Rucking vs running. The ultimate showdown of cardio options.

Or is it?

If you haven’t heard of rucking by now, it’s only a matter of time.

Rucking has gone from a military skill to mainstream fitness.

Thanks to companies like GORUCK, rucking is becoming a popular alternative to running.

What is Rucking?

Rucking is carrying a weighted pack while walking, hiking, or even running. It’s an everyday activity in the Armed Forces. The Army requires timed rucks carrying heavy loads of one’s gear. The weight carried during ruck marches can be over 100 pounds.

Traveling great distances and carrying a heavy load at a fast pace is a necessary skill for any ground army. It’s a skill that dates back to the Roman Empire, and has been commonplace in every major war since.

Despite advances in modern technology, the need to carry equipment over rugged terrain is as essential now as it was in the 8th century B.C.

What Are the Benefits of Rucking?

Rucking is not only a great way to experience the outdoors, but it is also a fantastic form of exercise. Rucking builds full body strength and endurance while increasing your heart rate. It also burns more calories than walking.

Rucking is an excellent low-impact cardio option with a focus on eccentric muscle action. What’s an eccentric muscle action? Picture yourself lying on your back on a bench. Imagine lowering a heavy barbell to your chest (i.e., the eccentric part of a bench press). You will begin to feel the force the weight exerts on you as you struggle to keep it elevated. The rucksack is doing the same thing. Except your entire body is working in tandem to keep your body upright under the resistance.

Your hamstrings and calves propel you forward and may be sore after the first time rucking. Add an incline like a hike, and your quads will be toast. Your lats and traps will remain flexed to keep your shoulders back. And your core will remain engaged to keep you upright.

Walking Health Benefits that Likely Apply to Rucking 

A 2013 meta-analysis of the health benefits of group walks examined 42 studies that involved 1,843 participants. Researchers found that walking groups have wide-ranging benefits, including lower blood pressure, lower body fat, decreased cholesterol, and increased VO2 Max.

The meta-analysis also revealed a decrease in levels of depression among participants. 

Most areas now have local ruck clubs for this very reason. The group aspect provides accountability, camaraderie, and social engagement to the activity.

A 2015 study at Stanford University found that “walking in nature yields measurable mental benefits and may reduce risk of depression.” 

Like walking, rucking is a great way to spend more time in nature that could improve your mental health.

Rucking vs Running: How Do They Compare?

Rucking vs running, which one is right for you?

It depends on your goals. If your goal is to burn the most calories in the shortest time, then running is your best bet. If you want to burn more calories than walking but don’t enjoy running, rucking is right up your alley. The bottom line is both options can support weight loss if that’s your goal.

Impact on Joints

While running is an excellent cardiovascular exercise, it comes with a higher impact on joints, particularly the knees and ankles. This impact can be a concern for those with joint issues or those looking to minimize the risk of injury.

Rucking, being a low-impact activity, is easier on the joints. This makes rucking a suitable option for individuals who want a challenging workout without the potential joint stress associated with running.

Muscle Engagement

Running primarily engages the muscles in your lower body, including the calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. It’s an excellent way to build lower body muscular endurance.

Rucking engages a broader range of muscles. Carrying the weight on your back requires the use of not only your leg muscles but also your core, shoulders, and back muscles. This full-body engagement can contribute to improved overall strength and stability.

General Health

If your goal is improving your heart health, blood pressure, and cholesterol, both are good options.

If you live a sedentary lifestyle and want to start a new training program, then rucking might be a more accessible place to start. From there, you can work up to faster and heavier rucks or transition to running.

A combination of rucking and running may be optimal for most people.

Injuries

Both running and rucking can cause injuries if you aren’t careful. Running is a high-impact activity. This means your foot strikes the ground with more force than a lower-impact activity like walking or rucking. Running longer distances can be challenging for those with pre-existing foot, ankle, knee, or lower back pain.

Rucking injuries often occur when adding too much weight to the pack too soon. This can lead to back and shoulder pain. 

Cost

Rucking and running can be as expensive or as affordable as you like.

