Rucking is a unique workout that can provide the user with countless benefits. Thanks to its benefits and the fact that it can be fun, many people are embracing rucking. Although it is suitable for everyone, it tends to be the best cardio workout for guys who hate running on a treadmill.
It’ll allow them to work on their cardio and strength simultaneously while also protecting their bodies from injuries. Plus, the workout is inexpensive or even free in many cases. The only downside is that variation must be added to the workout to keep it exciting. Otherwise, you’re going to get sick of rucking through the same wilderness and along the same trails. To keep things interesting, you just need to visit new parks or get friends to join you.
Use the advice below to get the best rucking workout for your skill level.
For Beginners
Rucking is not easy. If you want to get the most out of it, you’ll have to build up your tolerance so you can tolerate more weight. With this in mind, beginners should take it slow and work diligently to build up their tolerance. Don’t add too much weight because you may end up hurting yourself early on.
Instead, start with lower weights and move slowly to ensure that you’re not going to encounter these issues. It’ll be safer and more fun because you’ll be able to chart your progress. As you become more comfortable rucking, you can add more weights to your bag.
You’ll be able to see the difference you’re making so it’ll be easier to remain motivated.
Tips For Beginners – Beginners should limit the amount of weight they’re carrying at once. It may also be a good idea to reduce the distance. Build up your tolerance before taking on bigger challenges.
Benefits – Beginner rucking exercises offer various benefits. The biggest is the fact that you’ll be less likely to get injured. You won’t bite off more than you can chew and end up getting seriously hurt.
How It Works – It is easy for beginners to start rucking. Just make sure that the weights are roughly 10 to 20% of your body weight. Don’t travel too far. Up to four miles should be enough for newcomers.
Progressing Safely – Make sure you’re progressing safely without rushing the process. Once you feel comfortable with the current weight and distance, you can add a few pounds or another mile.
Rucking In Intervals
To work on your cardio, it is best to get your heart pumping. Rucking is great for this purpose, but you’ll need to take advantage of interval rucking to get the best results. You’ll start at one intensity and change midway through the journey. You’ll quickly increase your heart rate and begin developing your muscles. At the end of the rucking exercise, you should move to a lower intensity level.
Doing so will allow you to recover safely. Interval rucking is great for reaching the threshold of 15 minutes per mile.
How It Works – Once you’ve charted your journey, you should choose the intensity level for each leg of the route. Remember to always end the route at a lower intensity to let your body adjust and recover. Beginners may travel up to four miles. The first two or three miles can be traveled at a high intensity. As for the last mile, you should move slowly to recover.
Progressing Properly – You can’t progress until your body is ready to do so. Wait until you can evenly split the journey before moving forward.
Ways To Progress – Once you’ve completed one stage of interval rucking, you should move up and make the exercise harder. You can add more weight to your bag or travel a bit further. You can also travel at a higher intensity for longer. Remember to only increase one of these.
Calisthenics And Rucking
Many people don’t have a lot of time to add more exercises to their daily workout routine. If you fit into this group, you should consider combining rucking with other exercises. Rucking is very versatile because it can be combined with running, pull-ups, chin-ups, and more exercises. It can even be added to your full-body calisthenics routine.
How It Works – You can add push-ups or ruck swings to your journey. After half a mile, stop and do ten pushups while wearing the bag. If you’re a beginner, you can remove the bag. You can also try high pulls, overhead presses, and other exercises.
Progressing – Once the current routine has become easy, it is time to up the intensity. Add more weight or travel a longer distance. You can also add more reps. Instead of doing 10 pushups, you can do 20.
Gold Standard
More people want to get to the point that they can ruck a mile in 15 minutes. Anything better than that is amazing. With this in mind, you should begin working diligently to reach this fitness level. It won’t be easy, but you can do it with practice and persistence. Once you’ve loaded the backpack or rucksack, start walking. Pace yourself and try to increase the speed with each session.
Over a period, you will become fitter so your time will improve.
How It Works – It isn’t hard to take part in this activity. Once the bag is loaded with the desired weight, start hiking. Try to walk as fast as you can. It is wise to use a fitness app to keep track of your progress and speeds.
Progressing – Once you’ve managed to travel a mile every 15 minutes, it is time to make the exercise more intense. You can make your rucksack heavier. Alternatively, you can travel even further. Don’t increase both simultaneously because it might be too much.
Summary
Rucking is an effective way to sculpt your body and build your cardio. Nevertheless, beginners cannot rush into this exercise because it can be tough. Instead, you should learn the basic rucking exercises so you can progress slowly and safely. With persistence, you’ll easily be able to meet the standard of a mile every 15 minutes. Then, you can move on to even bigger goals.