If you've spent any time around fitness lately, you've probably heard somebody talking about rucking.
Weighted backpacks. Ruck plates. Rucking shoes. Rucking clubs.
Apparently, walking with a heavy bag is new now.
The Army might have something to say about that.
I spent more than two decades in the military, where putting weight on your back and walking somewhere wasn't a fitness trend. Sometimes it was training. Sometimes it was a test. Sometimes it was simply how you got from one place to another.
And believe me, nobody was calling it a wellness routine.
But there's a reason rucking has made its way into mainstream fitness:
It works.
You take one of the most basic movements humans can do—walking—add resistance, and suddenly your body has more work to do.
The problem is that people discover rucking and immediately want to make it miserable.
Don't.
If you're starting for general fitness, you don't need 35 pounds. You don't need 12 miles. And you definitely don't need to prove you can move at a military pace.
You need to build.
What Is Rucking?
At its simplest, rucking is walking while carrying weight on your back.
That's it.
The military version can get considerably more complicated. Soldiers carry substantial loads over long distances and difficult terrain because the goal isn't simply fitness. They're preparing for a job that may require moving people and equipment under load.
Civilian rucking doesn't have to be that.
If your goal is better conditioning, more daily movement, increased work capacity, or simply finding an alternative to running, you don't have to turn every Saturday morning into selection.
That's one of the things I like about rucking.
You can make it what you need it to be.
Why Not Just Walk?
First, don't underestimate regular walking.
If you're currently sedentary, I would rather see you consistently walk than load a backpack because somebody on social media told you rucking is better.
Build the habit first.
But once you have a walking base, adding weight changes the equation. Research on loaded walking shows that carrying additional weight increases both the energy required to move and the mechanical work your body performs.
That's the appeal.
You're still doing something incredibly simple, but you've made it harder without having to turn it into a run.
Just understand the other side of that equation:
More weight means more demand on your body, too.
That's why "if 20 pounds is good, 40 must be better" is terrible beginner logic.
Forget the 35-Pound Army Standard
You'll see 35 pounds mentioned constantly when you research rucking.
There's a reason. That number shows up in military ruck training and standards.
But unless you're preparing for a military requirement, that's not where you need to begin.
This is where military experience can actually work against you.
Some veterans remember what they carried at 20 or 25 years old and think that's where they should start again at 40.
Your body doesn't care what your old unit patch says.
If you haven't rucked in years, you're a beginner again.
Act accordingly.
For someone completely new, I'd rather see you start with 5 to 10 pounds, especially if you're also getting back into exercise.
If you're already active and regularly strength train, you may be comfortable beginning a little heavier. But don't turn your starting weight into a math problem.
Start with a load you can control.
Your first ruck should almost feel too easy.
That's fine.
You can make the next one harder.
Your First Ruck
Here's where I would start:
Weight: 5–10 pounds
Time: 20–30 minutes
Terrain: Flat and familiar
Effort: Brisk but controlled
Goal: Finish feeling like you could have done more
That's not going to impress anybody on Instagram.
Good.
You're not training for Instagram.
You're teaching your feet, ankles, knees, hips, back, and shoulders to handle loaded walking.
If 30 minutes feels great, don't immediately double everything on your next ruck.
Repeat it.
Let your body adapt.
Then progress.
Don't Add Everything at Once
There are three easy ways to make a ruck harder:
Weight. Distance. Pace.
Don't crank all three up at the same time.
This is one of the simplest rules I can give a beginner, and it's consistent with Army H2F ruck-training guidance: progressively increase the challenge instead of piling more weight and more distance on simultaneously.
If you increase your pack weight, don't also decide that today is the day you're setting a speed record and adding another two miles.
Your lungs may tell you that you can keep going before the rest of your body is ready for the additional load.
Give your body time to catch up.
A simple beginner progression could look something like this:
Weeks 1–2: 5–10 lb., 20–30 minutes
Weeks 3–4: Same weight, 30–40 minutes
Weeks 5–6: Add a small amount of weight OR increase your pace or distance
After that: Continue gradually based on how you're recovering
That's deliberately conservative.
There is no prize for reaching 30 pounds faster.
You Don't Need a $300 Ruck to Start
I like good equipment.
But equipment is also one of the easiest ways to turn a simple activity into an excuse.
"I'll start when I get the right ruck."
No.
Get a decent backpack you already own. Add a small, secured load. Go walk.
A purpose-built rucksack becomes more useful as your loads and distances increase because it's designed to keep weight stable and close to your body. But you don't need premium equipment to find out whether you even enjoy rucking.
