Start your ruck at 3mph – 5mph and increase the incline on the treadmill by 1%. Repeat at 1 minute intervals, till you feel that your calfs are doing most of the work. Then, set the incline to an incline level that you can sustain for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Rucking on a treadmill has become quite a trendy for anyone in search of an effective workout practice and for most ruckers as more and more people start to work out from home.
Rucking on a treadmill comes packed with an array of benefits, including being a convenient strength and cardio trainer. Additionally, it is an easy-to-start, safe, and highly affordable way to achieve a healthy, strong, injury-resistant, and durable body.
Here’s a complete list of rucking benefits if you’re still looking for a reason to get started!
Is Rucking On A Treadmill Good For You
One cannot help but wonder whether rucking on a treadmill is as good compared to rucking outside. Simply put its not as good of course as rucking outside since the treadmill belt assists leg turnover, making it easier to ruck and gives you a bit of a boost.
Furthermore, some of the conditioning that comes with regular outdoor rucking is possible due to the tough terrains. Whereas rucking on a treadmill does not help as much when it comes to the conditioning.
However treadmill rucking still helps build a strong cardio system and can still provide the resistance you’re looking for.
Here’s how to benefit the most out of rucking on a treadmill:
1- Add weights to your rucksack/backpack
The weights in your backpack force your back, legs, shoulders, and entire core to work simultaneously, as you ruck.
This synch in body energy helps in getting your heart rate to levels that are high enough to give you a great cardio workout session, without straining any of your muscles.
The ruck weights can go a long way to building your muscle strength, and keeping your upper back, lower back, abs, and spine erect.
Check out our top things to put in your rucksack for weight.
2- Improves Strength
If your priority is to lose weight, rucking on a treadmill can still help you lose weight. Remember that action beats inaction any day!
Rucking on the treadmill will still develop muscle endurance, especially on your core, hips, and back ‘twitch fibers’.
Adding more weight in your rucksack can help you improve your strength as it adds more resistance. check out our recent post, how much weight you should carry when rucking, to find out how much weight you should carry when rucking.
Learn more about rucking for strength.
3- Burns Calories
Most treadmills out there have an incline or decline feature. This will help you tremendously if you’re trying to burn more calories.
Stabilizing your own bodyweight along with the added resistance and weight from your backpack will increase the number of calories you burn when rucking on a treadmill.
You can always increase or decrease the speed or incline to match your fitness level. Remember, try to push yourself but not too much that the workout is unbearable.
Find out how many calories you can expect to burn when rucking.
What to Consider when Rucking on A Treadmill
While we all want results, it is crucial to take some factors into consideration before you jump in.
1- Weight
Rucking outside on the road is different than rucking indoors on a treadmill. There is no exact number of weight you should be carrying but if you find that the workout is too easy, add more weight.
Rucking on the treadmill should be a bit easier than the outdoor so that is most likely the situation, but always listen to your body first.
2- Pace
Start slow then build up speed with time. Start the speed at 4mph and increase the incline by 1% – 2%, increase at 1 minute intervals until you feel like your calves are doing most of the work and then decrease the incline to a point that you think you can sustain for 30 minutes minimum.
Strike a balance between speed and incline for optimal results.
