Ruck March

A ruck march is walking under load. You put weight in a pack, you put the pack on your back, and you cover ground at a steady pace. It is the most honest conditioning tool in tactical training because it is the actual job for a lot of people, and it builds work capacity in your legs, hips and trunk without the joint cost of running. It is also the easiest thing on this list to overdo. Distance and load both climb slowly or your feet and knees pay for it.

How to Perform

1. Load the pack so the heaviest items sit high and close to your spine, not sagging at the bottom.
2. Set the shoulder straps so the pack rides on your upper back, then tighten the hip belt if you have one so some of the load sits on your hips.
3. Stand tall. Ribs down, chest up, eyes forward. Do not lean into the load with a rounded upper back.
4. Walk with a normal stride and a quick cadence. Do not lengthen your stride to go faster, take more steps instead.
5. Hold the pace you can hold for the whole distance. A steady 15 minute mile beats a fast start and a limp home.
6. Finish, drop the pack, and walk for two minutes unloaded before you sit down.

Tips

• Break in the boots and the pack before you add distance. Most ruck injuries are blisters and shin pain, not heroic ones.
• Add distance first, then load. Roughly ten percent more per week on one variable at a time.
• Socks matter more than the pack does. Wool or synthetic, never cotton.
• If your lower back is doing all the work, the load is too low in the pack or too heavy for you right now.
• A ruck is not a run. If you are jogging under a heavy pack for conditioning, you are buying risk you do not need.