Hype Performance

Rucking for Traditional Cardio Haters Part 3 of 3:

🔑Principles of Programming Applied to Rucking:

💪Progressive Overload is Still King: (Rucking should get harder over time to drive adaptation)💪

✅If using mainly as an active recovery modality, 20-30min on off days with no more than 20% bw at 120-150hr is an excellent broad recommendation.

Strength Coach Rudy Rucking Program: (2-3x/week)

A foundation of walking for 30-60 minutes 3x/week is recommended before starting rucking.

Phase 1: Progress from 6-10% bw at 20min and building to 30min

Phase 2: Progress from 10-15% bw at 20min and building to 30min

Phase 3: Progress from 15-20%bw at 30min and building to 45min

Phase 4: Progress from 20%bw at 45min and building to 60min.

A heart rate monitor is useful, driving heart rate to 120-150hr which ultimately you are in control of based on how fast you ruck and what kind of trails you pick.
If you don’t have a heart rate monitor, use the talk test. Should be able to carry on a conversation with someone by your side, just to ensure intensity is not too high.

💪Rucking for Traditional Cardio Haters Part 2 of 3:💪

🔑Principles of Movement Applied to Rucking:

✅Core Position Matters - We want to still apply a “ribs down to hips” cue to ensure we are not just passively hanging out on the lower back. Keep the distance between your sternum and pelvis unchanged. If the distance opens we are excessively arching, if it closes we are flexing.

✅Deep “360”Breathing: We want to breathe as if our air is water filling up a glass. Deep and into the front, back and sides of the abdomend. Imagine having an invisible weightlifting belt on while walking and filling up all sides of the belt with tension and air as you walk.

✅Breathe behind ab tension - Russian Strength Coach Pavel Tsatsouline refers to this as “breathing behind the shield”. Once you establish good position and ab tension we breathe behind that protection without ever being disengaged.

✅Use a “glide stride” - Shoot for a mid foot glide instead of walking like your stomping bugs with your heels.

Rucking for Traditional Cardio Haters Part 2 of 3:

Principles of Movement Applied to Rucking:

Core Position Matters - We want to still apply a “ribs down to hips” cue to ensure we are not just passively hanging out on the lower back. Keep the distance between your sternum and pelvis unchanged. If the distance opens we are excessively arching, if it closes we are flexing.

Deep “360”Breathing: We want to breathe as if our air is water filling up a glass. Deep and into the front, back and sides of the abdomend. Imagine having an invisible weightlifting belt on while walking and filling up all sides of the belt with tension and air as you walk.

Breathe behind ab tension - Russian Strength Coach Pavel Tsatsouline refers to this as “breathing behind the shield”. Once you establish good position and ab tension we breathe behind that protection without ever being disengaged.

Use a “glide stride” - Shoot for a mid foot glide instead of walking like your stomping bugs with your heels.

💪Rucking for Traditional Cardio Haters. Part 1 of 3:💪

While I don’t suggest subjecting yourself to the beating of carrying 150+lbs as if on an emergency approach march; rucking with light loads (10-15% bodyweight) can be an excellent way to strengthen and condition your body.

Benefits of Rucking Include:

✅Building an Aerobic Base - not to be overlooked since improving the aerobic base will help you recover from hard training sessions and in between repeated hard bouts of physical activity.

✅Low Impact - The forces traveling through the joints are considerably less than jogging, (especially for a larger athlete)

✅Muscle Building in Upper/Lower Body - Particularly the upper traps which respond well to the increased stretch under load just like as you would feel within a farmer’s walk.

✅Increased Balance and Kinesthetic Awareness - The additional load makes you feel grounded and forces your lateral hip stabilizers to make sure you don’t tip like a teapot while walking at a fast clip.

✅Getting out in Nature - can almost be meditative and an opportunity to get fresh air and the much needed vitamin d from the sun

✅Inexpensive - All you need is a ruck and some decent shoes/boots and away you go.

Here is a link to an affordable ruck that I can say is good quality

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B078JQ4S8W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 $36.99

🔥Get some sand and put in some large freezer bags and away you go!🔥