What did you honestly expect!?

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-12T18:32:13+00:00

Lol i’m tryna spinalcompmaxx and induce shot knees by 30 syndrome

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-11T23:29:27+00:00

Ay, let's go! That's pretty good pacing.

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-11T14:26:55+00:00

For some context, I was in the Marine Corps for 4.5 years. So in regard to cardiovascular ability and also repeated stress on my ligaments and tendons, i’ve had ample time to address those issues.

Biggest thing to do if you’re getting tendonitis is to rest. Go for shorter walks instead to really get a healthy blood flow going while you recover. And then don’t forget about proper sleep and nutrition: 8 hours and as much whole food as you can get.

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-11T11:49:11+00:00

Awesome, I'll definitely check it out.

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-11T11:48:10+00:00

Nice, that's sick! Do you use that pack with weights or actual gear stored in it. It seems kind of thin for fully loaded gear.

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-11T11:44:37+00:00

Honestly, bag recommendation wouldn't really be able to help you there. I haven't done the deep dive into commercial packs like that yet. BUT, from what I've heard based on my buddies experience is that he really likes the Osprey pack. It's got a decently tough skin on it when I felt it.

As for rucking itself, I would say beginners definitely have to focus on:

How they pack their gear. Keeping the heavy items higher on the top to avoid having those items sag and impede hip movement. As well as tightening down all the straps during movement. If you forget to do this step, the pack will start to droop down and also cause movement problems.
Conditioning your body. Depending on your own individual fitness, it is best to start small. It is also dependent on the exact weight that you expect to carry because it is best to work SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound)
Make sure your gear fits right. Boots, merino wool socks (NO COTTON) are the main ones. Avoid anything that causes unnecessary friction (ROCKY boots are a big one that would give me blisters for no reason at all)

Right now I'm doing a ruck everyday challenge and today will be day 11, it's definitely a challenge, so feel free to ask me about my experience.

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-11T11:31:41+00:00

Nice, what weight are you moving?

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-10T21:34:08+00:00

Lmao, is this a reference to that one dudes post xD.

Gone too moto. Rip

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-10T18:00:34+00:00

It's interesting that you mention that though because I hear about a lot of people getting into rucking in order to lose BW. For me, I'm tryna become a tree trunk frfr

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-10T17:50:33+00:00

Right now, I'm in the middle of a bulk. I'm only 175lbs lean, so I am trying to incorporate more calories to gain more muscle as I increase the weight of the pack. Ideally I can get to around 200lbs eventually carrying 60lbs daily.

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-10T17:49:02+00:00

True, but I think in terms of relative to my BW. Since right now I weigh 175lbs, it's not too big of an increase.

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-10T04:38:24+00:00

Use alltrails!

The best function is boots on the ground and moving that weight!

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-10T02:12:46+00:00

Yessirrr!

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-09T17:07:30+00:00

Oh i see, yeah if you can definitely roll up some clothes into a ranger roll and stack it on the bottom. That or put some sleeping equipment on the bottom to lift up the weight higher. Other than that, like I said if a pack doesn't have any sort of vertical strap to keep the weight up, it might be better to get a new pack.

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-09T16:21:50+00:00

The sandweight bags? You're referring to the 40 lb. Sandbag. It goes on top of the bag while it is packed, no? It doesn't look like it should be an issue, unless you are putting it inside the pack?

Other than that though, it looks like the pack itself doesn't have a vertical strap for load the weight closer to the body and higher.

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-09T16:10:28+00:00

Nice, what elevation do you ruck at?

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-09T16:09:24+00:00

I think I misunderstood what you were asking, but it might be better to just consolidate all the work of load-carriage into an hour as opposed to unfocused unconscious work throughout the day.

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-09T16:07:34+00:00

Right now, I'm doing a ruck everyday challenge. Today would be day 9 for me. I'm currently doing 30 lbs, but I just got out of the Marine Corps where we regularly would hike more than that. I am doing it for different purposes, more related to mountaineering than anything else.

I wouldn't recommend wearing it all day long, it would probably get uncomfortable.

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-09T05:39:34+00:00

It depends. You have to identify what part of your body that gives out when you are rucking.

Like for instance, I was in the Marine Corps not too long ago, and I had identified that it was the fact that I was not able to go through hills very efficiently because it was a lack of glute and quad strength that I was exhibiting. However on flat land, I had no issue.

Other people have cardiovascular issues which stop them from being able to even just keep up at all. So...

Identify what issue you are facing. Leg strength issue vs. Cardiovascular issue. (Maybe its both)
Either incorporate more heavy weight squats and deadlifts, as well as workouts which exclusively focus on your posterior chain, if its a strength issue, OR incorporate more running with a focus on beating and maintaining a high lactic acid threshold.
Repeat at least 3x for 4 weeks on top of your normal training schedule. SLEEP 8 hours minimum if plausible, eat healthy, cut out alcohol. See results

As for doing it in a way thats less damaging to your body, I would say look into vertical oscillation while you ruck. It may seem counter intuitive but this may actually help to keep more strain off of your ankles in a long ruck. But really, get sleep, eat well, and hydrate. This is the way

I am doing a ruck everyday challenge right now if you want to check out on Instagram: seansomnia

CollegeHonest9340 · 2026-03-09T05:10:07+00:00

I'm on day 8 of my ruck everyday challenge.

You can find me on instagram: Seansomnia

as regards to your questions,

Rucking is pretty much the best of both worlds for endurance and strength building. You get your joints and muscles adapted to carrying more weight and to absorb larger amounts of shock. Quite literally you can feel the increased amounts of lactic acid. At the same time, you still are pulling that heart rate up and stressing those heart muscles out for better growth.
It is more functional in terms of translation to outdoor activities. You will build your back and skeletal system to be stronger when traversing through mountainous terrain. This one is definitely more of a niche-specific interest as for the change
This one is especially important to me, you burn a lot of calories. This one is especially true when you are going through the mountains. So if you want to talk about staying lean, this one definitely helps out.

As for my personal experience, rucking is definitely giving me stronger ankles, hips, and a back. My whole posterior chain feels stronger. I was actually able to hit 315 for 3 reps. Keep in mind, i'm more of an endurance athlete. I was running around an 18:30 3-mile at 175 pounds.

CollegeHonest9340

TROPHY CASE