The beginner's guide to rucking, from a former CIA operative and fitness CEO who got in shape carrying heavy weights

Emily McCarthy never expected her destiny to be hauling heavy weights on her back.

As a D1 track and cross country athlete in college, she focused intensively on cardio after a childhood spent dabbling in sports like soccer and tennis.

"My base has always been as an endurance athlete. I didn't do a lot of strength training," she told Business Insider.

That changed while training to become a CIA operative. During a grueling land-navigation exercise, trekking for miles with a loaded pack, map, and compass, McCarthy realized she loved the challenge.

"I really thrived in this environment," she said. "Those types of experiences show you what you're capable of."

More than a decade later, McCarthy said rucking has shifted from the Special Forces to the mainstream.

Walking, jogging, or running while carrying weight has exploded in popularity as a simple way to combine cardio and strength training in a single workout.

In an era where muscle-building is linked to healthy aging, rucking offers a time-saving solution for making gains in a short workout.

McCarthy and her husband, Jason, who served in the Special Forces, went all in on rucking, cofounding the fitness gear company GORUCK in 2008.

But you don't need anything fancy to get started, she said.

"Sometimes the simpler solution is the more sustainable one. And I can't think of much exercise easier than walking," McCarthy said.

Anyone can start rucking with minimal equipment to burn fat, build muscle, and boost their health — here's how.

Don't overcomplicate it

Rucking is as simple as moving with weight, whether that's carrying groceries or hiking with a heavy pack.

The key to reaping multiple fitness benefits at once is loading your body to provide resistance to your muscles, including your back, core, and legs, while also ramping up your heart rate for cardio benefits. If weight loss is a goal, rucking can also help you burn more fat and calories in a simple workout like a walk, jog, or hike, since you're working harder than you would with body weight alone.

"Even with weight loss, what is important is that you're replacing it with muscle," McCarthy said.

Her best advice is to just get started with what you already have on hand.

"Everybody has some sort of backpack. Everyone has some way to make weight. People have made weight using bricks, bags of rice, books, water bottles, whatever," she said. "We just want to see more people moving."

Work your way up to bigger weights and longer walks

If you're anxious about learning to lift weights, start slow.

You don't have to begin rucking with a 5-mile hike. McCarthy recommends adding weight when you're walking the dog, to after-dinner strolls, trips to the park with your kids, and similar daily activities for a workout that fits into your existing schedule.

"I like being outside more. So being able to do active resistance training, rucking, gives me that way to incorporate it into my life in a way that I'm more accustomed to," McCarthy said.

And you might be surprised by what you can handle. McCarthy said when she's working with beginners, she offers a variety of weight choices for their first rucking excursion. On a recent trek, a woman felt comfortable enough with 8 pounds to move up to 12 pounds, and said it gave her a huge confidence boost.

"It was just that little four pounds, but mentally, it's a lot," she said.

Rucking meetings are hot right now

Rucking has become a huge trend in recent years — particularly as a networking workout. From San Francisco to London, people are throwing on weighted backpacks to meet up with coworkers or like-minded people in their industries.

This is obviously great news for McCarthy's business, but she says it's been a boon to her personal life, too.

As more people have embraced the once-niche activity, she finds her social world is expanding.

McCarthy's social groups include the "Mother Ruckers," a ruck club for moms, and ruck meet-ups that include everyone from McCarthy's 14-year-old daughter to area college students to grandmothers.

"It allows me the ability to meet with other people. It's hard for me to find someone who wants to run, at the same pace, the same time, the same level," she said.

"We can go out together and have a conversation and still maintain the same pace," she said. "We say that weight is the great equalizer."

This article is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified physician or healthcare provider.