How Many Calories Do You Burn Rucking?

When it comes to burning calories and getting an effective full-body workout, rucking is growing in popularity for good reason. But exactly how many calories does rucking burn? The number can vary quite a bit based on several key factors. The weight of your rucksack or backpack is one of the most important variables for calorie burn. Heavier packs require more energy to carry, leading to increased calorie expenditure. With a 20 lb (9 kg) pack, you can burn around 300 calories per hour of rucking. This goes up to around 475 calories per hour with a 40 (18 kg) lb pack and over 600 calories per hour with a 60+ lb (27+ kg)pack. Your intensity and pace also impact calories burned rucking. A moderate 3-4 mph (or 5-6.5 km/h) pace burns more calories than slower paces, especially if you incorporate hilly or uneven terrain. Uphill climbing while rucking significantly increases calorie expenditure as well. Fitness level and body weight also influence calorie burn. Heavier individuals and those newer to exercise tend to burn more calories rucking the same distances than lighter, more conditioned people. Variables like age, gender, and genetics affect this too. In general, the estimated calories burned per hour of rucking are:

• 20 lb (9 kg) pack: 300 calories/hour

• 30 lb (13.6 kg) pack: 400 calories/hour

• 40 lb (18 kg) pack: 475 calories/hour

• 50 lb (22.7 kg) pack: 550 calories/hour

• 60+ lb (27 kg) pack: 600+ calories/hour

However, these are just estimates. Calculating exact calorie expenditure requires tracking duration, distance, pack weight, pace, terrain, and other individual factors. Apps and fitness trackers can help with this. To put it in perspective, here is an example calorie burn estimate: For a 150 lb (68 kg) person rucking 3 miles (4.8km) with a 30 lb (13.6 kg) pack, the duration would be about 60 minutes. With a 30 lb (13.6) pack weight, the estimated calories burned per hour is 400. So the total calories burned would be around 400. While calorie burn will vary based on the factors discussed, rucking 2-3 times per week can significantly increase calorie expenditure when combined with a healthy diet. Heavier packs, faster paces, and hilly terrain optimize the calorie-burning benefits. Rucking is an extremely efficient exercise for burning calories. With a weighted pack, you can burn upwards of 400-600 calories per hour. Tracking your personal numbers provides the most accurate estimate. But in general, rucking offers an incredibly effective calorie-burning workout. The heavier the pack and more intense the pace, the more calories you can expect to burn.

Fitness Level and Body Weight

Fitness level and current body composition play a key role in determining calorie expenditure while rucking. Individuals who are newer to exercise or carry more body weight tend to burn more calories than those who are lighter and more conditioned. This is because their body has to work harder to complete the same rucking distance with added weight. Those newer to fitness have less muscle endurance, so their muscles fatigue faster, leading to greater energy expenditure. Additionally, heavier individuals require more energy output to move and stabilize their body mass against gravity while rucking. Variables like age, gender, and genetics also affect metabolic rate and calorie burn during exercise. For example, men tend to burn more calories than women when rucking the same distance (although it's not always the case!). So two people doing the exact same ruck workout may burn very different amounts of calories based on their current fitness level, weight, age, and genetics.

Proper Rucking Form and Technique

Maintaining proper form and technique while rucking can help optimize calorie burn, prevent injury, and improve efficiency. Here are some tips:

• Posture - Stand tall with shoulders back and down. Avoid hunching or leaning forward. Engage core muscles.

• Arm Position - Allow arms to swing naturally without crossing the body. Do not clench your fists. Hands can hold onto shoulder straps if you feel more comfortable.

• Foot Strike - Land on mid to forefoot. Take shorter, quicker steps. Heels can touch down lightly.

• Uphill - Lean slightly forward maintaining posture. Drive knees upwards to propel the body. Maintain pace.

• Downhill - Increase stride length while maintaining cadence. Land lightly on midfoot. Do not lean too far back.

• Pace - Take quicker, shorter strides around 90-110 steps per minute. Use a metronome to maintain cadence (many smartwatches offer this as a feature).

• Rest - Take regular walk breaks every 20-40 minutes to regain form and reduce fatigue.

Proper form engages more muscles, improves cardio efficiency, and prevents injury - all of which optimize calorie burn. It takes practice, so be patient. Start with low weight and progress gradually.

Maximizing Calorie Burn with Rucking

Here are some tips to maximize calorie expenditure while rucking:

• Increase pack weight - Add 2.5-5 lbs (1-2.5 kg) every 1-2 weeks as tolerated up to 60 lbs (27 kg). Heavier weights burn more calories.

• Use interval training - Mix up the pace by including short 1-2 minute bursts of fast walking every 5-10 minutes.

• Add hills - Find routes with steep hills or stairs to burn more calories. Take them at a moderate pace.

• Lengthen duration - Gradually increase ruck time from 30 minutes to 1-2 hours as fitness allows.

• Ruck farther - Build weekly mileage by 0.5-1 mile per session until hitting 3-5 miles.

• Vary terrain - Seek out trails, sand, gravel roads, or grass instead of pavement to expend more energy.

• Use a heart rate monitor - Target 60-70% of max heart rate for moderate-intensity calorie burn.

• Go rucking 2-3x a week - Consistency provides better calorie-burning results over time.

• Improve fitness - As conditioning improves, add weight, speed, or distance to maintain calorie burn.

• Stay hydrated - Drink water before, during, and after rucking to fuel calorie burn and prevent overheating.

The key is to start at a manageable level and progressively increase weight, speed, duration, and distance over time. Listen to your body and recover properly between sessions. Rucking burns a significant amount of calories, so fuel your workouts properly with healthy nutrition. With the right technique and a progressive training approach, rucking can help burn hundreds of calories per session. Track your calories burned to stay motivated. Rucking engages the whole body and provides an intense calorie-burning workout. If you want to learn more about how to maximize calorie burn when rucking, read our article here where we deep-dive into the topic.

Conclusion

Rucking is growing in popularity as an efficient calorie-torching exercise routine. Carrying a weighted backpack engages the whole body and elevates the heart rate, burning up to 600 calories per hour. Variables like pack weight, speed, terrain, technique, and fitness level impact calorie expenditure. Start gradually and increase weight, distance, and pace over time. Rucking just a few times per week can significantly boost calorie burn when combined with proper nutrition and recovery. Track your progress to stay motivated and burn more calories with this intense functional fitness activity.