Notes from Jonny Pain for Intermediate Rucking Workout: This is a simple progression that you can attack 2-3 times per week. For variation, change the exercise selection. Try Cossack Squats, Reverse Lunges, Overhead Press etc etc. Your imagination is your limiter here, just don’t go too mental at this point. This change in stimulus, especially when incorporating fatiguing leg exercises, can really challenge. Ensure you are comfortable with these progressions before being tempted to add significant weight too.

Now, as we get used to this extra fatigue and stimulus, we should be thinking about upping the load to 15% and above. As ever, ensure you’re used to any load before adding more. (Each incremental additional weight added will have implications to posture and recovery that might not seem obvious until you’re too far into the ruck to change your mind! Not a fun place to find yourself (I speak from bitter experience. Lol). As well as this, try to work to a static 15 min per
mile (Approx 9 Min per km) or less as a standard.
Notes from Jonny Pain for Advanced Rucking Workout: Keep the pack on for every part of the above and then curse me quietly. As before, exercise selection is merely a suggestion and you can change this up each time but, to start with, perhaps limit this kind of session to one to two times per week until you’ve adapted to the demand. 6-12 Miles per week is significant so be sure to work up incrementally.

From here on in, again, you’re only limited by your imagination!

Change your environment regularly, share your experience with a new rucking buddy (or more) and let us know on socials where you’ve been and how you’ve gotten on ( @jonathanpain ). And, if you (like me) are wearing yours to the shops or while out with the kids just to get that little bit of extra work in under the radar, remember to look smug as you reap the gains while all others around you are simply…walking!

Latest Stories

View all

Full Body Workout

Full Body Workout

Strength. Conditioning. Full-body output. This week’s Workout of the Week is built to challenge the entire body with a simple but effective format. Combining lower body work, upper body strength, and conditioning, this session is designed to keep intensity high...

Read more

Discover: The Pro Series

Discover: The Pro Series

We’ve welcomed a lot of new subscribers recently, so if you’re new to Built For Athletes, you might not yet know about our different ranges. These videos break down everything you need to know about The Pro Series 25L Backpack...

Read more

Jake Dearden's Running Workout

Jake Dearden's Running Workout

Running session - Warm up - 2km conversational pace, into:Walking lunge + twist x 10Straight-leg kicks x 10/legDeep squat hold x 20 sec High knees x 20mA-skips x 20mGlute bridge x 10 + Plank shoulder taps x 10/sideMain session - 8...

Read more