Former Marine here. 35-40lbs, age near 60 lol Twice a week 4 to 5 miles. Walking pace. First mile about 15 minutes then the slow slide to 18 or more. lol Keeps me in great hiking/hunting shape for my age. Great cardio in rucking.
God this vid had me nostalgic 😂 My recruiter specifically told me "DO NOT ruck heavy. You're gonna get plenty of that at selection, but you definitely won't make it to selection or last long at selection if you over load". Wise words.
Grunt-8 yrs-2 combat tours. Rucking was my life, everything on my back in order to live and hit missions and carry on missions. 6 joint replacements, 1 knee surgery, 1 coming next month. Wouldn’t change a thing. 54 now
Did my time as well, 0326. I'm your age, and saying you wouldn't change a thing means you learned nothing. I've had my share of blown joints (knees and shoulder and sciatica), and now I refuse to do shit the way we did at Lejeune. It was stupid then and still is. Old and dumb is a losing combination.
@@thefrogking481 I got sick from the Anthrax booster. Systemic Lupus Erythamatosis and Aplastic Anemia. Medicine for those diseases are the reason for the joint replacements. Also have had heart, liver and kidney failure. I wouldn’t change a thing, it’s Gods plan for me.
This is refreshing...and smart. Regular army 19d guys could learn a thing or 2 listening to this. Train smarter....breaking people for no reason is stupid. I get it we need to be tough...there are different way. Now it's just elk, mule deer, hunting in the hills and mountains for me. We'll hike 10 mile or more with a pack some days. After make sure you pack fits right, most of my training is on the treadmill...slick. 41 now and I still feel my knee injuries from 20 years ago.
for my cardio I set my treadmill to an 8 incline and 3.4 mph with a 30 lbs vest and a 10 lbs dumbbell in each hand. I use to be a runner but that messed my knees up, I'm almost 40 and this has been the best cardio I've been able to stick with, I actually really enjoy it now.
British Army loves tabbing (equivalent to rucking) 😅 but unless you are going for Paras/Royal Marines/UKSF selection where the pace is pretty much a jog/run, it's about carrying your load at a consistent fast-paced walk for a set amount of time, not about running with the load (except when you "double time" and you jog/run but that usually is kept to say 100m every km, rather that the whole juration).
I served in 4th ID and my 1st sergeant in my infantry company's. Back is F'ed up from rucking is the only way to straighten his back out is to put a ruck on.
💯 "It's called fitness not brokeness" -Pat Macnamara I have worked up to a 45 lb ruck, doing a 6 mile ruck at a 15 min mile pace (technically I do 6.2 but that's just how the distances of the route that I take work out). That's my normal. Every once in a while I want to push and do a little more within reason, but that's my normal. I've gotten to the point where the ruckstraps don't bother me anymore so I think my body is used to it and plateau-ing at that level.
My suggestion for anyone going to selection, test yourself by walking a 12 miler, if you can't do it in 3 hours with no running, you're not walking fast enough. You need to develop that stride for the duration. Also, as you draw within a couple of months, I would trade running volume for walking with a ruck, you can do 45 for the 12 mile test but vary the load. I personally did heavier weight at 1 or two miles. I was a pretty skinny guy so muscles needed the adjustment
Impeccable timing fellas. I’ve had a 40 lb 72 hour bag in my trunk for emergencies leading up to this election cycle. Been rucking with it for most hikes multiple times a week to get back comfortable with having weight on my back. Been out of the army since 2020. Damn sure not running with this thing, but walking at a brisk pace has its application with concerns about EMP’s. No car we’re walking. 1%
For the last few months I spend one hour every Sunday walking with a 30lb pack on aiming for 3 miles. I am only aiming to keep muscle endurance for that type of event to be prepared if it's needed in a life scenario
Depends on the branch but USMC and Army both do that. It’s a good skill for all people and it is good for different goals eg endurance cardio lower body strength functional fitness etc even body composition goals
My Lrs team leader, (SSG Cornett), used say " When you are born, God gives you an allocation of 200 lbs rucks. Dont waste them on training. Cause you wont get anymore""
@@Iyengar7 everything I've ever read about it, being able to hold a 15minute mile pace over rough roads/paths, is about the standard for 'good'. Sounds like your right where you need to be. The next step is keeping that pace out to 5 or 10 miles, with 12 miles under 3 hours being the podium for us normies. imo.
