How To Ruck Faster and Injury-Free

ByDave

You need to stop ruck-running. Instead, use these three cues.

Ruck running results in an increased risk of injury, and is incredibly inefficient, even if you’re alternating between walking and running.

Instead, I want you to use these three cues in your next rucking session. This will help you ruck faster and ruck with less injury risk.

Ruck Walking Technique Tips
Fast Ruck Walking Technquie
  1. Hinge at your hips to give yourself some forward lean as you would in running to deliver force through the ground.
  2. Keep one foot on the ground at all times, lift your knees high, and focus on fast foot turnover and short strides. Your knees should be bent when your foot comes in contact with the ground.
  3. Swing your arms to speed up your foot turnover.

Using this technique, most candidates can get to a 13 or 14-minute mile ruck pace. If you’re doing long strides with locked-out knees or ruck running, that is a recipe for injury. This is a much safer, faster technique.

I'm a coach with a passion for helping athletes dominate the toughest selection courses in the world. Over the years, I've trained well over 100 athletes for Special Operations selection courses, including SFAS, RASP, Air Force A&S, BORTAC, SWAT, and MARSOC A&S. My mission is to bridge the gap between traditional performance training and the unique demands of tactical and military athletes.

I got my start coaching hybrid athletes, blending strength, endurance, and hypertrophy training to achieve peak performance. As I worked with more tactical and military athletes, I realized there was a need for a specialized approach tailored to the grueling physical and mental challenges of SOF selections. This realization drove me to focus on prepping SOF candidates for success, combining cutting-edge research, proven training methodologies, and real-world experience.

Whether you're preparing for selection, seeking to level up your fitness, or simply curious about what it takes to thrive in these elite environments, I hope you'll find the information I share helpful.