If you buy a top-of-the-line GORUCK pack and GORUCK weights, then rucking can very quickly become an expensive hobby. But if you already own a backpack and some form of weight, then it doesn’t cost a thing.

The same can be said for running. If you like to spend a lot of money on the latest pair of Nikes and Lululemon shorts, running can become very expensive. Or, if you wear more affordable options, the cost is much less.

Though running and rucking can become expensive depending on your taste, both are still cheaper compared to the cost of a new treadmill. 

Time

Rucking and running are similar in time. If you are a sprinter, you can get a good workout faster than rucking. But your time-to-energy ratio will be about the same if you compare a 20-minute jog to a 20-minute ruck. 

Enjoyment

Some people absolutely hate running. In which case, rucking may be the perfect option.

Other’s find running to be an enjoyable form of cardiovascular exercise.

In my experience, those who love to run, are also likely to love rucking. However, those who love to ruck, often do so because they do not love to run.

Whether you love to run, ruck, or both, both activities are made more enjoyable when done outside in the fresh air and sunlight.

What Do I Need to Start Rucking?

All you need is a backpack and some weight.

Any backpack is fine for starting out. If it’s something you enjoy, invest in a sturdy backpack you use for rucking.

When looking at backpacks for rucking, there are several options.

GORUCK-style rucks are slimmed down from the more traditional military-style packs. GORUCK makes their packs with high-quality materials and padding. THE GR1 is GORUCK’s flagship product and boasts features you won’t find in your standard backpack. 

GORUCK also makes ruck plates designed to fit with their packs. 

GORUCK styles are a good starting place for those looking to get into rucking. Because their packs are the size of a regular backpack, they can be an easy transition for new ruckers.

5.11 is another excellent option for durable rucksacks that can double as your daily backpack. 5.11 packs, like the Rush series, are ideal for the occasional rucker, hiker, and backpacker. They are slimmer than the traditional military packs that make for easy carrying. 

They also look great and cost around the same as GORUCK packs.

MOLLE II (pronounced Molly) packs are the rucks you imagine when you think of the U.S. Army. They are big, bulky, and carry anything you could ever need. Most will have hip and shoulder straps attached to a polymer frame. MOLLE packs run for around the same, or even cheaper, than GORUCK. That said, you won’t be doubling up your MOLLE pack as a backpack for work or school like you can with GORUCK or 5.11.

Unless you are in the military or a long distance backpacker, the MOLLE pack is overkill for a neighborhood ruck.

The same could also be said for the ALICE rucksacks. The U.S. military introduced ALICE packs in the 1970s but have since phased them out from official use. You can still grab an ALICE-style pack on Amazon or your local Army surplus store for a decent price. Like the MOLLE II, ALICE packs are big and meant for carrying supplies.

How Much Weight Should I Ruck With?

The amount of weight you use depends on your fitness level.

If you are a beginner, start slow. Carry 10-15 pounds for a one mile ruck at a comfortable pace. When that begins to feel easy, add a couple of pounds at a time like you would with any strength training exercise.

You don’t need to add 10, 20, or 30 pounds immediately. There’s no one to impress with rucking. A rucksack carrying 50 pounds looks the same as a rucksack carrying 10 pounds. No one’s using X-RAY vision to judge you for how much weight you carry.

Your upper body and lower body may adapt to the weight you’re carrying at different times. Owning the weight with your upper body and lower body is essential before adding more to your pack.

Owning the weight means feeling comfortable with it. When a weight that once felt challenging begins to feel easy, you have owned that weight and are ready for more.

You can also use rucking to improve your speed or endurance. Work to outpace your previous time on a set route or increase the distance with each ruck.

What Kind of Shoes Should I Wear When I Ruck?

It depends on what you are comfortable in. 

Running shoes are fine. Hiking boots, work boots, or military boots provide more ankle support. This can help reduce the risk of injury if you carry heavier loads, ruck uphill, or ruck on uneven terrain.

If you wear insoles when you run, then wear insoles when you ruck. A thick sock can help to prevent blisters.

Since most boots don’t have ventilation to protect the foot from other hazards, trapped moisture can be an ideal habitat for bacteria and fungus. Whenever you ruck in boots, make sure you clean your feet and keep them dry afterward. Long, multi-day rucks will require several fresh socks to keep your feet dry and the bacteria at bay.