@Iyengar7 not great. Depends on your age and your conditioning. For Air Assault School, you got to complete 12 miles in 3 hours with a 45-pound ruck. Not including weapon, boots, etc
Down with a horrible sciatica from 11 days and havent been able to run at all. So was planning to ruck 30lbs for 5 miles from tomorrow. This video heard me 😂
35-40lb Ruck 1.5 miles a day during lunch and 5-6 miles each weekend day..I hate running but love being fit ..it’s absolutely substantial for most applications/heart health/cardio fitness/weightlifting fitness/ mindset …only time you need more is a very specific application
Twisted my ankle on a hike once, completely my own fault, just being careless running down hill in the leaves. No way to get a car there so had to walk back 6 miles on my twisted ankle making it worse, took over a month before i could even think of taking a long walk, let alone with a lot of weight, learned my lesson the hard way.
im in the UK going to royal marine candidate prep course soon- this is helpful. at week 36 of recruit training there is a 30 mile run/walk with kit and a rifle (sub 8 hours) so inevitably going to have to risk injury in recruit training. very simmilar to US army rangers
As a guy who used to take any weight any distance, any walking pace and even decent run with a ruck lift any amount of weight on whatever lift that you could expect a meathead gym rat to perform at; I’ll say you are 100% right about it being destructive. After 17 years of it I started having back problems, after 19 years of it I had to have a spinal fusion. Now I’m left with permanent nerve damage, unable to workout without a lot of pain later, consistently gaining weight because I’m in a desk job and I can’t workout consistently without hurting myself.
I was in the 7th ID(L) from 88-91. We rucked with 60lbs for long distance. Didn’t make weight, the 1sgt would gift you a bfr for your pack. The Manchu march was 100 miles to earn the buckle…and I had a REMF (POG) job. Now at 56 I still walk 5-7 miles a day at a 18 minute pace. I don’t ruck or use weighted vests. I have nerve damage in my right leg and a pin somewhere behind my left knee. I just walk for the memories and to get outside.
Recall doing a staircase exercise on the Gabriel course, it was a 3 step platform. You would lift a weighted barbell that had a 5 gallon bucket of harden concrete formed at each end over your head to rest on the shoulders, then do the step climb,come backdown backwards, then switch which leg to start the climb again. I would use everlast weights Velcro’s to my ankles and jog in PT shorts along a rough road on top of a river dike, in combat boots. Food was pasta and a few Budweiser’s. Mos 18 Echo. Upper thighs became massive.
Recommend you break in a new pair of boots in the shower, soak them up good. Get them to stretch out to your feet. Actually do this with a. Second pair of combat boots too, carry some mole skin on you person and a needle to pop blisters. Duck tape will also work. Extra socks,the best wool socks you can find, change often on breaks. Important to keep feet dry.
The running machine is a great alternative if you want longevity, however, like he says, save real rucking for when you need to train up for something like selection or a deployment, nothing beats real rucking. We deals in KGs and a 60 to 80 kg packs is pretty standard, but the flip side to the coin is how mobile are you on foot, how practical when isolated and under the pump are you in a situation. The more you can lighten the load the more practical it is, by the way, that weight was for SR patrols, foot insertion for two weeks above the snowline.
This is so true. I could not get behind prior organizations train ups for a specific school we go to. I Opt out of the fitness train up ti do my own thing. All I did to prepare for the load aspect was throw on a plate carrier and walk up the INCLINE in manitou springs in Colorado 2 times a week and terrain runs for 2 months in conjunction with a comprehensive fitness program and ended up cruising through Sapper Leader Course.
To speak on being rolled with weight. Walking through a jungle with a 90# Ruck on your back is difficult and will smoke anybody. But, do you guys know how much a curious male Marmoset monkey weighs? Hint, it's just enough to drop you to your knees OR shift your weight in a way that your Ruck/Gravity pulls you down a steep ass hill that compromises your mission. Those little fuckers, that one little monkey jumping on and off of our RTOs back essentially threw him down a 300 meter over 50-degree grade hill and nearly killed him. All said and done, our RTO had a badly rolled ankle, spiral fracture in arm, sprained upper back, and a black eye when his weapon (M4/M203) bounced back from ground and slapped him in face. Not to mention the damage to the damned radio (PRC-77). Although we were compromised (soft) it took nearly three hours to get back on-line enough to call in the nine-line. Just a little rant for the interwebs from your Uncle Brad, you're welcome Internet Carpe Noctem Brothers RLTW
Think the toll on your body is only severe if you don’t correctly progressively overload. The army has a thing about beasting people, where you probably throw on 80lbs before your body is adapted and just suck it up. Same for running with less weight. If you genuinely take time to build your body up, it’s absolutely fine. I feel more robust than ever, able to run 16+ miles with +40lbs, having built up from 10lb rucksack and increased mileage slowly, with appropriate rest. The quicker you can move with weight, the easier the job becomes
I look at rucking as more of a mental discipline exercise. The burn, the chaffing, the weight breaks you down over distance and time. Physically it’s not ideal, but what it really shows you is who is going to fight that urge to quit and who is going to fall out. It’s a good way to filter team mates imo.
just thinking about doing rucking as my go-to cardio to get back in shape after two surgeries and a few extra kilos (P.S. I’ve got the all-clear from my doctors)
@@vernongriffith4 Just a suggestion to what I like, and probably everyone else. Please try to give us civvies an insight into military training, what are the standards, what do we need to do to get to the standard, what are the dos and donts, safety etc etc. Rucking, running, swimming, mental ability and stamina training. The rucking info in this was perfect, it takes us by the hand and calmly explains the ins and outs. Only thing one could've done is to get into the standards and what it takes to build up to that. Fascinating stuff 👍
35 lb minimum+ 50 lbs of c4 + one Bangalore 5lbs ish + saw full load 16 lbs ish and don't forget radio 7-10 lbs. Done every two weeks. My two mile run 10:30!
