Ruck training suggestions

[locerson]

Hello all, flat lander here, planning on trying to take down an elk in ID this fall. Wondering if anyone could give any good suggestions for a training schedule that would help. I started about 2.5 months ago rucking with 30lbs in my pack for 3 miles 3 days a week. Just last week was the first sessions I had where my shins weren't on fire. Looking for input on when I should start incrementing weight vs distance and what size of increments would be best. Should I go straight into large elevation changes with the current weight or should I bump up weight first then add more elevation? Any suggestions/discussions are greatly appreciated.

 

[mike.adams.467]

I would increase distance incrementally without adding more weight. Many of the younger, stronger guys will encourage to keep adding weight, but I can assure you almost all of your hiking will be done for long distances with your hunting pack. You can add more weight for shorter distances once in a while, but endurance works for me. I work up to 9-10 miles 3-4 times a week, with some short distance hikes in steep country and a few heavy, short packs.

 

[Jdaho]

Idaho mountains are rough! I would recommend distance and elevation over weight. My experience has been that the pack stays about the same weight but the miles and elevation are changing. Spend time training in the hills and over uneven ground.

 

[Marbles]

At 30 pounds, I would add weight untill you are training with your gear weight for the hunt. Then build distance until time becomes a limiting factor. Then start adding elevation gain.

If you have unlimited time then around 1-2 hours under load I would start working in elevation (or 2 months before your hunt regardless of anything else).

I like doing heavy days, but the above keeps things simple and reduces the risk of injury if you get things wrong on loading.

 

[turbobrick]

I ruck train year round, its been a really good thing for me. My house is right about 5k feet, so I have that advantage. I have a set 3 mile route, chosen so its a mix of up and down, with a super steep sandy drop and climb about 1/2 way through. I time the rucks, and try to keep the pace up with a 60 pound pack. You can see what your times are like, and if they are as fast as you'd like and stable, add some weight and get the time back up to what it was before. Adding in intentional side-hilling and steep stuff is great for ankles.

 

[BigLou]

some good advice here already. I might add, think about getting a heart rate monitor and work at a weight/intensity that allows you to get into zone 3 for a significant portion of the hike. Also, some others have already made reference to "heavy" and "light" training days. Think about the max distance you would reasonably be hauling out an elk and work up to 80-90 pounds at that distance for an occaisional "heavy" day...

My heavy days are with 83 pounds for 4.6 miles at current.

 

[Conrad101st]

For the month prior to elk season:
1. I go to the OU college stadium parking lot. 6 floors.

1 day per week I sprint the stairs without weight. Intent is to increase VO2 max.

1 day per week, I simply walk up the stairs at a normal pace with a 50 pound ruck. Intent is to build leg strength.

When I do stairs with or without a ruck, I chug up the 6 flights then take the elevator down. Saves the knees and perfect rest time between every set. Usually try to do 10 - 12 sets.

2. Then I do leg day with weights 1x per week.
Leg press for 50 controlled reps, then increase weight and 2 or 3 sets of 25. I don’t try to hammer brute weight anymore bc of joints at 60. But trust me these sets still burn like bitch. Then add 3 sets of prone leg curls.

I found that just walking for 3-5 miles in flat terrain doesn’t do much for me even with a ruck. Mind you, I play tennis about 6 hours per week so that’s a whole lot of running.

I used to hump a ruck for a living so it doesn’t bug me too much. My main concern is knee stability.

 

[Kw168504]

Hello all, flat lander here, planning on trying to take down an elk in ID this fall. Wondering if anyone could give any good suggestions for a training schedule that would help. I started about 2.5 months ago rucking with 30lbs in my pack for 3 miles 3 days a week. Just last week was the first sessions I had where my shins weren't on fire. Looking for input on when I should start incrementing weight vs distance and what size of increments would be best. Should I go straight into large elevation changes with the current weight or should I bump up weight first then add more elevation? Any suggestions/discussions are greatly appreciated.

Nothing compares to hiking in high elevation so you’ll have a shock to your system regardless of your training. 30 lbs and 3 miles is nothing. Everyone is different so improve based on how you feel and what’s most enjoyable to you.

I keep 45 lbs on my ruck pack and i just walk at 2.5 mph until I get bored. Typically 2 - 4 miles. Getting used to weight on your back is important but what I found most important is being able to run(5ks) and Bulgarian splits squats.

 

[RWT]

Look for a gym with a Jacob’s Ladder machine. Fastest way to build cardio and endurance. Let us know how long your first session is before the machine stops.

 

[justinspicher]

You can’t cheat the mountains and they don’t care what you do for training.

I’d suggest putting everything you plan on taking in your pack and just carrying that. Take it out every night and reload it. You’ll get more efficient at packing up for your hunt.

 

[locerson]

Thanks everyone for the input! Timing is still a factor for me at this point, but after some of the input I will probably try to start getting out to 5 miles and adding in what little elevation we have around here. I still need to get my full hunt pack put together so I have an idea of what kind of weight I will be hauling the majority of the time out there. I like the idea of working in heavy days rather than just building up the weight every time.

 

[Skerhunter]

Sounds like you have a good start!

