Elliptical Rucking: Exploring the Potential of Weighted Elliptical Workouts

You’ve heard of rucking – the increasingly popular exercise that involves walking or hiking with a weighted backpack. And you’re likely familiar with the elliptical machine, a staple in gyms for low-impact cardio. But what happens when you combine them? Enter the intriguing concept of elliptical rucking. Is it a revolutionary fitness trend waiting to explode, or just a quirky experiment? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into the world of elliptical rucking, exploring its potential benefits, drawbacks, safety considerations, and whether it’s the right workout for you.

Understanding the Basics: Rucking and Elliptical Training

Before we delve into the combination, let’s quickly recap the individual components:

What is Rucking?

Rucking, at its core, is simply walking or hiking with a weighted backpack. It’s a military term for marching with a rucksack, and it has gained popularity in the fitness world for its simplicity and effectiveness. Rucking builds cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, and mental toughness. It’s accessible to almost anyone and can be done virtually anywhere. According to GoRuck, a leading brand in the rucking community, the benefits of rucking include improved posture, increased calorie burn, and enhanced mental resilience.

• Key Benefits of Rucking:
• Cardiovascular fitness
• Muscular endurance
• Calorie burning
• Posture improvement
• Mental toughness

What is Elliptical Training?

The elliptical machine is a stationary exercise machine used to simulate stair climbing, walking, or running without causing excessive pressure to the joints, hence decreasing the risk of impact injuries. Ellipticals provide a full-body, low-impact cardiovascular workout, engaging both the upper and lower body. Mayo Clinic highlights the elliptical as a good option for people with joint pain, offering a cardiovascular workout with minimal stress on the knees, hips, and back.

• Key Benefits of Elliptical Training:
• Low-impact cardiovascular workout
• Full-body engagement
• Joint-friendly
• Versatile workout intensity
• Suitable for various fitness levels

Defining “Elliptical Rucking”: Combining Weights and Elliptical Machines

Now, let’s put these two concepts together. Elliptical rucking, as we’re defining it, is the act of using an elliptical machine while wearing a weighted backpack. It’s not a widely recognized or established fitness term, so you likely won’t find it in mainstream fitness guides. Instead, it’s more of a novel or experimental approach to exercise.

The idea behind elliptical rucking is to potentially amplify the benefits of both rucking and elliptical training. By adding weight to your elliptical workout, you might be able to increase the intensity, calorie burn, and muscle engagement beyond what you’d achieve with a standard elliptical session.

Potential Benefits of Elliptical Rucking

While not extensively studied, we can logically deduce some potential benefits of elliptical rucking based on the known advantages of rucking and elliptical training:

• Increased Calorie Burn: Adding weight to any exercise generally increases the energy expenditure. By wearing a weighted pack on the elliptical, you’re forcing your body to work harder to move the added load, potentially leading to a higher calorie burn compared to an unweighted elliptical workout.
• Enhanced Muscle Engagement: The added weight can challenge your muscles in a slightly different way on the elliptical. While the elliptical is primarily a cardiovascular machine, the extra load could lead to greater engagement of leg muscles, core, and even back muscles as they work to stabilize your body with the added weight.
• Improved Cardiovascular Challenge: Wearing a weighted pack will likely elevate your heart rate at the same exertion level compared to exercising without weight. This can lead to a more intense cardiovascular workout, improving your endurance and heart health over time. As noted by a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, weighted exercises generally increase cardiovascular demand.
• Low-Impact with Added Intensity: Elliptical machines are prized for being low-impact. Elliptical rucking could potentially offer a way to increase the intensity and challenge of a low-impact workout, which can be appealing for individuals who need to protect their joints but still want a more demanding exercise session.
• Workout Variety: For those who find their elliptical routine getting stale, adding a weighted pack could be a novel way to spice things up and introduce a new challenge.

Potential Drawbacks and Safety Considerations

It’s crucial to approach elliptical rucking with caution and awareness of potential drawbacks and safety concerns:

• Balance and Stability Risks: This is perhaps the biggest concern. Elliptical machines, by design, require a degree of balance. Adding a weighted backpack can shift your center of gravity and potentially make you less stable on the machine. This is especially true if you’re new to elliptical training or using heavier weights. There is a risk of losing balance and falling, which could lead to injuries.
• Discomfort and Awkwardness: Wearing a backpack, especially a weighted one, on an elliptical machine might feel awkward and uncomfortable. The backpack could restrict movement, rub against your back, or shift around as you move, disrupting your rhythm and potentially causing discomfort or chafing.
• Machine Wear and Tear: While elliptical machines are built to withstand regular use, consistently adding extra weight in the form of a backpack could potentially put additional stress on the machine’s components over time. It’s unlikely to cause immediate damage, but long-term effects are unknown. Consult the manufacturer’s guidelines for weight limits on your specific elliptical model.
• Limited Rucking-Specific Benefits: Traditional rucking often involves varied terrain and outdoor environments, which contribute to its benefits (like navigating uneven surfaces and engaging stabilizer muscles). Elliptical rucking, being a stationary indoor activity, might not fully replicate these aspects of traditional rucking. Outdoor rucking also provides benefits like exposure to sunlight and fresh air, as highlighted by research on the benefits of outdoor exercise.
• Overload Risk: It’s easy to overestimate your capacity and start with too much weight, especially when combining two exercise modalities. Starting too heavy could increase the risk of injury, strain, or simply make the workout unsustainable.