So glad I never blew my knees out ruck running in the 82nd when some lunatic LT made us run miles on miles with 45-55# rucks. However I can walk with a heavier load for longer distance no issue. Still ended up with a blown disk in my neck.
I’m blessed to live in a neighborhood full of hills and I hunt so I need to train with my hunt pack on. That being said when I rukk its a couple times a week with my framed pack and a 25lb plate strapped in for an hour+ and once a week its the 45lb plate but with knee braces and trekking poles. I might add at 6’3 215lbs its very doable and I love the workout and benefits but I’m also 62 years old and yeah I kinda feel it one way or the other lol
5:32... "doing it for funsies" feels like he's talking about Crossfit. There's a mental edge that comes with rucking, but these guys are right to a degree with the abuse the body takes.
Can you guys do a video on swimming and finning for tactical athletes? Great for hip flexors, rucking, and lower impact cardio in my limited experience🤙🏻
Was heavy mortars and doing prep ruck runs then 12 miles then weeks in field the air assault with (light weight 12 mile) then jrtc twice the same year and much much more. NON SERVICE RELATED
I was in the 82nd in the 2010s and all we did was run, it was mindless and stupid... like 10-20 miles a week was a regular thing. Some guys could really run but they couldn't kick down a door or win a ground fight to save their lives. It was a noticeable deficiency in combat readiness.
I walk 2-3 times a week. 30 to 35 lbs. 4 to 6 miles. Mostly hill. I will also throw in a hike no pack. I will say this imo the number one thing is the degree of incline and conditioning for it. There is a big difference between 10-15 degree and 20-30 degree incline. Those arent exact numbers but you get the point. I know right away when im on steep stuff too long. My knees,ankles start hirting in a differnt way. The body has to be conditioned to those steep inclines your joints need to be pre co ditioned for sustained walking in super steep stuff
20 years Army here. Don't do stupid things because you think they look cool to someone. Most working out you do should have a specific purpose. Rucking sucks, plain and simple. Even a really good ergonomic pack, loaded properly, is going to add stress to your spine, hips, knees, etc. They said it in the video, "what do you have to gain?" If it's for selection, okay, cool, yeah you need your feet to be in shape because you're going to have to ruck in selection. You need your shoulders and hips to be used to the rubbing so you don't develop skin breakdown (as badly) when you're in whatever pipeline you're doing. You need the balance that comes from having a load off your center of gravity. It CAN be useful, but for the general practitioner...? Nah man. Your risk for injury makes the juice not worth the squeeze as they say.
Yall need to understand that as a Civilian I have very little insight into performance numbers inside the respective tactical organizations. The few times SOF dudes will go into numbers and specifics is when crazy feats were achieved by the likes of David Goggins as mentioned in this video. So, that number being thrown around by default becomes the standard I'm weighing myself up against. You guys must not underestimate how valuable it is to guys like me - who are misunderstood outcasts in their families/communities with no like minded people around - when any given number comes up. Do you know how satisfying it is for me to hear DJ drop "40 to 60 pound vest on an incline for an hour" and me realizing "Hey! I can do that. I have been doing that" when previously before hearing that I would be out on my treadmill thinking to myself - "jezz, I'm dying over here with 40 pounds on while these Goggins-esque types would be running circles around me with 100 pound rucks. How the hell am I ever going to make it through any selection?" Don't be shy and drop some realistic measures from time to time.
Treadmills fall off on the sport specific metric. There's a reason long distance athletes of note run outside. A floor that moves under you vs a person moving themselves over that floor are not the same at all.
Remember getting yelled at for not keeping up with grunts running slick up the alpha shelf. Meanwhile I’ve got my vest, both packs, radios, batteries, food. Ffs 🤣
Everyone that talls about military/front line services says how the entry standards are nothing like the working standard, so why are these organisations still saying its required
11B leg, activity duty for 8 years. All I have a FEW mile under a large Alice. All the tourists that think rucking is cool cause they watched a video, I say to you…. Go enlist in combat MOS. Then we will talk.
I sometimes run 3 miles with a 50lbs pack just to keep that fitness up. Most of the time i just do quicker 5ks with 22lb vest. If you dont do weighted carries you will loose that fitness, it’s a different calibre. Have you any tips on spreading the weight so it isnt as hard on the traps? My legs and aerobic fitness are fine apart from the pressure on the traps
Another aspect often disregarded, imagine you’re chasing prey. Turns on predator instincts. He ain’t wrong about buddy carries. Just finished sapper. All I did was carry a heavy ruck and casualties.
