As a boy in west Africa, rucking as its called in the west was the basic method of transporting goods to local markets. What most people know is that image of African women carrying goods on their heads walking long distances with their baby tied to their back. We have always rucked. It’s our natural human state. To this day, I’m 55, i still ruck with a 25 lb pack and 2 large dogs (85 lbs each) for hikes averaging 80 miles per week. We do a 20 miler once a week which takes 5 - 6 hours at a 3.5 miles per hour pace or 17:30 per mile pace. We do elevation gain once a week of 1,000ft gain. It’s been a life long practice. I maintain the base fitness that gets me into ultra marathons (32 miles plus). Often I’m on the podium for my age group. My blood pressure lives around 115/63 and a pulse rate of 60. My contribution to this conversation is to drink lots of water. Keep hydrated even if you don’t think you are thirsty. It really helps the experience if you are new.

Carrying the groceries from the car to the house in one trip - I've been rucking all my adult life!😆

I’ve been rucking for 6 months and ever since Jason was on “The Real AF” podcast and I have to say there is nothing like it. I started it because I was to fat to run or do any of the traditional exercises. Fast forward I lost over 50#s and am in terrific shape. Rucking will build muscle, stabilize your core and help you lose weight!

A ruck panel discussion put on by Niantic!! They made Ingress and Pokémon Go with the intention of getting people out walking. Super cool. Go Niantic and GoRuck!

I think of rucking as enhanced walking - and walking and carrying heavy things as basic human abilities we need to preserve into old age, and also during easy times in a sedentary culture of automation. Great discussion. Thanks.

I started day hikes several times per week 10 years ago and that has transitioned to rucking daily for 3miles/1 hour with my dogs. I absolutely love Rucking while moving through nature every day. I use around 30lbs.

I've walked 1 mile (round trip) to a convenience store daily for years. Last month, I thought to add 10 lbs to a backpack I had laying around as a lazy way to maybe gain some muscle. Now i'm 100% into the rucking thing, and did 7.5 miles with 35 lbs of dry weight last week. As a 41 yo guy, I was shocked when a body part I can't probably mention on youtube woke up at full attenion every morning 2 weeks after I started doing it. I hate cardio, but rucking definitely counts.

I can’t imagine carrying 100 lbs. I’m struggling carrying 30 lbs for more than an hour and a half to 3 hours. These guys are amazing.

After a knee injury my doc said ice, a brace, and don't use it. My chiropractor said the opposite use it, no brace, go walking. Rucking for me started by carrying my child on my back in a carrier and walking up and down the hills of Oakland, CA. I usually walked for an hour and my kid was asleep in the first 5 minutes. The point was to get out there and do it. As they grew and got heavier, I got stronger. I did this at least 4 days per week. I did not realize it was "Rucking" until recently looking back.

My first intro discussion to rucking. Very comprehensive. I have never heard anyone talk about rucking down under in Australia 🇦🇺

Wow...that guy at 11 minute mark really explains this very well! Hes excellent

Never too late to say THANKS to this panel. Beginner rucker and learned a lot from this

Thanks for this panel discussion!

big fan! 6 miles 60 pounds in the woods for 90 minutes 2-3x week - never seen another rucker and that's OK

I think the German word you are looking for is „Erleichterung“: feeling of relief, inner freedom. Best regards from Berlin 😊

Very cool. I’m a lifter, cyclist and runner. Just made a DIY kit with sand, 100mph tape and a SOC Bugout Bag. Tried out a friends GR1 tonight and it was awesome! Think this may replace my runs after multiple knee/foot injuries.

I watched this while rucking on my desktop treadmill :D

Melissa’s input is essential !!

I think "unsaddling" would best describe the feeling when drop that load. Back in the service I remembered how my horse would seem so happy once I got off her back and took her saddle off after a long day of carrying me. For me, taking that pack and body armor and web gear seemed to have the same feeling.

To echo some other comments here; it’s great to see Niantic and GoRuck share a stage. I’m a fan of them both.

Its like urban hiking!

Saw that documentary on Hulu. Very cool!

My son plays college hockey … can do a 24 minute wall sit 😮 … crazy how freak-of-nature strong hockey players legs (and overall body) can be - especially if they take training seriously. All High-level athletes have a high tolerance for pain/suffering ... but hockey players are on a whole ‘nother level… crazy. The military should be recruiting hockey players because they are often pretty intense mentally and physically.

