Most people think rucking is just a cardio thing. You throw on some weight, go for a walk, and burn calories. And yeah — that’s true. But rucking can be a lot more than that. Once you understand how to modify it, it becomes a mobile strength platform. You can layer in resistance, build muscular endurance, and train in ways that translate directly to the real world.
This time, I hit San Angelo State Park wearing a 50 lb Wolf Tactical weighted vest — nothing new there. But I added something else: 100 lb hand grippers.
Why Grip Strength Matters
Your hands are used every day — not once, but hundreds of times. Opening doors, carrying groceries, pulling yourself up, lifting weights, working on tools. Real-life hand strength isn’t about how much you can squeeze one time — it’s about whether your hands can keep working when everything else wants to quit.
That’s why I don’t just train grip for power. I train for endurance. While covering 3 to 5 miles on foot, I’m doing 20 reps per hand with my 100 lb grippers, switching back and forth as I go. That’s hundreds of reps over time — just like life demands.
Rucking Modifiers: Build While You Move
I call these “modifiers.” Not everything needs to be a circuit or a bootcamp. Rucking is flexible. You can add:
- Different footwear (boots, barefoot shoes)
- Different weight levels (vests, packs)
- Sandbags or water bottles in hand
- Grippers or resistance bands
- Even phone calls, content creation, or work — all while walking
Today’s modifier? Grip training — but it could’ve been anything. The idea is simple: rucking doesn’t waste your time. You can train more than one thing at once. That’s what makes it better than walking, better than jogging, and way more effective than sitting in a gym machine.
The Setup
Here’s what I used:
- 🎒 50 lb Wolf Tactical weighted vest (get it here)
- ✊ 100 lb grippers from a full 50–350 lb set
- ☀️ Texas sun and 3–5 miles of state park terrain
- 🥤 Bucked Up shaker cup riding in my front pouch (free samples here)
Want Your Own Grippers?
The exact grippers I use go up to 350 lbs, but most people don’t need that — yet. This set right here goes from 50 to 200 lbs in smaller, more manageable intervals. That means you’ll actually see progress, not just strain. I’d honestly pick up a set myself if I didn’t already have mine.
👉 Amazon Gripper Set (50–200 lbs)
They’re compact, sturdy, and perfect for this kind of training.
Why This Matters for Fat Loss and Strength
People trying to lose fat often focus on “cardio” — but when you ruck with modifiers like this, you’re doing low-impact strength training at the same time. That keeps your heart rate in the fat-burning zone while building muscle endurance.
Your watch won’t count the gripper effort. But your body will.
And if you’re trying to keep your hands strong for life — whether for lifting, climbing, or just keeping your independence as you age — this is the kind of training that pays off.
Real Grip Strength vs. Grip Endurance (And How to Train Both)
I’ve been able to close a 250 lb gripper for years. Not just once — consistently. That kind of grip strength doesn’t come from machines or gimmicks. It comes from real-world use. I played tennis for years, and way back — almost 20 years ago — I bought my first pair of hand grippers and started training early. I didn’t even know what I was doing at the time, but that foundation stuck.
That’s why I don’t just train strength or just endurance — I train both.
If you’re serious about building grip that lasts and hits hard, here’s a strategy I recommend:
🧩 Do Drop Sets While Rucking
- Start with the heaviest gripper you can close for at least 2–3 reps.
- Do as many reps as you can until failure.
- Drop to the next lower resistance and repeat.
- Keep going all the way down the line.
- Swap hands every 20 steps or so and repeat the cycle.
Any weight, if you wait long enough, you can do it again. That’s the key: recovery during movement. Rucking lets you recover on the move — you’re never sitting still, and you’re never wasting time.
And if you can do that with your grip, you can do it with anything.