Wear long socks that extend past the top of your boots. This will prevent rubbing along the shin and calves.

Can I Use a Weight Vest Instead?

Weight vests are a great option.

Many find the weight vest more comfortable because the vest evenly distributes the weight across the front and back of your body.

Weight vests can also get very pricey. The vests that use sand weights are usually cheaper but can be bulky and uncomfortable. Plate carriers are more expensive but fit better, allowing for a more comfortable experience.

You can also use weight vests for running, making them ideal for someone who likes to run and ruck.

How Do I Include Rucking in My Training?

Rucking pairs well with other training methods. You can use short rucks to warm up for other activities like weight training. Or, you can use rucking as your cardio option alternating between weightlifting days and ruck days.

You can also combine rucking and strength training. One of my favorite workouts involves a 2-mile ruck. I stop to do a strength training circuit with the pack every quarter mile, making it a challenging cardio and strength training workout.

A ruck strength training circuit may include using the ruck for squats, presses, lunges, rows, or curls. Rucks combined with strength circuits are a great way to challenge the anaerobic and aerobic energy systems.

How Do I Include Rucking And Running in My Training?

I use a combination of rucking and running in my current training plan. I pair lower body strength days with rucking and upper body strength days with running.

Lower body strength training pairs well with rucking because rucking requires a lot of lower body strength to carry a heavy pack. So, it makes sense to complete on the same day as squats, deadlifts, or other lower body strength movements. I separate strength training and rucking by several hours to ensure I’m fresh for both workouts.

I pair upper body strength training with running because I’ve found it allows me to run at a faster pace when I don’t pre-exhaust my lower body before the running workout. Since I’m more concerned with speed during my runs, an upper body strength workout separated from my run by several hours doesn’t impede my running progress the way a lower body strength workout might.

Another option is to include strength training, running, and rucking on opposite days. Here’s an example of how that might look during a training week.

Example Training Week

• Monday: Full body strength training
• Tuesday: Ruck
• Wednesday: Rest
• Thursday: Full body strength training
• Friday: Run
• Saturday: Full body strength training
• Sunday: Rest

This is only one example of many possible options. It’s important to tailor your training plan to your specific goals. If you want to improve at rucking, then you may want to add shorter rucks after each strength training day. If your goal is to improve at running, then you could eliminate one of the rest days and add a second or third run during the week.

The options for combining rucking, running, and strength training are endless.

How Do I Fuel My Rucks?

Fueling a ruck is like fueling a long run. That means having a supply of carbohydrates on hand. Sports drinks, energy gels, and light snacks can replenish your glycogen stores and prevent you from hitting the wall.

When you finish your workout, a full meal of carbohydrates, fats, and protein will help you recover.

Where Should I Ruck?

Anywhere you like!

If you live downtown, you can throw on your pack and try urban rucking. If you live in the suburbs, bring you ruck on a lap around the block. 

Parks, beaches, trails, and mountains are all great options.

If possible, choose flat surfaces initially and work your way up to hilly terrain.

The Rucking Community

Since Jason McCarthy, a former Green Beret, founded GORUCK, rucking has become popular with civilians. There are several reasons for this. One is due to the social nature of rucking. Ruck clubs dedicated to group fitness, taking on a GORUCK challenge, and conquering new fitness goals are sprouting up nationwide.

Rucking has a low barrier to entry. The average person can do it regardless of age or fitness level. It doesn’t require a costly membership or expensive equipment. There are no recurring fees. Just you and your pack.

The outdoor aspect of rucking is also appealing. Many used rucking as an alternative to indoor gyms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The positive mental feeling from a 30-minute ruck around the block offered something stuffy gyms packed with treadmills couldn’t. A closeness to nature.

The human body craves nature. The feeling of inhaling fresh air. The sun on your skin. The wind in your hair. Both running and rucking offer a path to regularly experiencing nature as we were meant to. 

Do you have experience with both running and rucking? Send us an email to let us know which you prefer and why!

Check out the Outdoor Muscle YouTube Channel for more great fitness content and high protein recipes!