Injured (return to) ruck training
 

Hello all.

I'm looking to do SFAS at least 9 months out from now. I was injured overseas (nothing PH related, just a huge fall coming down from an OP), and in my transition from active and with the VA my physical therapy was basically non-existent. My injuries were complete ACL/LCL tears.

Anyways, surgery and a year later, I'm off profile now but not at the point where the USAJFKSWCS prep plan or the advice on this forum really starts. Mostly I'm focused on a lot of swimming and leg days right now, but I was hoping some of the SF guys here might have experience getting back into rucking after bad leg injuries. I will of course talk to a doctor to before taking on any of this, but I'd like to go to him armed with good suggestions.

Thanks gents.

Rucking
 

The only thing I can say is build up slowly. Start with low weight, low miles and see how you go. But definately, seek medical advice before you start.

best way
 

First when people talk about training for rucking they could mean two different things.

1. Your looking to get used to having a ruck on your back and it not bother you.
-Guess what, that will never happen, even if you have 35lbs in there, after a while it’s going to suck. That’s all mental, either you have the will to push through it or you don’t.

2. Your treating every ruck as a race event the same as any 10k or triathlon.
-My workout that pushed me to the top of my class in rucking was to never ruck in training until it was a scored or gated event. Each one was treated as a race and I wanted to win it. To train for that I spent most of my time on the treadmill. I called it the 6 and 6 for 60. 6% incline, 6mph, for 60 minutes. It’s a slow shitty burn, the kind of burn that replicates those long rucks in the NC hills. You don’t have to start out with those numbers, but if you decrease either speed or incline mirror the other number. So as an example 5% incline and 5mph. On your time make it whatever you need to in order to complete it injury free. On those workout days that would be the only workout I would do. And I wouldn’t do that more than 2x a week.

Remember save your joints and bones for game day. Training shouldn’t take away from your readiness it should only improve it.