No need to go heavy quite yet. I would start working in elevation, maybe without weight depending on how comfortable you are. Closer to the hunt I would add in heavy rucks 2 maybe 3 days per week for shorter distances.

Rucking is a big time commitment and easy to get burned out on, pick some realistic goals for your hunt and try to occasionally replicate them (miles per day/pack out distance/consecutive days with big hikes).

 

[RC_]

Some good recommended reading.

How to Build the Endurance to Get Yourself Out of Any Crisis, Pt. 1

Todd Bumgardner is the founder of Packmule Training Co., where hunters train year-round to be season-ready. He’s been a human performance coach for 20 years, including 8 years with a tier-1 unit. Todd owns a gym in Northern Virginia, currently resides in California, and spends more time in the...

unchartedsupplyco.com

How to Build the Endurance to Get Yourself Out of Any Crisis, Pt. 2

Todd Bumgardner is the founder of Packmule Training Co., where hunters train year-round to be season-ready. He’s been a human performance coach for 20 years, including 8 years with a tier-1 unit. Todd owns a gym in Northern Virginia, currently resides in California, and spends more time in the...

unchartedsupplyco.com

 

[Backyard]

Check out Mtn Tough workout programs. (Not affiliated). It does wonders for this flatlander.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[twall13]

Not saying it's right for everyone but something that has helped me a ton is adding in some walking lunges on my rucks. Before I bump up on weight I bump up the reps in my walking lunge sets for a few weeks. When I say walking lunges, I mean slow and controlled, long strides with deep lunges, knee touching the ground each rep. Even starting at 2 sets of 15 reps each will get you sore if you haven't been working those muscles. 3 sets of 30 without getting sore and I'm ready to bump up my ruck weight. I typically do the lunges about a mile into the ruck so I'm warmed up a bit. YMMV

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[LCguy]

Get a gym membership at your closest big chain gym for $10/month and use the stair stepper with your weighted pack. I use a 50lb bag of feed corn from Tractor Supply to weigh my pack. I would suggest going heavier at least once a week so you can really dial in your pack.

For my rucks, I ruck once a week, starting about 16 weeks from my first hunt with around 65 lbs. The hike is about 5 miles with 2k feet elevation gain. Just remember, going up with weight is one thing; coming down is significantly harder on your legs. I would add weight training to help protect your knees.

 

[locerson]

some good advice here already. I might add, think about getting a heart rate monitor and work at a weight/intensity that allows you to get into zone 3 for a significant portion of the hike. Also, some others have already made reference to "heavy" and "light" training days. Think about the max distance you would reasonably be hauling out an elk and work up to 80-90 pounds at that distance for an occaisional "heavy" day...

My heavy days are with 83 pounds for 4.6 miles at current.

What would you consider zone 3? I track my walks with my apple watch and am generally at 125-135 for the majority of the hour I am out.

 

[usahntr1]

Flatlander here as well. My training included the following, which worked well last year. When it came to rucking I wanted to hike longer with heavier weight than would be typical on the mountain to account for the lack of terrain and elevation in my home area. I also mixed in different 'types' of cardio to simulate steep movements and build V02. Also recommend training in your boots.

- Ruck: 2x per week. First session long, second session short with additional weight. The following week keep the weight the same as session 2 but same/increased distance from session 1. I ramped up over 4 months and kept it at 9.5 mi with an 80 lb pack the final few weeks.
- Weighted step-ups: 1x per week. weighted vest, stepping up and down on an 18 in box for increasing time each week
- V02 target: 2x week. BJJ, Jump rope intervals
- Rested/light activity the last 5 days before my hunt

 

[BigLou]

i think there is some variation in the definition, I use the Orange Theory definition which is 71-83% of your max heart rate for zone 3. zone 4 is 84-91%

 

[35WhelenAI]

What would you consider zone 3? I track my walks with my apple watch and am generally at 125-135 for the majority of the hour I am out.

Agree with @BigLou one post above. I would make it simple and call it 75% plus or minus a handful of percent percent, if you want to do a formula made for the general public and has no individual variation built into it.

There is the age-based maximum heart rate that is a blanket statement made 30 or more years ago and it hasn't changed.

Then there is your actual maximum heart rate. An individual's maximum heart rate is based on current fitness, predisposed genetic factors, actual physical size of one's heart and probably some other stuff that I've forgotten over the years.

Years ago I did a maximum heart rate test, and that simply involves pushing yourself till you think you're going to pass out and see what your heart rate is with a heart rate monitor. This takes into account current fitness level and it varies as fitness level varies.

The highest I ever saw in the prime of my adult fitness was 182 beats per minute. At that time my age based maximum should have been 190. This was during training for a marathon, Pikes Peak ascent, Xterra triathlon.

For comparison, my 2-year younger brother was training for the same things. His maximum heart rate pushing himself to the limit was 205.

Regardless of the formula, two guys within two years of each other from the same parents, varied by 23 beats a minute. The formula is nothing more than that, something created as a general guideline but it may be misleading.

Point being, do the best you can to find out what your max heart rate is for you as an individual. Do calculations from that if you want to fine tune it for yourself.