Everyone has heard “protect/respect your knees and hips.” It’s true. Even construction with a tool belt can cause damage. More reps, less intensity. Do yourself a favour and spread the load. The classic dad carrying all the groceries in one over-bearing trip - not as capable as someone who breaks up the load into multiple trips to the car.
Looking for a honest and accurate answer for special operations training and deployment standards POST selection. I know during selection they all talk about 12:30-15min miles. But after selection is 15 still the standard or is 20 more accurate to what youll be doing in terms of any weight/ any terrain.
There’s a lot wrong with Olympic lifting depending on the context and purpose. Regular everyday folks shouldn’t touch 80% of what most trainers expose them to
Just know that if you fall out of a ruck or get hurt during a ruck…someone else is going to have to carry your pack. That’s one thing that kept me motivated on rucks as an infantry marine. I think ruck running is stupid and should be eliminated, because I’ve seen so many dudes get hurt on rucks
Carrying a reasonable weight on your back at jogging pace for 2-3 x a week for an hour . Do that and run a hard 4x4 once a week. You’ll be fit for life till you die. Add resistance training 3x a week and you’ll also look damn good.
Ironically, the fittest people in the military are between 185 and 200 lbs. DJ is failing to recognize the importance of aerobic fitness in a large scale combat operation. The SOF Counter VEO fight is very different
As a hunter especially in the mountains living off your back I have learned from probably the best guy ever Aron Snyder and the general rule of thumb is never ever exceed half your body weight unless it’s life or death or short burst on flat ground or down hill
Former Marine here. 35-40lbs, age near 60 lol Twice a week 4 to 5 miles. Walking pace. First mile about 15 minutes then the slow slide to 18 or more. lol Keeps me in great hiking/hunting shape for my age. Great cardio in rucking.
I've been thinking about starting this, also twice a week.
@@NANA-lq5mdStart light and even pace if you think there are gains for you.
Ever heard of.... Jogging?
Shout out to everyone who implements common sense in their training. Lol
@@OoO-rf2gt jogging is unknown to Marines 🤡
@@NANA-lq5md we know. Physios put their kids through education with your stupidity.
No BS - No ego - No pose. Not very popular these days but certainly the right approach. Kudos guys!! 👏👏👏👊
I feel like this really fits into the blue collar trades as well
God this vid had me nostalgic 😂
My recruiter specifically told me "DO NOT ruck heavy. You're gonna get plenty of that at selection, but you definitely won't make it to selection or last long at selection if you over load". Wise words.
Grunt-8 yrs-2 combat tours. Rucking was my life, everything on my back in order to live and hit missions and carry on missions. 6 joint replacements, 1 knee surgery, 1 coming next month. Wouldn’t change a thing. 54 now
Did my time as well, 0326.
I'm your age, and saying you wouldn't change a thing means you learned nothing. I've had my share of blown joints (knees and shoulder and sciatica), and now I refuse to do shit the way we did at Lejeune. It was stupid then and still is.
Old and dumb is a losing combination.
@@thefrogking481 I got sick from the Anthrax booster. Systemic Lupus Erythamatosis and Aplastic Anemia. Medicine for those diseases are the reason for the joint replacements. Also have had heart, liver and kidney failure. I wouldn’t change a thing, it’s Gods plan for me.
"I'm a retard and I'm fine with it"
Got you champ
Absolutely love the truth you spit out Vernon. Always a pleasure to listen to DJ too. Learned some stuff here. Thanks.
Appreciate you man. Thank you!
@@vernongriffith4 what incline on the treadmill?
@@user-po4kn2qh3n11. I imagine they do it 7.5-10.
This is refreshing...and smart. Regular army 19d guys could learn a thing or 2 listening to this. Train smarter....breaking people for no reason is stupid. I get it we need to be tough...there are different way. Now it's just elk, mule deer, hunting in the hills and mountains for me. We'll hike 10 mile or more with a pack some days. After make sure you pack fits right, most of my training is on the treadmill...slick. 41 now and I still feel my knee injuries from 20 years ago.
Just to be clear I also lift weights about 8 hours a week. Be a pro. Be stronger than your excuses.
for my cardio I set my treadmill to an 8 incline and 3.4 mph with a 30 lbs vest and a 10 lbs dumbbell in each hand. I use to be a runner but that messed my knees up, I'm almost 40 and this has been the best cardio I've been able to stick with, I actually really enjoy it now.
I just do 3-4miles with a 30-40lb weight vest. (i am 45yo) i love the exercise
British Army loves tabbing (equivalent to rucking) 😅 but unless you are going for Paras/Royal Marines/UKSF selection where the pace is pretty much a jog/run, it's about carrying your load at a consistent fast-paced walk for a set amount of time, not about running with the load (except when you "double time" and you jog/run but that usually is kept to say 100m every km, rather that the whole juration).
