Learn to do it right and the speed will come. We went everywhere with our rucks. GORUCK does not provide an official class list of finishers, so this list was cobbled together by the collective knowledge of the interwebs and the nerds over on the Tough Page.If you have any corrections or additions, … I stopped by the side of the road to grab a smoke. I ran 35-40 miles a week. The thought of leaving my smoking hot wife all nice and warm in bed to get up and go out in 15 degree driving snowstorms to ruck was not exactly appealing. Every day it got progressively worse. Selection Phase- 1.5 weeks: Following the field phase, candidates will begin cleanup and will be administered tests, surveys, critiques and interviews. Min 11-20: 3 Tough Strict HSPU (adjust deficit to challenge 3. accodingly) 4. I’m focused on getting back to being huge. The other moral: DO STRENGTH TRAINING. Place your hands ap… This is a 8-week program that will require the athlete to train up to 6 days a week. Then your speed will come without having to resort to running. The moral of that story is DO NOT OVERTRAIN. Then guys get to selection and are asked to lift a 200-pound human onto their back and carry them around. F**k ’em. Champions Sydney … I had three months until Selection. I kept going, and going, and going. Just don’t train that way. I would gradually add weight and distance. I highly suggest that you read and follow the PT Program that we publish daily here at SpecialOperations.com and if you follow that, you should be in good position to be selected. These events can make or break your chances of succeeding if you find yourself in a course that requires students to pass timed rucking events. Right now I am on another strength cycle. – I compare rucking to treading water. AARs, Training Tips, and other rucking shenanigans. “Boots, boots… there’s no discharge in the war”. I was more or less maintain some strength but had lost all of that size. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate constantly while out training. Reading and researching different supplements online is good too. My 2010 trip to Afghanistan I did the same thing. So when I am standing over you at the 48th hour and you’re hating life, look up at me and smile. Working out with different people at different times helps. Rucking with a bunch of folks is one of my favorite activities. We started moving on our own, and the pain kept getting worse with every step. You don’t have to be a bodybuilder to pass selection but if your shoulders are strong, it will take a lot of the stress and strain off when carrying a rucksack. As Jason and I have said over the last year, no one ever leaves GORUCK Selection or even SFAS early saying “I over-trained for this.” GORUCK Selection class 015 in Neptune Beach, Florida is not until October 2014. Min 1-10: 2 Heavy CGBP 2. I’ve been getting messaged again lately and once more, many of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) candidates’ questions center around rucking and being able to tote the big pain pill. I personally found rucking a bit easier for me, being over 6 feet tall, I learned quickly to lengthen my stride and did it without using my calves too much. Your ruck is on your back, you're given your waypoints, and you have to meet the time standard if you want to pass. I didn’t work out with weights at all – no strength training whatsoever. Selection is an individual event. With a few Rucks a … I was trying to kill you, and the only reason we stopped was for your fat lazy ass to catch up. But why would you do that if you can’t have it in the course? I went back to what I knew. I’d lengthen my stride using more hamstrings and hip motion, those are bigger muscle groups and with a bit of practice pushing off with your hamstrings and thighs. When I would come back from missions I would be smoked though. Rucking, tabbing, yomping, etc. So I started converting the miles I ran into miles I would ruck. GORUCK Selection is the world’s hardest endurance event. The Special Operations trooper has to learn to handle the rucksack like it is an extension of his own body. No, of course not. I started to feel better within a couple weeks. For my 2009 trip to Afghanistan, I spent all my time in the gym getting Strong As F**k. No Cardio. Min 31-40: 3 Tough Thrusters 6. In fact, back in September I met up with area members of The Strenuous Life for a 2-hour ruck here in Tulsa (at Turkey Mountain, of course). It is designed to get you ready for the 24 hours, 40+ miles, of rucking you have in store. Thank God I rucked my ass off, cause that’s all we did. All Rights Reserved. The 5.11 Rush 72 is one of the best tactical backpacks money can buy. At times I was falling asleep while I was walking. We have some good trails in the area where the steep rise and fall helps getting you prepared for those later on during the course. You’re not going to be shooting tight shot groups on Day 1. If your hips are tight, it will affect your gait, your stride and put too much pressure on your calves. Rucking is one of those foundational skills of the military, especially with any unit in proximity to ground combat. I could have cut half the miles out I rucked prior to