Whatever you're carrying, secure it.
Don't throw a dumbbell into the bottom of a backpack and let it bounce around for three miles.
Keep the load stable and close to your body. Army H2F guidance recommends packing heavier items higher and close to the body rather than low and away from it.
Use towels, clothing, or another filler to keep improvised weight from shifting.
Your backpack shouldn't feel like there's a bowling ball fighting you every step.
Your Feet Matter More Than Your Backpack
If you've ever done a long military movement, you already know where this is going.
Take care of your feet.
For a beginner doing short rucks on pavement, you probably don't need military boots. A comfortable pair of walking, trail, or training shoes that fits correctly may be enough.
What matters is that your footwear works for your feet and your terrain.
Wear good socks. Keep your feet as dry as possible. Pay attention when you start feeling a hotspot.
Don't wait until a hotspot becomes a blister and then decide toughness is going to fix it.
It won't.
Pain is information. Use it.
How Should You Walk?
You don't need to reinvent your walking form.
Stay tall. Keep the pack secure. Keep your core engaged naturally and don't let the weight fold you forward.
A slight forward lean can happen as you carry weight. That's different from a pack hanging low and pulling you backward while you compensate by hunching over.
Take controlled steps. Army H2F guidance recommends shorter, quicker strides for ruck efficiency.
And for beginners, walk.
You may see experienced military personnel using a ruck shuffle to meet a time standard. That's different from somebody rucking for health and general fitness.
You don't have a grader standing at Mile 12 with a stopwatch.
How Often Should Beginners Ruck?
I'd start with one or two rucks per week.
Not every day.
Your other days can include regular walking, strength training, mobility work, and whatever conditioning you're already doing.
Once you're adapted and recovering well, you can decide whether adding another day makes sense.
Remember: rucking is training.
Recovery is part of training.
If your knees, feet, shins, hips, or back are consistently hurting after every ruck, adding another rucking day probably isn't the answer.
Strength Training Makes You a Better Rucker
If you want to become better at carrying weight, don't only carry weight.
Build the body carrying it.
Useful movements include:
Squats
Split squats and lunges
Step-ups
Hip hinges or deadlift variations
Calf raises
Rows
Loaded carries
Core stability work
You don't need all of these in every workout.
The goal is stronger legs, hips, back, and trunk so your body is better prepared to support the load.
And if you're brand new to fitness, start even simpler.
Walk first.
Build strength.
Then add load.
Stop Trying to Destroy Yourself
This is probably the biggest lesson I want people to take from this.
A good workout doesn't have to wreck you.
I spent 21 years around a culture where pushing through discomfort was often part of the job. There are times when you need that mentality.
Your Tuesday evening fitness ruck probably isn't one of them.
Training should make you more capable.
If every ruck leaves you unable to train for three days, something is wrong with the dose.
You don't need to prove that you're tough.
You need to be consistent enough to come back.
Rucking Can Be More Than Cardio
This is where rucking fits the Unshak3n mindset for me.
There's something useful about putting weight on your back and moving forward.
You don't need a screen.
You don't need a complicated program.
You don't even need to feel motivated.
Put the ruck on.
Walk.
Some days you'll move faster. Some days you'll move slower. Some days you'll carry more.
But you keep moving.
That's fitness, but it's also a pretty good metaphor for rebuilding anything in your life.
The goal isn't to pretend the weight isn't there.
The goal is to get stronger carrying it.
Your First-Ruck Checklist
Before you turn this into another thing you're going to "start eventually," here's the entire plan:
Grab a backpack.
Put 5–10 pounds in it.
Secure the weight so it can't move around.
Put on comfortable shoes and good socks.
Pick a flat route.
Walk for 20–30 minutes.
Don't worry about your pace.
Pay attention to how your body feels.
Recover.
Do it again.
That's it.
You don't need to be a soldier.
You don't need the perfect gear.
And you don't need to be in great shape before you start.
You just need to start light enough that you're willing and able to do it again.
Load the pack. Take the first step. Keep moving forward.
That's how you build something that's hard to shake.
Sources
U.S. Army Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F), Ruck Marching Optimization / EFMB Optimization Guide.
Looney, D.P., et al. "Metabolic Costs of Walking with Weighted Vests." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2024.
Huang, T.W.P. & Kuo, A.D. "Mechanics and Energetics of Load Carriage During Human Walking." Journal of Experimental Biology, 2014.
Dempsey, A.M., et al. "The Effect of Vertical Load Placement on Metabolic Rate During Loaded Walking in Humans." Ergonomics, 2023.