DJ is 💯% the real deal. Respect
I served in 4th ID and my 1st sergeant in my infantry company's. Back is F'ed up from rucking is the only way to straighten his back out is to put a ruck on.
💯
"It's called fitness not brokeness" -Pat Macnamara
I have worked up to a 45 lb ruck, doing a 6 mile ruck at a 15 min mile pace (technically I do 6.2 but that's just how the distances of the route that I take work out). That's my normal. Every once in a while I want to push and do a little more within reason, but that's my normal. I've gotten to the point where the ruckstraps don't bother me anymore so I think my body is used to it and plateau-ing at that level.
Was thinking about combat chassis so much when these guys were talking 😂
This is such sound, good, wise advice. Correct!!!
My suggestion for anyone going to selection, test yourself by walking a 12 miler, if you can't do it in 3 hours with no running, you're not walking fast enough. You need to develop that stride for the duration. Also, as you draw within a couple of months, I would trade running volume for walking with a ruck, you can do 45 for the 12 mile test but vary the load. I personally did heavier weight at 1 or two miles. I was a pretty skinny guy so muscles needed the adjustment
Absolutely true DJ, this same mentality I adopt in ultra trail races...
Impeccable timing fellas. I’ve had a 40 lb 72 hour bag in my trunk for emergencies leading up to this election cycle. Been rucking with it for most hikes multiple times a week to get back comfortable with having weight on my back.
Been out of the army since 2020. Damn sure not running with this thing, but walking at a brisk pace has its application with concerns about EMP’s. No car we’re walking.
1%
Walking, 40 lbs. Nothing wrong with that at all!
For the last few months I spend one hour every Sunday walking with a 30lb pack on aiming for 3 miles. I am only aiming to keep muscle endurance for that type of event to be prepared if it's needed in a life scenario
Depends on the branch but USMC and Army both do that. It’s a good skill for all people and it is good for different goals eg endurance cardio lower body strength functional fitness etc even body composition goals
Shoutout to all my fellow hunters out there workin to earn that heavy load!
My Lrs team leader, (SSG Cornett), used say " When you are born, God gives you an allocation of 200 lbs rucks. Dont waste them on training. Cause you wont get anymore""
Classic time under tension. Always works
Couldn’t agree more. I got my 12 miler to 2 hours and 15 minutes mostly from hiking in the San Gabriel mountains with weight and running consistently.
How much total weight did you wear?
Thats beastly
My first 3.2 mile Ruck with 25-27lbs was around 50 minutes. Is that too bad??
@@Iyengar7 everything I've ever read about it, being able to hold a 15minute mile pace over rough roads/paths, is about the standard for 'good'. Sounds like your right where you need to be. The next step is keeping that pace out to 5 or 10 miles, with 12 miles under 3 hours being the podium for us normies. imo.
@Iyengar7 not great. Depends on your age and your conditioning. For Air Assault School, you got to complete 12 miles in 3 hours with a 45-pound ruck. Not including weapon, boots, etc
Down with a horrible sciatica from 11 days and havent been able to run at all. So was planning to ruck 30lbs for 5 miles from tomorrow. This video heard me 😂
Yoga ball stretches are you new friend.
Trust me, it'll make you a new man.
@@thefrogking481bro im dying here. Can you please share a few links? Id like to be a human again.
Just got back from elk hunting. Hiked about 50 lbs with my gear. My knee is still in recovery from going down hill with that added weight.
35-40lb Ruck 1.5 miles a day during lunch and 5-6 miles each weekend day..I hate running but love being fit ..it’s absolutely substantial for most applications/heart health/cardio fitness/weightlifting fitness/ mindset …only time you need more is a very specific application
In my 50's ... prior military.... rucking with 50+ pounds is a great exercise....walk fast no run
Yeah, ok.
Twisted my ankle on a hike once, completely my own fault, just being careless running down hill in the leaves. No way to get a car there so had to walk back 6 miles on my twisted ankle making it worse, took over a month before i could even think of taking a long walk, let alone with a lot of weight, learned my lesson the hard way.
Great knowledge transfer fellas 🤙🏽
Appreciate it!
im in the UK going to royal marine candidate prep course soon- this is helpful. at week 36 of recruit training there is a 30 mile run/walk with kit and a rifle (sub 8 hours) so inevitably going to have to risk injury in recruit training. very simmilar to US army rangers
Light boots (Nike sfb's worked well for me) and center of gravity of your pack are key. Best of luck
You’ll see me there soon mate
@@zaklambert3102 what date you got?
As a guy who used to take any weight any distance, any walking pace and even decent run with a ruck lift any amount of weight on whatever lift that you could expect a meathead gym rat to perform at; I’ll say you are 100% right about it being destructive.
