Ruck training

[Colby3]

When do you start your weighted pack ruck training in prep for September and what weight do you carry?

 

[fatlander]

The sooner you start, the better off you’ll be. No one goes elk hunting and thinks they were in too good of shape. Train year round, then you’ll never have to start again.

Outside of general strength building workouts, I do at least one 50# ruck per week. I do a few more per week as the season gets closer and sometimes will bump that weight up a bit.


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[cfdjay]

I train year round but as far as ruck specific I started a couple weeks ago. I have a 50lb bag of concrete that has dried and now weighs 85lbs. I duck taped that and use it for stairs. Fits perfect in my pack.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I step mine up as season nears but I try not to stop. I build To more weight and distance. I add in inclined treadmill and stair machine along with more step ups along with weighted lunges.

 

[Johbran]

The sooner you start, the better off you’ll be. No one goes elk hunting and thinks they were in too good of shape. Train year round, then you’ll never have to start again.

Outside of general strength building workouts, I do at least one 50# ruck per week. I do a few more per week as the season gets closer and sometimes will bump that weight up a bit.


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how far of a hike each week?

 

[RELIANT]

I start at 35 lbs and work my way up to 60-75 lbs by the end of spring. The goal is to get 2-3 days in ruking a week and alternate weights, speeds, and distances / routes between 3-5 miles per hike. I also try alternating whether I shoot the bow prior to the hike or after the hike.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

December. Basically add 10-15# a month, maxing out at 90. The bulk of what I do is step ups since it's fairly flat where I live, also work in tire drags once the temps are above 40F.

 

[Screamrider]

Never stop, but increase frequency no later than May. I aim for 3 days per week, 2 days 40-50 lbs and at least 6 miles, 1 day heavier (60-70 lbs) and 3-4 miles. I always ease into increases of both weight and distance to guard against over-training.

 

[kowboy]

Easy to overtrain in Ruk especially for the older guys (joints are joints and like the springs on your truck, they get burnt up). I do #50lb / 5-8 miles once a week and then incorporate a lot of resistance training 3-4 times / week. Keeping the heart rate in Zone 2 and periodically 3 will help build endurance and shed those unwanted bacon handles. Walking is the best expecise out there overall. Monitor your heart rate, this gives you the feedback you need. Shuffle UP the hills and get your body acclimated to UP, UP, UP, then flat pace over smoother ground. Like the others said, 'don't ever stop'. Go year around

 

[GunsAreFun]

I doubt stop. After September, I do two workouts per week, with at least one a ruck with 50#. In January, I go to 3x a week with 2 rucks at 65#.

In April, I go to 4x a week with at least 3 rucks.

May up to the hunt it’s 5x per week with at least 4 rucks. One is 65# that includes running up a hill and walking back down on a paved trail. The other is 85# up and down a steep, rocky hill on the back side of a bluff.

I use bags of concrete for my weight. Put them in contractor trash bags and duct tape them tight so they don’t make a mess.

 

[inkedspot]

December. Basically add 10-15# a month, maxing out at 90. The bulk of what I do is step ups since it's fairly flat where I live, also work in tire drags once the temps are above 40F.

how many step ups do you do during a training session? I’ve been trying to do 3 miles a day with 20-30lbs and then twice a week up it to 40-65lbs for 4-6 miles but I live in way flat ground. Step ups with weighted pack would be a good plan

 

[ResearchinStuff]

My box is 13" tall. I raise weight monthly, start with 600 in a session, by the end of the month aim to be doing 1,000+ in one setting. The most I've done at a time was 1800, that gets really boring.

 

[inkedspot]

Appreciate the share. I’ve got two different boxes - a 12-14-16 and a 16-20-24, I’ll work in a couple of different heights a session.

 

[McKolorado]

Hunt specific program I am using started in February with 55lb pack on a 2 mile ruck, one day per week and another day of step ups, 300, on a 15-18 inch step/box with 30lb pack. Weight and distance will increase over time all the way up until hunting season.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Hunt specific program I am using started in February with 55lb pack on a 2 mile ruck, one day per week and another day of step ups, 300, on a 15-18 inch step/box with 30lb pack. Weight and distance will increase over time all the way up until hunting season.

Sounds like an atomic athlete program. They're pretty good if you have the time to follow it.

 

[McKolorado]

Sounds like an atomic athlete program. They're pretty good if you have the time to follow it.

It’s actually the plan from Mountain Tactical Institute (probably very similar). Yes, time consuming (and more so as the program progresses) but as I was kindly reminded by Rob (owner of MTI) backcountry hunting is an ENDURANCE event To stay long you’ve got to go long. Definitely not for everyone as not everyone’s aspirations are to be able to hunt hard for long distances over the course of a week or two.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

..... Train year round, then you’ll never have to start again ......

Exactly.

 

[Next Ridge]

All year, 25-50lbs

 

[cuerro viejo]

When do you start your weighted pack ruck training in prep for September and what weight do you carry?

July. I only do rucks to condition feet, I train year round though

 

[khart_6882]

Just started up again this week with 50lb sack of salt strapped to the frame of my pack. Just been on the flats around the neighborhood doing 3 miles at a time. Next week I’ll start working into the hills around the house


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