selection and I would have been fine. Because running and building up your endurance on dirt and soft sand trails will ultimately help your ruck times. Rucking is walking with a loaded backpack – and not just in the woods! Even then, you should still progress with rucking logically and not jump into a 10-mile ruck on day 1. Don’t let that happen to you. But I was ready. I started to get fat, but this is what I wanted. I smoke, eat like s**t, train hard and drink beer. If you’re looking for a mindless six-week program of PT, this isn’t for you. This is where Rucking Gains comes in. So if you are trying to read between the lines and decipher how this applies to you, you are on the right path. I decided that I needed to gain some weight. Excellence, toughness, and adaptability are the pillars of our way of life. Stay Limber. I started with a 35lb ruck for 3 miles. I’ve said this countless times and so we’ll throw it out there again. Running is 2-3X harder on your knees than rucking, so it should be no big surprise that running is the most frequent cause of preventable injuries in Special Forces (30% compared to 5% from rucking). I didn’t realize how tight my hips had gotten until I began to stretch them out again. I can do that because the next Challenge that I have to run is in a couple months. Walking out of that valley was a miracle and I no s**t lost almost 10lbs from that one day alone. And like a nagging old wife, I’ll repeat this again. I started taking DMZ load and was starting to get pretty jacked up. We nailed some s**thead terrorist that was responsible for some American deaths. The history of rucking goes way back to the era of the Roman Empire, a time when troops were drilled with full weighted gear. Matter of fact, I never went to the gym. Yes, there will be times (many times…trust me) that you’ll be carrying a lot of ‘light-weight’ gear on your back in Special Operations. But I did it anyway, because I was committed to getting selected. With rucking, you get the bonding benefit of moving together in a group, along with the ability to talk without gasping. For the next 6 months I would cycle on and cycle off of X-Tren. Not so much for the dog. Below is a list of all GORUCK Selection classes and finishers. Running with a ruck will hurt your knees and back…take it from the guy with two arthritic knees and an arthritic back to boot. Simply speaking, rucking is walking with a weighted pack, or rucksack, on your back. My goal was to be able to ruck 12 miles in under 2.5 hours with a 65lb ruck, and I made my deadline two weeks before Selection. RUCK-BASED SELECTION TRAINING PROGRAM The following program is designed to improve performance with a concentration on rucking-based military selections (Green Beret, Delta, The Activity). The hefeweizens in Germany just weren’t cutting it anymore. When I started training for Selection, I was 5’9 and 160lbs. With the summer months here, becoming a heat injury can happen quickly. Kept training hard, strength in the afternoon, dinner, talk to my smoking hot wife, CrossFit WOD right after. We understand ads might not be why you’re here, but our ad revenue is one of the ways we keep the lights on and our veteran writing staff paid. Calls for vets to be sent to cattle ships stranded at sea since December. But as candidates for Selection, you are a long way from worrying about that. I have done Crossfit, Arnold’s basic and advanced workout, Military Athlete, and a few other ones. At those times, you’re going to have to do what you must,” Learn to increase your speed without running. This is a cheap, simple exercise that burns calories and builds aerobic endurance due to the added weight. It’s all in your head ladies and gentleman. It’s very important you complete the final, Ruck-Based Selection Training Plan the 8 weeks directly before you report for selection. More to follow on that. Min 21-30: 10sec Sled Push Tough but Sustainable 5. I would gradually add weight and distance. Speaking of hips, this next part is particularly important. It is a habit that you should carry over in the course. As I walked up to all the other soldiers who, like me, had roster numbers sewn on their uniforms, I looked back at all the hard work and training it taken me to get this far. Selection begins with a gear inspection and PT test. I was way past done. No matter what the WOD was I would do it. 48+ hours, 80+ miles. Always try to vary the terrain, and find the soft sand trails, I guarantee that you see them again during Selection. My teammate is one of those guys that for his size is as strong as a mule. There were only two ways I was going home – on a stretcher as a med drop or escorted to Ft. Bragg by the cadre. Navy SEAL Hell Week Is Nothing Compared to Last Phase on “The Rock”, Russia’s Mercenary Army, Wagner PMC, Exposed in Rare Interview, Women Navy SEALs: Hell Week and Machine Guns in 3rd Phase, Building Your Ultimate Sniper Rifle – Remington 700 Upgrade, Your Subscription Supports our Veteran Staff. Format. Those participants who do not meet the standard at any point will be performance dropped at our discretion. You don’t have to be a bodybuilder to pass selection but if your shoulders are strong, it will