: The Military-Inspired Workout That Anyone Can Do
When most people think of military training, images of obstacle courses, mud runs, and intense drills come to mind. But one of the most effective, practical, and accessible fitness activities inspired by armed forces training is something far simpler: rucking.
What is Rucking?
Rucking is the act of walking or hiking with a weighted rucksack. The term comes directly from the military, where personnel routinely cover long distances on foot carrying increasingly heavy packs as part of their training. In a civilian context, rucking simply means strapping on a backpack with added weight and heading out for a walk. It’s low-tech, scalable, requires minimal equipment and is extremely effective.
Rucking is straightforward, effective, and adaptable to all fitness levels. Whether you’re looking to shed fat, build resilience, or simply add variety to your workouts, strapping on a rucksack might be the simplest way to elevate your training. And with every mile covered, you’ll not only feel fitter but also tougher - inside, and out.
The Benefits of Rucking
Builds Strength & Endurance: Carrying additional load challenges your legs, hips, back, core, and shoulder girdle, strengthening key muscle groups whilst improving cardiovascular endurance
Low Impact Cardio: With no high-impact movements, rucking is easier on the joints than some forms of exercise. Rucking delivers aerobic benefits without the injuries associated with more dynamic high impact activities.
Functional Fitness: Rucking mimics real-world physical demands, especially if you're preparing for an adventure or expedition. Rucking builds useful, practical strength and improves cardiovascular performance.
Mental Resilience: Long-distance rucking can be quite demanding mentally as well as physically. It develops grit and mental toughness that improves resilience in every aspect of life.
How to Get Started
Choose Your Pack: Any Karrimor SF backpack is suitable for rucking, but, if you want to carry more weight then you need a pack large enough.
Start Light: Begin with 10–20 pounds (4–9 kg) of weight. General hiking gear is a great place to start loading your pack, but as you increase your carried weight you could add books, extra water bottles, sand bags, or even weight plates. Don't be in a rush to carry more - increase the load gradually to facilitate adaptation and improve safety.
Pick Your Distance: Start with 1–2 miles (1.5–3 km) at a brisk walking pace. Over time, increase your distance or intensity by walking faster, going uphill, or adding weight to your Karrimor SF pack.
Focus on Form: Maintain good posture, keep your shoulders back, and engage your core to prevent strain. Adjusting the shoulder harness, hip belt, using your sternum strap all help to increase comfort and load stability, and on larger Karrimor SF packs you may have our SA Back System.
Progress Safely: Follow the principle of progressive overload. Don't be in a rush to carry more - increase the load gradually to facilitate adaptation and improve safety.
You can view all of the Karrimor SF backpacks on this page, but if you'd like help choosing the right pack for you then you can find your nearest Karrimor SF retailer on this page, or please feel free to contact us.
