Forget the gimmicks. If you’re serious about burning fat, building real endurance, and transforming your body — rucking is it. I’m not a celebrity. I didn’t pay for surgery. I just rucked… a lot. Here’s how it worked.
1. My Weight Loss Journey
I’ve lost over 90 pounds. The first ~70 pounds came off from regular walking — nothing fancy. Just me, moving every day. Sometimes I carried things off and on, but I didn’t really start rucking until the last stretch.
And that’s what changed everything.
With as much weight as I had to lose — and the loose skin and stubborn fat that came with it — I needed something that pushed my body harder, but without wrecking my joints. Rucking was the only thing that worked.
Biking didn’t cut it. I was getting cardio, sure, but I wasn’t getting lean. It wasn’t until I rucked — with weight, every day, out in the sun — that my body fat percentage started to drop the way I wanted.
2. Why Rucking Works for Fat Loss
Rucking is one of the most effective forms of steady-state cardio on Earth:
- Burns more calories than walking
- Builds muscle while you move
- Doesn’t destroy your knees like running
- Scales with your strength and fitness
- Works in nearly any weather or terrain
- Boosts metabolism with sun and sweat
It’s walking, but leveled up.
And with the right gear, like the Wolf Tactical weighted vest, it becomes a full-body fat-burning machine.
2.5 The Fat-Burning Zone Explained
To actually burn fat efficiently, you need to keep your heart rate in the fat-burning zone — that’s about 60% to 70% of your max heart rate.
How to calculate it:
- Max heart rate = 220 minus your age
- Fat-burning zone = 60%–70% of that number
Example for a 40-year-old:
- Max heart rate: 180 bpm
- Fat-burning zone: 108–126 bpm
Rucking naturally holds you in this zone. It’s consistent, powerful, and doesn’t spike your heart rate too high like running often does. That’s why it works for fat loss, not just weight loss.
No heart rate monitor? Get one. I use the Apple Watch Ultra 2 to track my heart rate and effort. If I coach you, that’s what I recommend so we can lock in your numbers and maximize fat loss.
3. Why Walking Alone Isn’t Enough
Walking got me started. But eventually… it plateaued. My body adapted. And the results slowed down.
You need progressive overload, just like in weightlifting. Rucking provides that — you can increase:
- Pack weight
- Terrain intensity
- Speed
- Duration
Each variable forces your body to adapt again, keeping you in the burn zone.
4. Rucking vs. Biking
I tried biking too. For a while, it helped with general fitness. But it wasn’t enough to strip the last few layers of fat. Biking didn’t raise the resistance or body tension the same way rucking does.
Rucking is a full-body challenge — spine, legs, core, posture. It makes you useful and strong while burning fat the whole time.
5. How to Start Rucking for Fat Loss
Here’s what I recommend:
- Start with 10–20 lbs in a vest or pack
- Try this Wolf Tactical vest — distributes weight evenly, great for beginners
- Track your heart rate with a smartwatch
- Ruck outside — get sun, get sweaty
- Hydrate with Bucked Up samples — free shaker, free samples, 20% off everything
- Stay consistent — don’t aim for perfect form, just show up daily
The combination of weighted movement, sun exposure, hydration, and consistency creates a fat loss formula that works.
6. Final Thoughts: Rucking Changed Everything
Rucking is walking — but weaponized.
It turned my life around, reshaped my body, and gave me real strength, inside and out. I don’t think there’s anything better for long-term fat loss, period.
Try it for 30 days. Your body will change.
Need help getting started? I’m an ISSA certified personal trainer and I coach clients online. If you want custom rucking programs or fat-loss coaching, contact me through this site. Let’s get to work.
