Knee Health and Rucking

[Border]

Most important thing in the entire world is stretching and a proper warm up, none one ever believes it. Nor did i.. but now that i am the old age of 24 i have realized i need to incorporate it into my daily life. Look up some "yoga" for male athletes and just grab some stretches out of one of those guides that you can do daily.

You will have issues with rucking down the road like our veteran members have pointed out, but none of us young guys just getting into rucking should have many problems so early.

I have a 70lb ruck, progressively built my way up from 35, i warm up before each exercise and usually do some nice stretching about 10 minutes into whatever i am doing.

Knee sleeves can help but i'm not sure if the military will let us use them, i only wore them before during Crossfit and they were a saving grace. Also if you have a revolving stair master you should hit that up some days as well, that is the number one biggest thing that has improved my rucking.

We are not in training yet, so if you start to have pain somewhere.. don't be a tough guy an push through it. You will only slow down your training because it will increase the time you need to recover.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

I have a 70lb ruck

Why?

 

[Border]

Why?

Valid question, i am mostly just using it to keep my legs built and strong. Only thing i'm doing is hitting the stair-master with that weight, virtually 0 impact and i can incorporate it into some nice sets of push ups/planks in-between my intervals.

 

[Kells]

Hey guys, quick update. Turns out it was a stress fracture on my right femur. Was told not to run or do any impact training on lower body for two months. I stayed off it for 3 months and have come back with no problems, I also do not run with weight anymore haha. Yoga and stretching / recovery has been huge in helping me recover and stay healthy.

 

[Jnorton017]

What would you guys suggest to someone completely green to rucking looking for where to start. I'm Focused on the PAST right now but after I can constantly hit my goal numbers to start my first PAST which I think i can do within this next month I want to start to switch my workouts up geared towards activities in the tacp schoolhouse and training after. I saw good info about the stair treadmills which I'll incorporate, but I also use the mountain tactical institute site for workouts that I read about in another post on here but they talk about rucking with weight right away. Looking for the best way to ease into this. Made a similar mistake as others have posted on here where i went right into weighted rucking with a couple kids who most were current military the other few aspiring, such as myself, and basically did a 5 mile "ruck" which was my first time even running with boots let along 40 lb ruck at a 9:30 mile pace and had some pretty bad knee aggravation for the following months.

 

[AWP]

What would you guys suggest to someone completely green to rucking looking for where to start. I'm Focused on the PAST right now but after I can constantly hit my goal numbers to start my first PAST which I think i can do within this next month I want to start to switch my workouts up geared towards activities in the tacp schoolhouse and training after. I saw good info about the stair treadmills which I'll incorporate, but I also use the mountain tactical institute site for workouts that I read about in another post on here but they talk about rucking with weight right away. Looking for the best way to ease into this. Made a similar mistake as others have posted on here where i went right into weighted rucking with a couple kids who most were current military the other few aspiring, such as myself, and basically did a 5 mile "ruck" which was my first time even running with boots let along 40 lb ruck at a 9:30 mile pace and had some pretty bad knee aggravation for the following months.

Did you Google ruck march training plans? I'm looking at something like 6-8 How To guides in the first 10 results.

 

[Jnorton017]

Did you Google ruck march training plans? I'm looking at something like 6-8 How To guides in the first 10 results.

I have, just wanted to see if I heard some different suggestions from people who've done it and what they thought was helpful, or what they would have done different. Some of the articles were from sources like military.com, and GoRuck which were helpful but I wasn't sure how reliable info from mens journal and others stacked up.

 

[MikeDelta]

@Pat K.

After exercise, R.I.C.E. RICE (medicine) - Wikipedia

Ice works wonders, but no more than 20 minutes and never put an ice pack directly on your skin without a rag or something between it.

It may be something simple as an inflammed synovial bursa sack. However, if you have compromised your cruciate ligament/MCL or have torn your ACL you could be on your way to the operating table. So, if the aforementioned first aid measures do not work, see your doctor. And as some of the SOF memebers such as @Teufel and @x SF med alluded to; if you continue on this path you’re going to be required to push now and pay later. For this reason I never go over 45# anymore, never run, but always make time for stretching and ice after a ruck or even after a leg workout. Today, I’m closer to 50 than I am 30 and never did the things that I’m suggesting, and as a result I have a cadaver’s tendon in one knee that replaced my ACL. So, take care of yourself now, because in the future you may not have the luxury and time to take care of yourself. Any military training, selection or deployment is going to find any weakness that your body and/or mind has and sometimes that is what makes you a No-Go.

With that, keep being focused, train hard, but train smart and good luck!

 

[Jnorton017]

@Pat K.

After exercise, R.I.C.E. RICE (medicine) - Wikipedia

Ice works wonders, but no more than 20 minutes and never put an ice pack directly on your skin without a rag or something between it.

It may be something simple as an inflammed synovial bursa sack. However, if you have compromised your cruciate ligament/MCL or have torn your ACL you could be on your way to the operating table. So, if the aforementioned first aid measures do not work, see your doctor. And as some of the SOF memebers such as @Teufel and @x SF med alluded to; if you continue on this path you’re going to be required to push now and pay later. For this reason I never go over 45# anymore, never run, but always make time for stretching and ice after a ruck or even after a leg workout. Today, I’m closer to 50 than I am 30 and never did the things that I’m suggesting, as a result I have a cadaver’s tendon in one knee that replaced my ACL. So, take care of yourself now, because in the future you may not have the luxury and time to take care of yourself. Any military training, selection or deployment is going to find any weakness that your body and/or mind has and sometimes that is what makes you a No-Go.

With that, keep being focused, train hard, but train smart and good luck!

Appreciate it.

 

[MikeDelta]

Appreciate it.

You’re welcome. You’ll find tons of information regarding this subject here on Shadow Spear and sites like military.com

 

[AWP]

I have, just wanted to see if I heard some different suggestions from people who've done it and what they thought was helpful, or what they would have done different. Some of the articles were from sources like military.com, and GoRuck which were helpful but I wasn't sure how reliable info from mens journal and others stacked up.

Good. I'll use this to launch into some professional development.

You did your research (which, frankly, sets you apart from others here), but here's a better way to handle this:

"I've checked out GoRuck and Military.com's plans. Are these valid? What would you guys suggest to someone completely green to rucking looking for where to start?" Then include links so we know what you're describing above.

A better option would be to search here first because we have covered this.

The above demonstrates that you've put in the work and your questions are targeted rather than broad, one-over-the-world, "gimme the answers"...laziness. Again, we see this often and that's our perception. Think of it like a job interview: you know a little about the company and you ask questions to show you're serious about the job. I'm in my 40's, trust me or not but the above will serve you well in life.

Good luck.

 

[Jnorton017]

Understood, thanks.

 

[Gunpowder]

I know, right? But these 20-somethings, they think their bodies will last forever. I tell them I am on the smiling side of 50 and because of rucking heavy weight for so many years (when I didn't have a choice) I sound like a bowl of rice krispies and have an ortho on retainer. They don't care; they think it's cool; the more weight, the better.

Ditto with Devildoc...as I'm on the other side of 60 and I'm sitting here with two bad knees, back, cervical and a shoulder about to be MRI'd in a few weeks...65 lb rucks used to be a norm...take care of yourselves youngins'....we are not invincible!

 

[Polar Bear]

“Rucking and Knee Health” a comedy

 

[MikeDelta]

“Rucking and Knee Health” a comedy

Maybe there is a pitch for a sitcom somewhere here? What if there is man and his rucksack and he’s concerned about knee health? Eh eh!?