A ruck march is walking a set distance while carrying a weighted backpack, typically called a rucksack. It originated as a core military training exercise, where soldiers cover long distances under heavy loads to build endurance and simulate field conditions. In recent years, the practice has crossed over into civilian fitness, where it’s simply called “rucking,” and it’s become one of the fastest-growing outdoor workout trends in the country.
Military Origins and Standards
In the U.S. military, ruck marches are a staple of infantry training. They prepare soldiers for the physical reality of carrying gear, water, ammunition, and supplies across rough terrain. The exercise tests not just leg strength but mental toughness, since marches often happen under sleep deprivation or time pressure.
A standard military ruck march typically involves a 35-pound rucksack over a distance of 6 to 12 miles. At U.S. Army Advanced Camp, for example, cadets wake at 3 a.m. and complete a 6-mile ruck with a 35-pound pack in 90 to 120 minutes. Special operations selection courses push this much further, with candidates carrying 50 pounds or more over longer distances at faster paces. The exercise is considered so fundamental that it appears in nearly every branch’s physical readiness program.
How Rucking Went Mainstream
Rucking started entering the civilian fitness world in the early 2000s, largely driven by GORUCK, a company founded by Jason McCarthy, a former U.S. Army Special Forces member. GORUCK sells purpose-built rucking backpacks and organizes group endurance events modeled after military training. The company reported a 65 percent year-over-year increase in pack sales and a 44 percent jump in website traffic from 2023 to 2024.
Google searches for “rucking” have climbed steadily over the past decade, with a notable spike around 2022 as people looked for outdoor alternatives to gym workouts during the pandemic. The appeal is straightforward: all you need is a backpack and something heavy. No gym membership, no complex equipment, no learning curve beyond putting one foot in front of the other.
Calorie Burn and Physical Benefits
The simple addition of weight to a walk changes the workout significantly. A 200-pound person walking at a moderate pace burns roughly 474 calories per hour. Add a 20-pound pack, and that number jumps to about 636 calories per hour, a 34 percent increase. The extra load also raises your heart rate by about 10 beats per minute, which for many people is enough to shift from a light effort into a moderate cardiovascular training zone.
Beyond calorie burn, rucking loads your skeleton in ways that regular walking doesn’t. The added weight forces your legs, hips, and core to work harder with every step, building strength in muscles that support your posture and protect your joints. It’s a form of resistance training and cardio happening simultaneously, which is part of why it appeals to people who find running too hard on their joints or weightlifting too monotonous.
Proper Form and Weight Placement
Good rucking form starts with an upright posture and a slight forward lean. Keep your head up, shoulders back, and core engaged throughout the walk. This helps distribute the load across your frame rather than dumping it onto your lower back. Your stride should be shorter and quicker than a normal walk. Land on your midfoot and roll through to your toes rather than reaching out with long heel-striking steps, which increases impact on your knees.
How you pack the weight matters just as much as how much you carry. The load should sit centered on your back, riding high between your shoulder blades rather than sagging toward your lower back. If your pack has a hip belt or chest strap, use them. These straps transfer some of the weight from your shoulders to your hips, which are far better built to handle heavy loads over long distances. A pack that bounces or shifts side to side will create hotspots and throw off your gait, so tighten straps until the bag feels stable against your body.
How to Start as a Beginner
The most common recommendation is to start with about 10 percent of your body weight. For a 180-pound person, that’s roughly 18 pounds. Walk for 30 minutes at a comfortable pace, three to four times per week. After about a month, if that feels easy, you can begin adding distance, speed, or weight, but not all three at once.
A safe progression is adding about 5 pounds to your pack every few weeks. Most people eventually work up to 25 to 30 percent of their body weight, or around 50 to 60 pounds, depending on their goals. If you’re training for a military selection program or a GORUCK event, you’ll need to hit the higher end of that range. If you’re rucking for general fitness, there’s no need to push past a weight that lets you maintain good form and finish your route feeling challenged but not wrecked.
Resist the urge to add weight too quickly. Five pounds doesn’t sound like much, but over a few miles it changes the demand on your feet, ankles, and hips considerably. Gradual progression is the single most important factor in avoiding overuse injuries.
Essential Gear
You can technically ruck with any backpack and a couple of heavy books, but a few upgrades make the experience safer and more comfortable. A pack designed for rucking will have a padded back panel, reinforced shoulder straps, and a compartment that holds the weight close to your spine. Standard daypacks tend to let the load sag and bounce, which gets painful fast.
Footwear matters more than most beginners expect. You don’t need military boots, but you do want shoes with good ankle support and a firm sole. Trail runners or hiking shoes both work well. Pair them with merino wool socks, which wick moisture and dry quickly. Wet feet over several miles lead to blisters, and blisters are the number one reason people cut a ruck short.
For the weight itself, you have options. Ruck-specific weight plates are shaped to sit flat against your back and won’t shift around. Sandbags work too and are much cheaper. Wrapping a few bricks in a towel and stuffing them into your pack is the budget approach, though the edges can wear through fabric over time. Whatever you use, make sure it can’t move freely inside the pack. Loose weight that shifts mid-stride is a recipe for sore spots and an uneven gait.