The Benefits of Rucking and How to Optimize Your Nutrition for Performance!

I had a great conversation with Kayla Girgen about rucking, real food, and how simple habits beat complicated plans. Kayla is a registered dietitian who rucks, hunts, coaches people with CGMs, and writes about combining movement with smart eating. I want to share the practical stuff we talked about so you can use it today.

What Rucking Really Is

Rucking is walking with a weight in a backpack. That is it. You can ruck outside, on trails, or around your neighborhood. It borrows from military training and hunting packs, but anyone can do it.

Why Rucking Works (And Why I Like It)

• Low impact: Easier on joints than running but still builds strength and bone density.
• High return for effort: Add a small weight, and your heart rate and calorie burn go way up.
• Outdoor and social: It gets you outside, and you can do it with friends or a ruck club.
• Easy progression: Add five pounds, add a hill, or go farther. Small steps, big gains.

Gear Basics That Actually Matter

You do not need fancy stuff to start, but a few things make life easier.

1. Pack: A proper ruck with a hip belt and sternum strap is worth it. It moves weight off your shoulders and makes long rucks comfortable.
2. Plates: Ruck plates are thin and rectangular, so they slide into the pack. Start light and work up.
3. Footwear: Choose shoes with a bit of stiffness and support. Hiking boots or rucking-specific shoes beat super squishy running shoes for longer weighted walks.

How to Start Without Getting Hurt

Two rules you can use with clients and follow yourself:

1. Begin light. For most women, 10 to 15 pounds is a good start. For most men, 15 to 25 pounds works. Adjust for fitness and joints.
2. Progress slowly. Aim for a target like 30 percent of body weight eventually, but add weight gradually and mix heavy days with lighter ones.

Mix Rucking with Strength Work

Rucking is great cardio and a load-bearing activity, but it does not replace focused strength training. I still lift a couple of full-body sessions a week. Rucking helps with endurance, balance, and bone health. Strength training builds muscle and resilience. Do both.

Use Food to Support the Effort, Not to Complicate Life

Kayla and I agree that real, whole foods win. Her coaching often uses a slow-carb, higher-protein focus. The simple ideas I pulled from our talk:

• Make protein the priority at meals.
• Pair carbs with protein, fiber, or fat to tame blood sugar spikes.
• Whole-food fiber (veggies, beans, chia) matters more than processed "high-fiber" products.

CGMs: A Tool, Not a Toy

Continuous glucose monitors give clear feedback about how food, sleep, stress, and exercise affect your blood sugar. I use tracking tools when I experiment, and Kayla uses CGMs to teach clients how small changes help. The goal is not to flatten blood sugar forever. Normal ebb and flow is fine. The goal is to reduce big, frequent excursions that cause fatigue and cravings.

Practical Habits You Can Use Tomorrow

• Grab a 10 to 20-pound pack and walk 20 to 30 minutes. See how you feel.
• If you snack and crash every afternoon, try adding protein and fat to your snack and see if the crash goes away.
• After a carb-heavy meal, take a short walk to help muscles pull glucose down naturally.
• Mix heavy rucks with lighter technique or active recovery days to avoid burnout.

FAQ

Q: How heavy should I start when rucking?

A: Start light. Women can begin with 10 to 15 pounds, and men with 15 to 25 pounds. 

Add weight slowly and listen to your joints and recovery.

Q: What shoes should I wear for rucking?

A: Choose shoes with support and a bit of stiffness. Hiking boots or ruck-specific shoes work well. Avoid very squishy running shoes for long, weighted walks.

Q: Do I need a CGM to eat well?

A: No. A CGM is a powerful learning tool, but not required. It helps fast-track understanding of how foods, sleep, stress, and exercise affect your blood sugar.

Q: How often should I ruck each week?

A: Aim for one to three rucks per week to start. Mix in strength training and rest. Increase frequency and weight as you adapt.

Final Thoughts

Stop asking what you can get away with and start asking what you can optimize for. That one change makes decisions simple and keeps progress steady.

Thanks for reading. If you're ready to get leaner, stronger, and smarter with food and training, join my Free Bodybuilding Masterclass. It explains the 7-Phase System I use to help people get shredded, keep muscle, and stay sane while dieting.

Stay Savage,

Robert Sikes

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