When we think about human evolution, running tends to take the spotlight. We were “Born to run!” shouts the studies and the book, aptly named, Born To Run. The idea here is that humans evolved our thin limbs, springy calves, and large glutes to persistent hunt and run down our food over long distances.
We loved the compelling stories and the science that proves humans are the best endurance running creatures on earth. Also thanks to that book, we have been running marathons and trekking in barefoot shoes for over decade.
But, these persistence hunts weren’t an every day activity and were fairly rare, according to some scientists. Instead, they put out another idea: humans were born to carry heavy things.
Unlike running, which was reserved for rare hunting and ceremonial purposes, carrying heavy loads was a daily task for our ancestors. They carried food, water, children, and their homes when moving camps.
Enter rucking—a military inspired fitness trend that involves walking with a weighted backpack. The promise was more calorie burn than either running or walking, with strength training thrown into the mix.
It’s a brilliant idea, but, as running enthusiasts, we were doubtful that it would live up to the hype.
So, of course, we ran some experiments and these are our results and takeaways.
The Science and Claims behind Rucking
We first heard about rucking in the book The Comfort Crisis — great book — and the science behind rucking was compelling and primal. And what we love most is that it’s so simple while speaking to what we were evolutionarily supposed to do, supposedly.
Rucking takes a workout that is healthy and safe for everyone and turning it into a strength-training workout that’s low impact.
However, many rucking advocates claim that it can be a superior form of exercise compared to jogging or lifting weights. Here are the key claims that really caught our attention.
1. Rucking burns more calories than jogging
2. Rucking burns more calories than lifting
3. Rucking preserves muscle while burning fat
According to our experience and science, only 33% of those claims are true. But, it’s not all about calorie burn, and we’re 100% sold by rucking. Here’s what we’ve learned.
After Considerable Testing, Here’s Why We Love Rucking
After experimenting with rucking ourselves, we can confidently say it’s worth incorporating into your fitness routine. While rucking didn’t burn significantly more calories than running in our short experiment, it did prove to be an effective, low-impact alternative that’s easier on the joints.
We found it much more enjoyable than traditional running or lifting weights. For those who don’t love running or prefer not to hit the gym, rucking provides a low-stress yet efficient workout.
Plus, studies have shown that low impact workouts can be just as effective for weight loss as HIIT as long as you increase your exercise weights, duration, and intensity.
In our opinion, the best aspect of rucking is that it’s super practical. You don’t even need special gear to get started. We use old backpacks, and Ryan uses this ruck plate for added weight, but you can easily substitute it with books, dumbbells, or even water bottles.
Rucking can also be done while running errands or walking around town, making it a simple and convenient way to literally squeeze in a workout doing the things you already need to do.
Results from Our Rucking Experiment
To test rucking’s effectiveness, we tried it alongside walking and running. We used backpacks loaded with about 30% of our body weight—the recommended upper limit for beginners. Here’s what we found:
Calorie Burn Results
On average, rucking burned 16% more calories than walking but 47% fewer calories than running.
While rucking didn’t burn dramatically more calories than walking and far fewer calories that jogging, it still provided a solid workout and we were both pleasantly surprised that we had muscle soreness the following day.
Here are the graphical results from our rucking experiment.
Difficulty Results
Both of us found that rucking felt significantly easier than running and only slightly harder than walking. It’s a great option for those who want to get the benefits of walking or running without the impact on joints.
Muscle Activation
While our calorie burn numbers didn’t live up to the hype, we could feel our core, back, and legs working hard during the ruck. If felt like a total body workout. Then, when we took that pack off, we felt lighter than ever.
We agree with the claim that rucking is the perfect workout to preserve or increase muscle mass while burning fat.
So, based on this data, rucking didn’t completely disrupt everything we’ve learned about fitness over the last decade. We’re still going to follow structured, total-body fitness programs for cardio and strength training. We’re still going to run in our toe shoes.
But, we’re still going to incorporate rucking into our daily routine. It’s just too easy and effective not to.
We’ll Ruck Daily and You Should Too
It’s been several months since that experiment, and we’ve been refining our approach to rucking. Even though rucking didn’t live up to the hype, we’re firm believers that it can be a game-changer for your physical fitness, especially for us aging folks who need to focus on strength training more than ever.
It’s low-impact but still intense (especially on hills), practical but still highly effective. Plus, it doesn’t require a gym or any special gear. You can start with what you already have at home.
We were able to incorporate rucking into our daily routine by doing it during everyday activities like walking to the notary and getting groceries. Our mindset has become: Why just walk when you could ruck?
What’s more, is that it hasn’t felt like a huge burden. In fact, it made our day a little more challenging, but in a good way, with zero extra time required.
As we prepare for our upcoming multi-night backpacking trip with our kids, rucking has turned “down time” into “up time.” Rucking is now an essential part of our preparation to build strength and endurance.
How to Start Rucking Today
Here are a few tips and tricks that will make your rucking experience simple and effective.
1. Start Light and Short
If you’re new to rucking, begin with a lighter pack (around 10–15 pounds) and work your way up to heavier weights and longer workouts.
2. Ruck During Everyday Activities
You don’t need to set aside specific time for rucking. You can wear a backpack filled with weight while running errands, walking to appointments, or going grocery shopping.
As we found out, you can carry 25 pounds without much hassle—it feels like a small, manageable challenge throughout your day, but it adds up in terms of fitness benefits.
3. Skip the Chest Strap
Keep your shoulders back, chest open, and core engaged while you walk. Try not to lean forward. When you want to really challenge your shoulder and upper back strength, skip the chest strap. This will help improve your posture too.
4. Nothing Fancy
You don’t need specific equipment to get started. In fact, we’ve used old backpacks and household items as weight. You can put dumbbells, books, or even a gallon of water in your pack. Ryan recently invested in a $37 30-pound ruck plate that fits nicely in the laptop sleeve.
This helps distribute weight more evenly and prevents sharp objects like a hexagonal dumbbell from jabbing your back. Another good way to prevent this is putting a cutting board in the backpack against your back.
Closing Thoughts
Rucking is a workout that’s as old as human history itself. By mimicking the natural tasks our ancestors engaged in, rucking helps us build strength, burn calories, and improve overall fitness.
Whether you’re looking to make fitness more enjoyable, build muscle, or simply improve your cardiovascular health, rucking could be the perfect addition to your routine.
We’re looking forward to having rucking be a bonus workout a essential —and maybe even some longer hikes with our little ones in tow. Join us, and let’s carry a little more weight together!
For more proven fitness tools and resources, such as our free workout plans and our VO2 max tracking and improvement guide, head over to our Fitness page.
Written by Alex Davis
CEO and Co-Founder at Ryan and Alex Duo Life
Hey we're Ryan and Alex
A husband-wife duo, two engineers, and the creators of Ryan and Alex Duo Life.
After eight years working in the corporate world as engineers, we left to tackle our true passion:
Helping highly motivated couples optimize their relationship and health by cutting through the muck and sharing what the research says works.
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