After 17 years of it I started having back problems, after 19 years of it I had to have a spinal fusion. Now I’m left with permanent nerve damage, unable to workout without a lot of pain later, consistently gaining weight because I’m in a desk job and I can’t workout consistently without hurting myself.
Man that is tough space to be in. Try to find some way to overcome that inertia and start moving again!
If you are rucking for cardio with out lifting heavy for strength, you are asking for issues.
I ruck twice a week various distances. 40 pounds 18 minute miles on average. Its good exercise.
I was in the 7th ID(L) from 88-91. We rucked with 60lbs for long distance. Didn’t make weight, the 1sgt would gift you a bfr for your pack. The Manchu march was 100 miles to earn the buckle…and I had a REMF (POG) job. Now at 56 I still walk 5-7 miles a day at a 18 minute pace. I don’t ruck or use weighted vests. I have nerve damage in my right leg and a pin somewhere behind my left knee. I just walk for the memories and to get outside.
Recall doing a staircase exercise on the Gabriel course, it was a 3 step platform. You would lift a weighted barbell that had a 5 gallon bucket of harden concrete formed at each end over your head to rest on the shoulders, then do the step climb,come backdown backwards, then switch which leg to start the climb again. I would use everlast weights Velcro’s to my ankles and jog in PT shorts along a rough road on top of a river dike, in combat boots. Food was pasta and a few Budweiser’s. Mos 18 Echo. Upper thighs became massive.
Recommend you break in a new pair of boots in the shower, soak them up good. Get them to stretch out to your feet. Actually do this with a. Second pair of combat boots too, carry some mole skin on you person and a needle to pop blisters. Duck tape will also work. Extra socks,the best wool socks you can find, change often on breaks. Important to keep feet dry.
Cheers for this Vern!
Appreciate it man!
The running machine is a great alternative if you want longevity, however, like he says, save real rucking for when you need to train up for something like selection or a deployment, nothing beats real rucking. We deals in KGs and a 60 to 80 kg packs is pretty standard, but the flip side to the coin is how mobile are you on foot, how practical when isolated and under the pump are you in a situation. The more you can lighten the load the more practical it is, by the way, that weight was for SR patrols, foot insertion for two weeks above the snowline.
This is why when Dev was in Afghan, they need Young Batt boys to carry the heavy weight…. Hats off to the Podcast, very interesting insight.
Glad i ran into this, definitely earned a follow and like for this information and point of view
Welcome aboard!
Stair master with a light backpack is great too. It's low impact and builds muscle as well.
This is so true. I could not get behind prior organizations train ups for a specific school we go to. I Opt out of the fitness train up ti do my own thing.
All I did to prepare for the load aspect was throw on a plate carrier and walk up the INCLINE in manitou springs in Colorado 2 times a week and terrain runs for 2 months in conjunction with a comprehensive fitness program and ended up cruising through Sapper Leader Course.
IBOLC was 5 days a week for probably 14 of the 17 weeks, our loads were definitely 120-140 lbs. good times
That's where the development of that posterior chain is so important.
To speak on being rolled with weight. Walking through a jungle with a 90# Ruck on your back is difficult and will smoke anybody. But, do you guys know how much a curious male Marmoset monkey weighs? Hint, it's just enough to drop you to your knees OR shift your weight in a way that your Ruck/Gravity pulls you down a steep ass hill that compromises your mission. Those little fuckers, that one little monkey jumping on and off of our RTOs back essentially threw him down a 300 meter over 50-degree grade hill and nearly killed him. All said and done, our RTO had a badly rolled ankle, spiral fracture in arm, sprained upper back, and a black eye when his weapon (M4/M203) bounced back from ground and slapped him in face. Not to mention the damage to the damned radio (PRC-77). Although we were compromised (soft) it took nearly three hours to get back on-line enough to call in the nine-line.
Just a little rant for the interwebs from your Uncle Brad, you're welcome Internet
Carpe Noctem Brothers
RLTW
Think the toll on your body is only severe if you don’t correctly progressively overload. The army has a thing about beasting people, where you probably throw on 80lbs before your body is adapted and just suck it up. Same for running with less weight. If you genuinely take time to build your body up, it’s absolutely fine. I feel more robust than ever, able to run 16+ miles with +40lbs, having built up from 10lb rucksack and increased mileage slowly, with appropriate rest.
The quicker you can move with weight, the easier the job becomes
I cant argue with that. Key thing there is building your body up like you said. I think that is often overlooked
You just stopped me doing something stupid with a ruck pack. Cheers.
Good advice,make sense,good Podcast. GOD BLESS.
Thanks for listening
He’s not lying guys… be safe and take care of yourself.
I look at rucking as more of a mental discipline exercise. The burn, the chaffing, the weight breaks you down over distance and time. Physically it’s not ideal, but what it really shows you is who is going to fight that urge to quit and who is going to fall out. It’s a good way to filter team mates imo.
just thinking about doing rucking as my go-to cardio to get back in shape after two surgeries and a few extra kilos (P.S. I’ve got the all-clear from my doctors)
Really cool to listen in, thanks for the info.
appreciate it. DJ and I are going to make it a point to get to more of these with the questions I receive!
