What is the Rucking Method? How Weights Enhance Your Runs

Isabel del Barrio 6 min. of reading Fitness Leave a comment

This new training concept, derived from military training during their preparation phase, has become popular as a new way to exercise and improve not only strength, cardiovascular system but also in body fat loss programs.
Rucking involves walking with an extra load, whether with a heavy backpack, a weighted vest, or any other material that adds additional weight during its practice.
It is not only an activity accessible to everyone, but in the preparatory phases of seasons, it is an alternative that many endurance athletes use to improve our overall physical condition.

Index

1 Benefits of Walking with Weights
2 How to Start Rucking?
3 Types of Weights or Loads
4 Routines to Start Running with Weights

Benefits of Walking with Weights

This training method allows improving not only cardiovascular strength but the strength of the whole body, especially lower limbs (glutes and legs) since it basically consists of hiking with additional equipment load.

But we find many more benefits that will make you start incorporating this type of activity if you are an endurance athlete, if you want to improve your health in general or if you are looking to reduce your body fat percentage.

It is a low-impact activity: Unlike running and trail running, there is no joint impact, which makes it suitable for the general public.
Improves base aerobic endurance: Which is perfect for improving tissue oxygenation and mitochondrial function.
Outdoor exercise: Better intake of clean oxygen, contact with nature and open spaces, supply of vitamin D.
Increases energy expenditure: You will have to move your body with an extra load, which means that you have to increase the energy expenditure for the same activity.
Suitable for the general public: And a complementary activity if you are already an athlete or go to the gym.
Improves posture and balance: As long as we try to maintain an aligned position with that extra load; development of strength and back musculature.
Can be done anywhere: Although it is more challenging if you choose a varied terrain with some incline to increase the strength of the lower limbs and be somewhat more demanding at a cardiovascular level.

How to Start Rucking?

The rucking method is simple to implement in your daily routine, whether it be exercise or physical activity, as it involves walking at a light pace with an additional load.

It is ideal to start the first few weeks with short walks, between 30 minutes and 1 hour, depending on your current fitness level and with a load that does not exceed 10% of your body weight.

Then, you can gradually increase the duration and the extra weight.

As you progress in the activity, it can be progressively increased up to 20-25% of body weight.

Regarding the correct technique you need to pay special attention to the following points:

Perform good abdominal breathing.
Wear suitable footwear for walking, especially if it is on uneven terrain or mountain: that has good grip on the sole (studs, for example), and ankle support.
Maintain good posture, as upright as possible avoiding leaning your shoulders forward,

To avoid overloads and/or injuries, we need to complement this type of activity with compensatory work:

Perform good mobility work of your ankles before starting the activity, as well as analytical strength exercises for ankles.
Strength work of your back musculature.
Stretches of the anterior chain.

Types of Weights or Loads

We can use a backpack to which we add that extra load, use ankle weights (although here the load is distributed differently), or weighted vests.

The simplest way is to use a backpack that is comfortable for you and with some padding on the back to prevent discomfort during the walk. You can add objects of certain density like books, water containers.

It is preferable to use a weighted vest as the weight will be better distributed.

There are also those who use weights on the ankles, but keep in mind in this case, that the load is not distributed in the same way and there is greater tension in hip flexors and lumbar square.

It is the most advisable especially if the activity is going to be prolonged in duration.

There are also ground drags. In this case, the work is more oriented towards the pulling strength of lower limbs and is usually used by athletes with more experience and level looking for specific work.

TIP: When carrying a backpack, there is a tendency to round the back and hunch over. Carry your hands on the straps of the backpack to prevent this from happening.

Routines to Start Running with Weights

Here we propose different types of sessions depending on the current fitness level, to start practicing the rucking method. Although it can be done anywhere, ideally it is done on a varied terrain with some incline: tracks, paths, field, and mountain.

Sessions for beginners:

2-3 times a week on non-consecutive days walks of 30 minutes with a load between 5-10% of your body weight.

Increase intensity in the following weeks:

The same number of sessions increasing the load slightly.
One session of longer duration: between 45 minutes and an hour.
Same sessions and greater terrain incline.

You can implement them for 4 weeks before moving to the next level.

Intermediate level sessions:

If you already have a good level of fitness, are an endurance athlete (triathlete, cyclist, runner), you can include 1 or 2 sessions a week as complementary work.

2 days a week with an extra load between 10-20% of your own body weight, starting with walks between 30-45 minutes long.
1 day a week as a low-intensity and long-duration work between 60-90 minutes through varied terrain with some incline and an extra load between 10-20% of your own body weight.

You can implement them for 4 weeks before moving to the next level.

Advanced level sessions:

If you have good levels of strength and endurance, adding between one to three sessions a week of this activity will be the perfect complement to improve your strength, endurance, and posture.

Uneven terrain: with a load between 15-25% of your own body weight, walk between 30-60 minutes long.
Run Walk Method: you can alternate walking intervals with short intervals between 2-3 minutes of gentle jogging to increase the intensity of the training. In this case, the load between 10-15% of your own body weight.

Related Posts