My Knee-Safe Pack Training Routine

[spinninggriller]

Used to ruck 60 lbs on pavement — blew my knees by June. Switched to short hill intervals with a 40 lb sandbag 3× a week. Added step-ups and sled drags.
Result: no pain, faster recovery, and I’m packing elk quarters faster now than at 25.
If your knees hurt, stop pretending asphalt helps. It doesn’t.

 

[justinspicher]

It sounds like your previous training was a real pain in the asphalt….

 

[hibernation]

Rucking seems to be the kind of thing that's easy to overdo, a little goes a long way.

Or maybe I just dread it and that's what I tell myself.

 

[bigcarp99]

How many intervals do you do?

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Rucking seems to be the kind of thing that's easy to overdo, a little goes a long way.

Or maybe I just dread it and that's what I tell myself.

Absolutely. I’ve found that it’s good to reset in the off season but not get rid of it completely. After hunting ends, I usually just throw a go ruck pack with ~ 35lbs in it and I use it when I walk my dogs. Usually just flat to rolling dirt roads, nothing crazy, 2-4miles 5 to 6 times a week.

Over the summer I’ll get back to real pack “training”.

 

[hibernation]

Absolutely. I’ve found that it’s good to reset in the off season but not get rid of it completely. After hunting ends, I usually just throw a go ruck pack with ~ 35lbs in it and I use it when I walk my dogs. Usually just flat to rolling dirt roads, nothing crazy, 2-4miles 5 to 6 times a week.

Over the summer I’ll get back to real pack “training”.

30 to 40 lbs is the sweet spot for me. Enough that I can feel it, but not enough to bother my knees. I can get a lot more volume in safely this way and do the heavier rucks pretty sparingly.