@@vernongriffith4 Just a suggestion to what I like, and probably everyone else. Please try to give us civvies an insight into military training, what are the standards, what do we need to do to get to the standard, what are the dos and donts, safety etc etc. Rucking, running, swimming, mental ability and stamina training. The rucking info in this was perfect, it takes us by the hand and calmly explains the ins and outs. Only thing one could've done is to get into the standards and what it takes to build up to that. Fascinating stuff 👍
@@tubefreakmuva I appreciate the feedback. Recording more with DJ tomorrow and I will keep this in mind going forward
35 lb minimum+ 50 lbs of c4 + one Bangalore 5lbs ish + saw full load 16 lbs ish and don't forget radio 7-10 lbs. Done every two weeks. My two mile run 10:30!
Leg, back and core strength.
You can ruck as far, heavy and fast as those attributes allow, it seems cardiovascular hardly gets a vote.
So glad I never blew my knees out ruck running in the 82nd when some lunatic LT made us run miles on miles with 45-55# rucks. However I can walk with a heavier load for longer distance no issue. Still ended up with a blown disk in my neck.
I’m blessed to live in a neighborhood full of hills and I hunt so I need to train with my hunt pack on. That being said when I rukk its a couple times a week with my framed pack and a 25lb plate strapped in for an hour+ and once a week its the 45lb plate but with knee braces and trekking poles. I might add at 6’3 215lbs its very doable and I love the workout and benefits but I’m also 62 years old and yeah I kinda feel it one way or the other lol
There you have it. Train at 80% 95% of the time for longevity folks.
5:32... "doing it for funsies" feels like he's talking about Crossfit. There's a mental edge that comes with rucking, but these guys are right to a degree with the abuse the body takes.
Can you guys do a video on swimming and finning for tactical athletes? Great for hip flexors, rucking, and lower impact cardio in my limited experience🤙🏻
Being able to carry weight long distances is much more practical than being able to sprint X mph
Was heavy mortars and doing prep ruck runs then 12 miles then weeks in field the air assault with (light weight 12 mile) then jrtc twice the same year and much much more. NON SERVICE RELATED
I was in the 82nd in the 2010s and all we did was run, it was mindless and stupid... like 10-20 miles a week was a regular thing. Some guys could really run but they couldn't kick down a door or win a ground fight to save their lives. It was a noticeable deficiency in combat readiness.
Being able to assess the current job and needs vs what we have always done is a huge concept that more places need to consider
@vernon I watched this while incline walking in the treadmill. Real recognize real⚡
When you really think about it, your feet are just as important as your rifle. Maybe even more important.
Thats a talk many are not ready to hear!!
It doesn’t really matter what I was or who I am. But I agree with the boss. If you don’t need high weight don’t use it. It’ll kill you if you stop
I walk 2-3 times a week. 30 to 35 lbs. 4 to 6 miles. Mostly hill. I will also throw in a hike no pack. I will say this imo the number one thing is the degree of incline and conditioning for it. There is a big difference between 10-15 degree and 20-30 degree incline. Those arent exact numbers but you get the point. I know right away when im on steep stuff too long. My knees,ankles start hirting in a differnt way. The body has to be conditioned to those steep inclines your joints need to be pre co ditioned for sustained walking in super steep stuff
I don’t know if Dj has already tried or has talked about Stem Cell Therapy like CPI but it would help him a lot if he got some Stem Cell Therapy.
20 years Army here. Don't do stupid things because you think they look cool to someone. Most working out you do should have a specific purpose. Rucking sucks, plain and simple. Even a really good ergonomic pack, loaded properly, is going to add stress to your spine, hips, knees, etc. They said it in the video, "what do you have to gain?" If it's for selection, okay, cool, yeah you need your feet to be in shape because you're going to have to ruck in selection. You need your shoulders and hips to be used to the rubbing so you don't develop skin breakdown (as badly) when you're in whatever pipeline you're doing. You need the balance that comes from having a load off your center of gravity. It CAN be useful, but for the general practitioner...? Nah man. Your risk for injury makes the juice not worth the squeeze as they say.
O5B school we carried Half of our body weight in a large A.L.I.C.E Ruck.
Put your kit on with a daypack 30-33ish pounds max 45
Yall need to understand that as a Civilian I have very little insight into performance numbers inside the respective tactical organizations. The few times SOF dudes will go into numbers and specifics is when crazy feats were achieved by the likes of David Goggins as mentioned in this video. So, that number being thrown around by default becomes the standard I'm weighing myself up against. You guys must not underestimate how valuable it is to guys like me - who are misunderstood outcasts in their families/communities with no like minded people around - when any given number comes up. Do you know how satisfying it is for me to hear DJ drop "40 to 60 pound vest on an incline for an hour" and me realizing "Hey! I can do that. I have been doing that" when previously before hearing that I would be out on my treadmill thinking to myself - "jezz, I'm dying over here with 40 pounds on while these Goggins-esque types would be running circles around me with 100 pound rucks. How the hell am I ever going to make it through any selection?"