take a lot of the stress and strain off when carrying a rucksack. Finally I made it to the finish line. It helps as does every little thing. From one of our articles on rucking, “They’ll be times in your selection course or the qualification course that you’ll have to make up time or want to pick your pace, especially on the downhill slopes. When it comes to rucksacks, there are many options to prepare for Army, Ranger, Special Forces, SEAL, USMC, and other schools that require rucking as part of their training. Once your technique is down, you will find that the speed will come naturally but there isn’t a trick or magic formula you can take, it is just practice and putting the time in. Bad enough I had to wear a wooden boot on my foot for the next month and a half. Let’s make some rucking gains! I will crush souls now and forever. A blog about what we love: people, rucking and training, the military, manufacturing, local pride, dogs, and the finer things in life. Next mission I went on I felt great afterwards. Some days I would ruck at night after work. These schools are notorious for the quantity of rucking they do. Whether PT tests or runs with my unit, I always came in first. This will get your legs stretched out to a good length and really allows to push off and keep a good pace over a long distance. At the time I was drinking protein shakes every couple hours, on a 2-month cycle of X-Tren, taking NO XPLODE, and working out every day. If you think you have what it takes to complete GORUCK Selection, you’re probably wrong. I lucked out big time. Years of being in the army meant I could run like the damn wind for miles with no issue. Same for rucking. Then slowly work yourself back down. At all points during the event your ruck must weight at least 45 pounds excluding food and water. I was close by a couple minutes but I didn’t make it. To comment on this article please login or create an account. We teach you the fundamentals of rucking, rucking program design, and offer a proven, cutting-edge, safe and effective rucking program. Hit the hills with a vengeance, learn the best ways to climb and descend those while picking up the pace. It takes learning the fundamentals and putting a lot of lead downrange. I already had the endurance to keep going when most would pull up and start walking, but my upper body strength at the time was lacking, to say the least. And only then, add some weight. It was f**king brutal to say the least. You have to shock your body. Once you get to where you are easily making the time limits (and you should aim to be well under them) with a 45-pound ruck, then you should have no problems in meeting the criteria in the course. F**k yeah. Rucking is the perfect way to become a more conditioned jock by carrying weight over a longer distance at a brisk pace. I didn’t make it. So, let’s take a step back in time and get back to the basics and start from there. They include event-specific modalities such as swimming, rucking (hiking with a 40-60 pound weighted pack for long distances over varied terrain), and … Reason being, my mission for that trip was staying on a base and training dudes. I felt great the first month. I didn’t believe that Finish Together s**t on these runs. Gradually, I say. It would take awhile to recover from missions, longer than I could remember. Any training program for special forces selection includes huge amounts of ruck training in an effort to toughen the feet and test endurance. Your hips put everything in good working order. I kissed the wife, boarded the airplane, and took a seven hour flight to the US. Red Circle Mastermind - Sign Up →. Cardio was my God. I figured it was just aches and pains, and I sucked it up. 5.11’ tactical RUSH 72 lives up to the name of the series. Do some really good hip stretches, (here are some good ones) and not just before a ruck march but daily and you’ll notice a big, big difference. Cadre Dan is a Green Beret and one of our original Cadre. I promised myself that no matter what I would still lead PT even though some days I was smoked. Good Livin' through rucking and GORUCK. I was very lean and in excellent cardio shape. The endless miles I had ruck-marched in Germany, six days a week at 4 AM, no matter the weather. I took my platoon on SSG Plants’ Death Run weekly – an 8+ mile run with stops along the way to do various exercises. Right around the end of the first week I got out of bed and felt sharp pains in my joints on my left foot at the three little toes. Moral of the story is never do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. If you’d like a fancy PDF version, tough. I cranked the elevation up on the treadmill and ran/walked till I felt like I would fall off. Read Next: Why do you put such a premium on rucking in Special Operations? That was a bad idea. Some days it’s first thing in the morning, some days it’s before I go to bed. Cause God smiles on those he loves, and today, he loves you guys. So far, after a couple weeks I am stronger now at 190lbs than I was at 210. Except no supplements to start. You want to destroy your body during Selection, not before it. I completed the Challenge and the rest they say is history. Ensure that