Stopped Running and Started Rucking

[livetohunt]

To get in shape before hunting season I throw 60 lbs of weights in my pack and walk with jogging spurts around my neighborhood in the middle of night. Get some weird looks but oh well. (I work a night shift)

I wear Danners when I do this and get my pack setup the way it will be in the field. The only thing is I don't really have any elevation change.

Pushing pretty hard right before season last year I was able to get my 3 mile loop in 60 minutes. It took a decent amount of jogging to hit that time but that's with a total pack weight of 75 lbs so I was happy with that.

 

[Steelheadjoe]

We used to run 3 to 8 mile fun runs with our 25 lb flak jackets in Uncle Sam's Misguided Children's club. Always felt like you could almost fly when we took off all that gear. Absolutely worked for building endurance and stamina. But then again most of us were at most 25. Ah the good ol days. Semper Fi.
P.S. Tim, Got a one hole three shot group today with the 22-250.

 

[HARPERC]

.(I work a night shift.

The daywalkers all think we're weird anyway!

 

[Shane Lindsey]

When you say rucking do you mean hiking with a pack (humping) or running with a pack? No such thing as a comfortable pack weight. I try to walk at a fast pace to make your heart work with what you would carry on your hunting days afield. Anymore than 40 lbs and my hips, knees and back pay the price. Again speed is the key.

I ask because after a few years of this (both of the above) my body has really told me it is time to get a four wheeler.

25 years as a Marine Infantryman...good old days, or is it old in my good days...

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

....
I ask because after a few years of this (both of the above) my body has really told me it is time to get a four wheeler.....

I went with a UTV...at my age I wanted the roll cage. Seen too many injured on atv's.

 

[HARPERC]

Good motorcycles and bad horses made me the man I am today.

 

[Wyodog]

I was talking to my son the other day, he is a certified personal trainer, and I mentioned that I seem to loose more weight hiking and backpacking than anything else I do. He explained to me that the reason is because the level of exertion is different than when you do cardio or weight training and that over long periods of time at lower levels compared to other workouts, put your body into a medibolic state that burns fat more effiecently. He explained that the reason cardio machines have a fat burning mode that is less intense than cardio or performance mode is for this reason. He also says cardio work out are important because it helps overall health and fitness, that you don't need to do cardio all the time. This is contrary to what I always belived. I thought that the harder you worked out the better for weight loss. He also has me lift weights but that is another topic.

 

[Shane Lindsey]

Absolutely...10 miler with 40lbs if you are hoofing over uneven terrain with hills is at least 3 hours of solid work.

If you want to drop weight, a pack on your back will do it.

Great way to test the will of a man...

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

If hereditary is not in your favor you might be best off avoiding heavier packs and longer regular treks with weight training. That's been my experience. I've got two cousins that had hips before they were 50 and parents that both needed knees. Family history is not going to be kind to me. Looking back I regret all the heavy weight training I did when younger as I'm paying for it now. I've been telling my son to keep to weights he can do at least 3 reps with and stop the marathons.

 

[Wyodog]

Last evening i went for a 4 mile hike (2 miles each way) for dinner. I carried my 44 lb grand daughter standing in my back pack. It was was way harder than than carrying the the same weight of hunting gear because she moved around a lot. I woke up with sore mussels this morning that I haven't had on previous hikes. seemed like this really worked my core mussels. we were going for Pizza so I felt like I earned it.

 

[Mike 338]

Last evening i went for a 4 mile hike (2 miles each way) for dinner. I carried my 44 lb grand daughter standing in my back pack. It was was way harder than than carrying the the same weight of hunting gear because she moved around a lot. I woke up with sore mussels this morning that I haven't had on previous hikes. seemed like this really worked my core mussels. we were going for Pizza so I felt like I earned it.

Reminds me of Hershel Walker's pushup routine of having his girlfriend sit on his back while he did pushups.

Guys who train for big events like marathons and such... they don't go in whole hog. They slowly train up and then train back before the event. What they don't do is get injured, get bored, get interrupted or get off track. It's real basic. It's simple enough that they know they can do it under almost any circumstances they're liable to encounter. They get the work in and don't leave the fight in the gym. If they need a kick in the event, they've got it and then some because they didn't over spend themselves training.

Do a thing consistently, with appropriate degrees of engagement. Avoid injury. Injury is a double detractor. It takes you out and it demoralizes you. People come back to soon and only serve to screw themselves worse than before because they are deluded into thinking effort is directly related to results. Geeze... I've seen adult men who think the gym is where you train for hunting. They even have the hernia belt on for squats for getting into hunting shape. Dude... your sneaking around the hills, looking for something elusive and if you find and shoot it, you got'a carry it out on your back and get it on ice before it spoils. Hey son... it isn't fake rocket science. It isn't even science. It's just hick science. Get in fairly good shape, as in you can walk a dang good deal more than most with a load on your back. Discard the love of gadgets and instead rely on your senses. Pray to God for your safety. You are, after all, out there alone, unless you need a wet nurse. Then get 'er done. You've been given everything you need to "get 'er done". Success and unsuccess... forget the results. If you tried the right way and didn't score, then your just another hunter that didn't blow his balls out with a hernia.

God gives you the food on your table. Don't get all caught up in scores.

 

[Owl]

Loving this thread!

 

[LostOnTheLlano]

This is sound advice.

 

[KyCarl]

My daughter is real into the fitness thing. She trains with Kettle Bells?
First it was MMA then Body Building now it's Power Lifting
Here's when she won the North American Championship.