Don't be shy and drop some realistic measures from time to time.
10 mile ruck walk tomorrow! 70 in pack and 10 in each hand .... and a little water. Im 56. I am ready.
although i work out every day outside. Sooooo...I am PREPARED.
Treadmills fall off on the sport specific metric.
There's a reason long distance athletes of note run outside.
A floor that moves under you vs a person moving themselves over that floor are not the same at all.
Remember getting yelled at for not keeping up with grunts running slick up the alpha shelf. Meanwhile I’ve got my vest, both packs, radios, batteries, food. Ffs 🤣
Airborne 11C and my knees are powder at 25. Rice crispy. I remember trying to tell everyone how stupid it was.
Rucking is the the workout of champions…
“Gravity always wins”
Every other day, with Sprints of 100 yards to build speed.
Everyone that talls about military/front line services says how the entry standards are nothing like the working standard, so why are these organisations still saying its required
The Army SOF guys are known to run 12 miles with 65lb all the time...
11B leg, activity duty for 8 years. All I have a FEW mile under a large Alice. All the tourists that think rucking is cool cause they watched a video, I say to you…. Go enlist in combat MOS. Then we will talk.
0311 here… A true Marine Corps Hump, or Army Infantry Ruck, would crush the tourist!
I sometimes run 3 miles with a 50lbs pack just to keep that fitness up. Most of the time i just do quicker 5ks with 22lb vest. If you dont do weighted carries you will loose that fitness, it’s a different calibre. Have you any tips on spreading the weight so it isnt as hard on the traps? My legs and aerobic fitness are fine apart from the pressure on the traps
Another aspect often disregarded, imagine you’re chasing prey. Turns on predator instincts.
He ain’t wrong about buddy carries. Just finished sapper. All I did was carry a heavy ruck and casualties.
Everyone has heard “protect/respect your knees and hips.” It’s true. Even construction with a tool belt can cause damage. More reps, less intensity.
Do yourself a favour and spread the load.
The classic dad carrying all the groceries in one over-bearing trip - not as capable as someone who breaks up the load into multiple trips to the car.
The reason we ruck with no regard to our physical health is that we are expendable and the only thing that matters are the results of mission success.
When you peel it all back, you are not wrong
Don’t think most people realize how bad rolling your ankle or tripping down a hill with 80-250 pounds adl will do to you
Looking for a honest and accurate answer for special operations training and deployment standards POST selection. I know during selection they all talk about 12:30-15min miles. But after selection is 15 still the standard or is 20 more accurate to what youll be doing in terms of any weight/ any terrain.
Progression and Consistency
Does anybody know the story behind the body armour with the Union Jack on it in the background? I’m English, would like to know the story 🇬🇧
They've got a former SAS guy working for them so I imagine it's his/he donated one of his kits for the room.
What time pieces are you guys wearing
There’s a lot wrong with Olympic lifting depending on the context and purpose. Regular everyday folks shouldn’t touch 80% of what most trainers expose them to
Perfect for some and not perfect for others. Important part is not being married to movements but married to finding the best movement for your client
@@vernongriffith4 totally agree
So you would recommend Rucking for Firefighters nearly everyday? Did i unterstood that right?
My intent was stating that they are pretty much rucking every single day because of the job and kit
@@vernongriffith4 for me as a volunteer firefighter its a nice hint for rucking more often. Like you said, daily.
Thanks
TACPs had like 85 pound loads in the pipeline
Just know that if you fall out of a ruck or get hurt during a ruck…someone else is going to have to carry your pack. That’s one thing that kept me motivated on rucks as an infantry marine. I think ruck running is stupid and should be eliminated, because I’ve seen so many dudes get hurt on rucks
Carrying a reasonable weight on your back at jogging pace for 2-3 x a week for an hour . Do that and run a hard 4x4 once a week. You’ll be fit for life till you die. Add resistance training 3x a week and you’ll also look damn good.
Too cool for school
smart
15 minute mile seems reasonable. Maybe it's my short legs or something, but I can't walk faster than a 14 minute mile to save my life.
Ironically, the fittest people in the military are between 185 and 200 lbs. DJ is failing to recognize the importance of aerobic fitness in a large scale combat operation. The SOF Counter VEO fight is very different
I seen where in one class 3 marines fell out of army jump school, why? They trained in power/ bulk, it hindered that type duty
As a hunter especially in the mountains living off your back I have learned from probably the best guy ever Aron Snyder and the general rule of thumb is never ever exceed half your body weight unless it’s life or death or short burst on flat ground or down hill