the waist strap is buckled and nothing is rubbing either on your back or shoulders. Have a couple of pair of boots broken in and ready to go and get out and hit the trails. I started going to McDonald’s everyday for lunch. I would do Strength Training in the afternoon and at night I would do Crossfit. No need to go full out yet. After some schools where I had no time to work out I signed up for Class 017 led by Lou and Jason. When I got back into the barracks I realized that I was one of the first ones back. I haven’t run in a couple months. The week prior you should be doing light exercise to keep your mobility and endurance good. I prefer the simplest route: ruck farther, ruck faster, and ruck with more weight. This process for a beginner preparing for tough military selections courses that require rucking (Army Ranger, SF, Marines, RECON, etc), this could take a year or more. A few months ago, I wrote that our PT preparation work focuses a lot on shoulder work, and for a good reason. Too many young guys are putting the cart before the horse in terms of weight. I had a mission in May that was the longest and hardest mission I have ever had. Get one that the selection committee allows for selection. Learn to pack your ruck not just for ruck marches but all the time so that the weight is higher up between your shoulder blades. Was it/Is it easy? If you do not realize that treading is difficult, it can be a shock to you when tasked with treading drills in Navy, Air Force and recon-type selection programs. Because once you get to rucking in the course, put your favorite music or song on in your head. So much for goals. Know that Rucking Sucks! I worked out when I could. Why do you put such a premium on rucking in Special Operations? You will have to work hard and push yourself, but if you do that and put the effort in to properly prepare for the courses, then there’s no reason to believe that you won’t be able to meet the standards. So, don’t weigh yourself down trying to ruck 80-85 pounds in preparation training before you’re even ready for that yet. Rucking is just like shooting. © 2020 The SOFREP Media Group. Ruck Based Selection Training Plan V5 Intense, 8-Week Training Plan sport-specifically designed to prepare athletes for the fitness demands of SFAS (Green Beret Selection) and similar ruck-based selection courses which include timed rucking events, calisthenic-based “smokers,” grip strength, team events etc. No need to go full out yet. The day of the long walk, I was limping. I did none. Don’t worry about everyone else’s horror stories. Two weeks before Selection I went on that 12 miler with my goal time and weight. I felt awesome, and nothing was going to stop me from getting selected. When my daughter was born in November of 2009, I weighed 210lbs and thought I was strong as hell. I would ruck for 4-6 miles and be standing in formation ready to take my platoon on PT. The amount of aggravation I had to deal with from my current unit to get here. I needed to gain some fat because I needed that excess storage. 2 days ago. Life isn’t fair, and you’re not going to get all the answers. Stick to what the workout programs call for, and that is a 45-pound ruck. All I cared about was the fact that I could do a s**t ton of pushups and pull-ups. I kept lifting but I just did more reps to increase my Endurance. When you show up for Selection you should look right at me and say to yourself, “I don’t give a f**k what this guy makes me do, I will not QUIT, GFY”. The 5.11 Tactical RUSH series is known for its mission-oriented highly organized rucking backpacks that are both comfortable and highly durable. Rucksack (GR2 or similar size) Boots with high ankle support (military-style with drainage holes recommended) Army Special Operations units place tremendous value in rucking. 45-52 (7) Ruck-Based Selection Training Plan. So, while your training, bring along your I-pod and listen to some good music that will motivate you while walking. A couple days later, I found out I was selected. Like beer. I decided that I wasn’t going to stop any more. It is very challenging, but if it was easy then anybody could do it. Not because I was smoking, but because my feet were throbbing with pain. I wouldn’t quit though, I just kept moving. If I didn’t train this hard, I might as well stay home on my couch and eat potato chips. Then adjust the load and this is something that will require practice as well. Rucking – walking or hiking with a loaded backpack – it’s simple and effective. C-ya on the trail. Preparing for a rigorous military selection course differs from rucking for basic conditioning – for both the soldier and recreational athlete alike. The guy is my height and weight, but on some lifts would be 90lbs above me. Rucking goes by many names, but, it’s quite simply an amazing way to get fit with the aid of a weighted backpack. The GORUCK Selection Standards (or, the Standards) are a series of physical activities that must be completed before you are able to participate in the actual event. I weigh 190 now and I am stronger now than I was when I weighed 210lbs. I will take the reader from A-Z: how to prep your gear, how to walk, how to program, and why.