I do not know much about bodybuilding.
The only thing I know is that rucking is like bodybuilding on steroids, but without the use of steroids. I wrote this text on the 28th of December, 2024. It was a day when I was doing street photography and rucking with 25 kg (55 lbs) on my back and shoulders. Did anything hurt me after taking over 11k steps with such heavy equipment? No, it did not. While rucking, I reminded myself of one thing: not only my beloved Kamilka and colleagues from my office work, but also my close family (during Christmas) noticed that I gained muscle. The truth is that I’ve been rucking for four months. I also see and feel that within these four months, a miracle happened.
I thought I must go to the gym or swimming pool to gain muscle mass and strength.
Now, I know I can train myself by walking with a heavy rucksack. Moreover, I can mix it with my other passions: street photography and exposing my body to cold by wearing summer clothes in frigid temperatures (today, while walking, it was 1 degree Celsius [33.8 degrees Fahrenheit]). I knew that rucking would help me in broadly defined bodybuilding, with gaining muscles, improving endurance, and strengthening my stamina at the forefront. Still, I did not know the visible results would come only after four months. I want to stress that the results of rucking are not only visible, but I tremendously feel them. Undoubtedly, I feel I have much more power than earlier. I feel stronger.
How strong do I feel?
I felt similar when I was swimming regularly between 2011 and 2018; I started swimming for 30 minutes and finished swimming for one hour and 40 minutes. If you like walking, my Dear Friend, and if you want to upgrade your power, start walking with a heavy rucksack. Start with 2.5-5 kg (6-11 lbs) of additional weight in your backpack and walk with a minimum of 10k steps. Also, remember that if you do not manage to walk 10k steps, it is always better to walk any steps than not. With time, you should slowly increase the burden in your rucksack.
