Ruck plates are used by many ruckers to build their strength, add more resistance to their workouts, and burn more calories from their ruck training.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about ruck plates, what you need to look out for when buying a ruck plate, and list out the best ruck plates for rucking that are currently on the market.
Table of Contents:
1. What Is a Ruck Plate?
2. What To Look For When Buying a Ruck Plate?
3. Best 4 Ruck Plates For Rucking
4. Are Ruck Plate Worth It?
What Is a Ruck Plate?
A ruck plate is a weighted plate, designed specifically for ruck training, that is placed in a backpack or rucksack for extra resistance during a rucking session.
Ruck plates are used to add more resistance during ruck training sessions. Adding more resistance to your ruck session will help build strength and help burn more calories.
Ruckers prefer using ruck plates over adding random heavy objects in their backpack as it helps maintain proper rucking posture. As your upper body adapts to rucking with added weights from the ruck plates, it becomes much more comfortable to maintain proper posture in your daily life.
Furthermore, ruck plates take less space in a backpack, making it a more efficient method of adding resistance to a ruck.
What To Look For When Buying a Ruck Plate?
Ruck plates are pieces of metal at the end of the day. So some of the tips below may seem obvious, but are still worth considering when buying a ruck plate.
Ruck Plate Consideration 1- Ruck Plate Material
When choosing a ruck plate, be sure to pay attention to the material used to make it. Ruck plates made from Iron are your best bet.
Some companies even add rust resistant material to make sure that it does not rust quickly. Remember, water makes iron rust, so when it comes to maintaining your ruck plate, be sure to dry it off after each use (only if it’s wet of course).
Ruck Plate Consideration 2- Ruck Plate Sizing
This is an obvious one, but its important to make sure that the ruck plate you’re looking to get has the right dimensions for your backpack or rucksack.
Typically, the dimensions of the ruck plate should be stated clearly on the packaging or on the product listing if you’re looking to buy one online.
This is important because you definitely do not want to invest in a ruck plate, only to find it that it does not fit and you’re forced to place it in your rucksack but with an open zipper. Furthermore, you risk it rusting faster if the ruck plate is exposed because of rain or any other terrain.
Ruck Plate Consideration 3- Handle
This is not necessary, but it is a nicely added feature. Depending on your experience with rucking, changing weights during a ruck is much easier if there is a handle.
Not only that, but rucking aside, a ruck plate with a handle can be used for other workouts such as shoulder raises. If you’re investing in a ruck plate, might as well give yourself the opportunity to use it for other activities.
Best 4 Ruck Plates For Rucking
1- GoRuck Ruck Plates
Starting off with the most popular ruck plates, GORUCK’s Ruck Plate. Made from Iron ore, it is powder coated to make it rust resistant. This is great for longevity and to significantly reduce any wear and tear damage.
Its go the round edges for to prevent it from damaging your ruck sack. Furthermore, as shown in the image above, it does have a handle making it versatile. This ruck plate can be used for other workouts (i.e shoulder raises, shrugs etc).
There are multiple weight categories for this ruck plate. It comes in 10LB, 20LB, 30LB, 45LB.
It’s also compatible with GORUCKs Rucker 3.0 rucksack as well as their ruck plate carrier.
If you dont have a GORUCK rucksack, there is still a good chance that it fits in your backpack based on the dimensions listed on the product listing.
Check out the GORUCK Ruck Plates on GORUCK (link to GORUCK)
2- Yes4All Ruck Plate
Yes4All is another popular ruck plate option. Made from heavy gauge cast iron, it also is coated with black paint to withstand corrosion and rusting.
Another notable feature is that is comes handles as well. Making it much easier for you to place it in and out of your rucksack. As mentioned previously, this is also helpful because you can use this ruck plate for other full body workouts.
The Yes4All ruck plate also has round edges to protect your bag from any damage. This ruck plate comes in 10 lbs, 15 lbs, 20 lbs, and 25 lbs.
Check out the YES4ALL Ruck Plate on Amazon (Link to Amazon)
3- Synergee Ruck Plate
Synergee ruck plates are made from cast iron that can also has a break strength of 90,000 lbs (similar to the other ruck plates mentioned above). It also has a black coating to make it rust resistant.
The ruck plate also has handles to make it easier to handle and to be used for other fully body workouts.
The dimensions of this ruck plate is 5.75” x 8.5” and 0.98” thick, making it very easy to fit in your rucksack.
Check out the Synergee Ruck Plate on Amazon (Link to Amazon)
4- Hello Fit Ruck Plate
The Hello Fit Ruck Plate also has almost every feature mentioned in the above ruck plates. They have 3 different weight options ranging from 10 lbs – 20 lbs.
Check out the Hello Fit Ruck Plate on Amazon (link to Amazon)
Are Ruck Plate Worth It?
Yes. Ruck plates are worth it. Not only do ruck plates help ruckers save space in their backpacks, but it allows ruckers to keep the weight closer to their body. This ensures proper rucking posture is maintained throughout the rucking session.
Fun Fact: As per the US Army Public Health Center, maintaining proper posture and weight placement can reduce the load on your back by 30% and help prevent back pain (source).
Here’s a guide on how to maintain proper posture while rucking and how to prevent back pain by optimizing weight placement.
With that said though, we do understand that people have different financial abilities and may not be able to afford a rucking plate. If you’re looking for ruck plate alternatives, check out our recent post on what to put in a rucksack for weight.
Here at RuckForMiles, we would much rather see you rucking without a ruck plate as opposed to not rucking at all because of financial difficulties.
If you’re looking for an alternative to a rucking with a backpack with a ruck plate, you might want to look into rucking with a weighted vest. Check out our recent post to learn more about rucking with a rucksack compared to a weight vest.
