Walk With Weight Workout Plans

Exercise plans from the book.

Thanks for reading WALK WITH WEIGHT: The Definitive Guide to Rucking.

These plans aren’t available elsewhere yet. You’re getting them first.

As promised, here are your three workout plans

1. The Time Crunched Plan: 3 Hours a Week
   This plan meets the federal exercise recommendations—a minimum yet powerfully effective dose of rucking and strength training that improves health and performance. It’s ideal if you’re just starting or short on time.

2. The Moderately Busy Plan: 5 Hours a Week
   This plan doubles the government’s exercise recommendations. It’s ideal for those who want to optimize their health and longevity in the shortest amount of time possible.

3. The Go-Getter Plan: 7 Hours a Week
   This plan is designed for people who want to take their fitness to the next level. It’s ideal if you’re preparing for a fitness event, a long backpacking trip, or just want to stay really fit. Don’t jump into this plan if you’re just starting to exercise—begin with the 3-hour plan and work your way up.

Below you’ll find:

• Each workout plan with complete weekly schedules.

• Details on how to do the strength workouts (exercises, sets, reps).

• Video demonstrations of each exercise.

• Equipment swaps if you don’t have certain gear.

Recommendations

• Start light if you’re new to rucking. Eventually work your way up to using 20 to 30 percent of your bodyweight in your pack or vest.

• Start the plan so that Day 6 falls on a day where you have more free time, like a Saturday or Sunday.

Plan 1: The Time-Crunched Plan (3 Hours a Week)

• Day 1: Walk with weight for 30 minutes.

• Day 2: Strength train for 30 minutes.

• Day 3: Active recovery. Try to walk at least 7,000 steps.

• Day 4: Walk with weight for 30 minutes.

• Day 5: Strength train for 30 minutes.

• Day 6: Walk with weight for 60 minutes.

• Day 7: Active recovery. Try to walk at least 7,000 steps.

The 30-minute strength workout for the Time-Crunched plan

1. Warm up for five minutes.

2. Reverse Lunges with your weighted pack on: 2 sets of 10 to 20 reps.

3. Push-ups: 2 sets of as many reps as you can do, stopping 3 reps short of failure. For example, if you could do 10 push-ups, you’d stop at 7.

4. Hamstring Holds: 2 sets of 10 reps.

5. Weighted Pack Rows: 2 sets of 10 to 20 reps.

6. Plank: 2 sets of 30- to 60-second holds.

Plan 2: The Moderately Busy Plan (5 Hours a Week)

• Day 1: Walk with weight for 45 minutes.

• Day 2: Strength train for 45 minutes.

• Day 3: Active recovery. Try to walk at least 10,000 steps.

• Day 4: Walk with weight for 45 minutes.

• Day 5: Strength train for 45 minutes.

• Day 6: Walk with weight for 90 minutes.

• Day 7: Active recovery. Try to walk at least 10,000 steps.

The 45-minute strength workout for the Moderately Busy Plan

1. 5-minute warmup

2. 3 minutes jumping rope

3. Reverse Lunge with Dumbbells: 3 sets of 10

4. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 10

5. Hamstring Walkout: 3 sets of 10

6. Dumbbell Row: 3 sets of 10

7. Bird Dog: 3 sets of 10

Plan 3: The Go-Getter Plan (7 Hours a Week)

• Day 1: Walk with weight for 60 minutes.

• Day 2: Strength train for 60 minutes (Workout 1).

• Day 3: Active recovery. Try to walk at least 10,000 steps.

• Day 4: Walk with weight for 60 minutes.

• Day 5: Strength train for 60 minutes (Workout 2).

• Day 6: Walk with weight for 120 minutes.

• Day 7: 60 minutes of relaxed, non-impactful cardio, like swimming, cycling, or a stair step machine.

The two 60-minute strength workouts for the Go-Getter Plan

Workout One

1. 5-minute warmup

2. 3 minutes jumping rope

3. Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat: 3 sets of 10

4. Pull-up: 3 sets of as many reps as possible, stopping 1 or 2 reps short of failure. (If you can’t do pull-ups, do dumbbell rows.)

5. Floor Press: 3 sets of 10

6. Hamstring Walkout: 3 sets of 10

7. Dumbbell Pullover: 3 sets of 10

Workout Two

1. 5-minute warmup

2. 3 minutes jumping rope

3. Goblet Squat: 3 sets of 10

4. Dumbbell Row: 3 sets of 10

5. Kneeling Single Arm Overhead Press: 3 sets of 10

6. Kettlebell Swing: 3 sets of 10

7. Dumbbell Pullover: 3 sets of 10

8. Hanging Leg Raise: 3 sets of as many reps as possible

9. Suitcase Carry: 3 sets of 100 steps

The exercises

Bird Dog

Dumbbell Pullover

• If you don’t have a bench, perform this exercise on a box, Swiss Ball, or the floor.

Dumbbell Row

Floor Press

• If you don’t have kettlebells, use dumbbells.

Goblet Squat

• You can also use a dumbbell or a heavy pack for this exercise.

Hamstring Holds

Hamstring Walkout

• The Swiss Ball Hamstring Curl is a great substitute for this exercise.

Hanging Leg Raise

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

• If you don’t have a bench, do the Floor Press (above).

Jumping Rope

Kettlebell Swing

Plank

Pull-up

• If you can’t do a pull-up, use the lat pulldown machine or the variations in this post to build the strength to do one.

Push-up

Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat

• If you don’t have a bench, elevate your foot on anything else that’s about 10-18” off the ground.

Reverse Lunge with Dumbbells

Reverse Lunges with Weighted Pack On

Single Arm Overhead Press

Suitcase Carry

Weighted Pack Rows

Thanks again for being a Founding Member.

As always, have fun, don’t die,

Michael