This is a question that comes up frequently in Rucking communities. Everyone wants to know, "How much weight should I ruck with?"
The simple answer, that needs further explanation, is this: IT DEPENDS.
If you've never rucked before and you are just starting, you should ruck with no more than 10lbs. Your body needs time to adjust - your muscles, ligaments, and tendons need to grow stronger while carrying more weight. If you add a bunch of weight right away, you are very likely to get injured.
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Even if you have an extensive running/fitness background, start with light weight. There is no good reason to rush into heavy weights and get injured. After you've rucked with 10lbs for at least 6-8 sessions (in a 3-4 week span), increase the weight to 15lbs. Repeat the same format as before: 6-8 sessions over a 3-4 span. Now you can increase the weight to 20lbs. Keep this same format in place until you've reached 45lbs.
MY RECOMMENDATION: When you reach 45lbs, stop. Unless you are training for a very specific competition that requires more weight, or if you are training for a Military Selection or school like Ranger School, there is no reason to go heavier than 45lbs. Arguably, even those training for Military events don't have a good reason to go heavier than 45lbs.
Honestly, I don't have science to back up my 45lb limit. What I do have, however, is experience and evidence; both my own, and that of hundreds of others. I've worked with/around hundreds of other people who ruck at a high level. With a handful of exceptions, no one wants to train rucking above 45lbs. Even for a big, strong person, 45lbs is a lot of extra stress over time and distance. The vast majority of experience that I know believes that the rewards of rucking with more than 45lbs don't compare at all to the extra stress or risk of injuries.
Just because my suggested cap-weight for rucking is 45lbs doesn't mean you need to reach 45lbs. If you find 20lbs challenging and are getting benefits from it, use 20lbs.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU SHOULD NOT DO IN RUCKING IS "EGO RUCK". Ego Rucking is just like "Ego Lifting" at the gym. It's something people do to make themselves look cool to others. Don't do it. You're just asking to be sidelined by an injury. Be smart about your rucking, build up your weight to where you want it to be, and enjoy!
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