The other version of "ruck shuck" in the military is when we are done with a TIC and we can take off body armor. That is true bliss!!!

I have a cheap back pack out a gallon of water and walked 2 miles. My first time.

I've carried deer stands into the woods for years. I feel like carrying bulky things creates some dangerous conditions for your back. I think the weight needs to be as close to your body as possible. I think a vest is your best bet. This is my opinion based on carrying large bulky climbing deer stands into the woods for a mile or so.

Love Kelly Starrett!

Amazing I can’t. Wait to do this and add this to my routines

Good panel, great topic. The gist of this, as I see it, is to just do it. Not in the hard ass, regimented and commanding Nike ad way of the past, but more in the sense that we all have to get off our collective asses and realize that we are creatures of movement, and that we can never get too far away from that reality. So, go do it, or something...anything, and try to be consistent. This isn't rocket science.

Absolutely outstanding presentation by all. Extraordinarily helpful to this new Rucker. Melissa, on the last question that you responded to, you really knocked it out of the park. Really gave me some tracks to run on. Thank you

Fantastic discussion!!

Walk before you Ruck.

When I finish and my Ruck comes off, I call “index”. Same term used to end all training events while in the Army.

Informative listen

I think the weight you carry in the rucksack should be based on a percentage of your body weight.

Tactical Yoga! 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾🧠💥

Good place to start would be just walking if you want to lose weight we are all carrying 30lbs or more. Once you break in to walking then add weight to a backpack. If you do too much too soon they come to me with plantar fasciitis 😊

I think I can guess what Jason was thinking a few times.

Ruck It!

The most important timestamp: 32:07 - Doggo!

1:17:44 took me out 😂

NeedIBeginner an idea for a beginner rucksack with hip belt?

What a bunch of geniuses. They should get a Nobel prize. They discovered walking with a load on your back. Amazing.

It's called "the lightness"

GoRuck is silly. I own every possible combination of rucking equipment and I use them extensively. GoRuck is poor because there’s no frame to put weight on your hips, it just torques the spine. Get a weight vest for neutral weight loading Or a real military ruck with a frame that allows your hip to work. People are going to learn their lesson delaminating discs by such an odd way to carry load. I can sprint hills with my 30lb vest all day long, would dare do to with my 30lb GoRuck.

I never thought about this as an exercise at all. I cringe every time the guy mentioned that you need to build up to it. However, I understand where he is coming from. Only in first world countries will you need to train up to it. Growing up in Cuba, it was normal to carry a backpack all day full of books and notebooks one for each class. Math, English, Spanish, history, geography, chemistry, physics, some with more than one book, add the note books one for each, your pencils and any other stuff that you wanted to carry in there. I think 20 lbs is a happy low compared to when you carry all this. Maybe because of this being normal to all of us I didn't look at it as an exercise, and it was funny because I will forget I had the back pack on until my mother told me to take it off. I now understand and hope that if I take that habit up I could go back to burning nearly as many calories as I did then.

Niantic wants us to catch pokemon while rucking 🤣

They take a normal thing and give it a different name and monetize it.

In addition to a ruck, what about footwear?

Hiking

Can I use trecking poles

2x35 in pack... 2x 10 plates in hands... 6 miles 1-2x per week. 55 yrs old 230 lbs. Complete Annihilation

Thoughts on ruck vests?

Any reason the events are getting softer?

Needs chris henshaw

👍

Started rucking again this month for memorial day events. I haven't rucked in over 10 years since i served in the army 🪖. I like running but love rucking. It seems like a better workout. GoRuck and Rogue are making great weight training gear.

Anyone ever try camping? Lol

Melissa: Those shoes look great on you, but.....they are counter to the topic ! Counter to healthy feet and anatomy....but, they do look good. The "hurdle" many people need to get over.

this would be great if you could skip kelly - completely disagree with his approach

Lose Weight first. Before embarking on an activity. IT WILL BE LESS PAINFUL... and YOU MORE THAN LIKELY WON'T GIVE U.

you just KNOW that Viet Vet committed brutal atrocities wearing a Goruck :)