How to Try Elliptical Rucking Safely (If You Choose To)

If you’re intrigued by elliptical rucking and want to experiment, prioritize safety and start very cautiously:

1. Start with Bodyweight First: Before adding any weight, ensure you are comfortable and stable on the elliptical machine itself. Practice your elliptical routine to get accustomed to the motion and balance required.
2. Begin with Minimal Weight: If you decide to add weight, start with a very light weight (e.g., 5-10 pounds). Focus on maintaining your balance and proper form on the elliptical.
3. Prioritize Balance and Stability: Your primary focus should be on maintaining balance and stability throughout the exercise. If you feel unstable at any point, stop immediately and reduce the weight or remove the backpack altogether.
4. Use a Properly Fitted Backpack: Ensure your backpack fits snugly and comfortably. The weight should be distributed evenly and close to your back to minimize shifting and maintain balance. Chest and waist straps can help secure the pack. A good rucking backpack, as recommended by Carryology’s guide to the best rucksacks, will enhance comfort and stability.
5. Short Durations and Gradual Progression: Start with short elliptical rucking sessions (e.g., 10-15 minutes) and gradually increase the duration and weight as you become more comfortable and confident.
6. Listen to Your Body: Pay close attention to your body’s signals. Stop immediately if you experience any pain, discomfort, dizziness, or loss of balance.
7. Consider Alternatives: If you find elliptical rucking to be too awkward, uncomfortable, or unsafe, consider alternative ways to increase intensity on the elliptical, such as increasing resistance, incline, or interval training. Or, explore traditional rucking (walking with weight) outdoors, which is a well-established and safer exercise. Consult resources like REI’s guide to rucking for tips on safe and effective rucking practices.

Key Takeaways

• Elliptical rucking is a novel and unconventional workout concept, not a standard or widely recognized exercise.
• Potential benefits include increased calorie burn, enhanced muscle engagement, and a more intense low-impact cardiovascular workout.
• Significant safety concerns exist, primarily related to balance and stability on the elliptical machine with added weight.
• Approach with extreme caution, starting with minimal weight and prioritizing safety above all else.
• Consider established exercises like traditional rucking or standard elliptical workouts as potentially safer and more effective alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is elliptical rucking a real fitness trend?

Not currently. “Elliptical rucking” is not an established fitness term or trend. It’s more of a conceptual idea or experiment.

Is elliptical rucking safe?

Potentially risky. The primary safety concern is balance and stability on the elliptical machine with added weight. Proceed with extreme caution if attempting it.

What are the potential benefits of elliptical rucking?

Theoretically, it could increase calorie burn and muscle engagement compared to a regular elliptical workout. However, these benefits need to be weighed against the safety risks and the availability of safer, more established methods.

How do I start elliptical rucking?

If you choose to try it, start with bodyweight elliptical training first, then add minimal weight in a well-fitted backpack. Focus on balance, stability, and short durations. It’s generally recommended to explore safer, established workout methods instead, such as traditional rucking or interval training on the elliptical.

Can elliptical rucking replace traditional rucking?

No. Elliptical rucking does not replicate many benefits of traditional rucking, such as outdoor exposure, varied terrain adaptation, and the specific muscle engagement patterns of walking or hiking with weight on uneven surfaces.

Conclusion: Proceed with Caution and Consider Alternatives

Elliptical rucking is an intriguing concept that attempts to combine the benefits of rucking and elliptical training. While it might offer a novel way to increase the intensity of a low-impact workout, it comes with significant safety concerns, primarily related to balance and stability. If you’re looking to challenge yourself on the elliptical, consider increasing resistance, incline, or incorporating interval training before resorting to weighted backpacks. For the benefits of rucking, traditional rucking (walking or hiking with weight) remains a safer and more established method. If you are determined to try elliptical rucking, proceed with extreme caution, start with minimal weight, and prioritize your safety above all else. Always consult with a healthcare professional or certified fitness trainer before starting any new exercise program, especially one as unconventional as elliptical rucking.

Written By:

Daniel Harrington

Chief Ruck Writer

Daniel Harrington, Chief Ruck Writer at RuckQuest, brings over a decade of experience in military training and fitness coaching, specializing in rucking techniques and strategies. With a passion for outdoor activities and a commitment to helping others succeed, he provides expert insights, comprehensive guides, and valuable gear reviews for ruckers of all levels.

More About the Author