21 Jun 2026 08:00
Ep 597: How to Ruck Without Destroying Your Body | TF Voodoo
Dr. Dave Walton from TF Voodoo joins Aaron and Peaches to break down how to actually train for rucking without wrecking your body.
Dave is a retired Green Beret, doctor, rucking coach, and the brain behind TF Voodoo. In this episode, he explains why most people train for rucking wrong, why “just ruck more” is one of the fastest ways to get injured, and how to build real load carriage performance through Zone 2 cardio, strength training, progressive ruck programming, foot care, boot selection, sock selection, posture, breathing, pacing, and misery management.
This episode is especially important for anyone preparing for Air Force Special Warfare, Special Forces Assessment and Selection, military selection courses, long rucks, heavy rucks, or tactical load carriage events.
Dave lays out what candidates should do months before a ruck, how to build a base before adding load, why short intense rucks beat long junk-mile rucks, how to manage blisters, what to eat and drink before and during a ruck, and how to survive if you have a hard ruck coming up with limited time to prepare.
Find Dave and TF Voodoo:TFVoodoo.com
Check out Tasty Gains:TastyGains.com
Train with Modern Athlete Strength Systems:OnesReady.com
Operator Training Summit:OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Chapters:00:00 - Ones Ready Intro01:05 - Tasty Gains and Modern Athlete Strength Systems03:11 - Welcome Dr. Dave Walton from TF Voodoo03:30 - Dave’s Background in Rucking and Special Forces04:00 - Why “Just Ruck More” Is Terrible Advice05:00 - The Three Parts of Rucking Performance05:53 - Fitness, Technique, and Misery Management06:39 - Start With Zone 2 Running Before Rucking07:30 - Why Zone 2 Builds the Engine08:55 - Build to 90 Minutes of Zone 209:14 - Why Zone 2 Is Boring but Necessary10:00 - Strength Training for Rucking10:55 - Bench Press and Squat Standards11:30 - Upper Body and Lower Body Strength for Load Carriage13:00 - When to Start Actual Rucking13:30 - Field-Based Progressive Load Carriage14:28 - How Often Should You Ruck?15:00 - Start With 10 Percent of Body Weight15:56 - Short Intense Rucks Beat Long Junk Miles16:50 - Why Long Rucks Increase Injury Risk18:22 - Shut Up and Ruck and TF Voodoo Resources19:20 - Load Carriage Training Circulars20:00 - Foot Care for Tactical Athletes20:46 - Dave Does Not Have a Foot Fetish21:20 - Skin, Boots, Socks, and Insoles22:12 - Old Boots vs. Modern Rucking Boots23:00 - Heat, Friction, Moisture, and Blister Formation24:00 - Finding the Right Sock and Boot Combination25:00 - Foot Conditioning Takes Time26:00 - Mobility Screening and Ankle Mobility26:55 - Taylor Starch Is Somewhere Punching the Air27:30 - Flexibility vs. Mobility28:00 - Ruck Selection and Frame Use29:00 - Posture Under a Ruck29:30 - Strength Exercises That Actually Matter30:00 - Six Main Lifts for Tactical Athletes31:25 - Functional Strength vs. Bodybuilding32:30 - Shoulders Back and Down33:15 - Head Up and Eyes on the Horizon34:15 - Breathing Under Load35:00 - Leaning From the Ankles36:00 - Walking Fast vs. Running With a Ruck37:00 - The Ruck Shuffle38:21 - Misery Management and Strap Adjustment39:30 - Hip Belt, Waist Belt, and Load Transfer40:43 - Why You Should Use the Hip Belt42:02 - How to Find Your Iliac Crest42:30 - Sternum Strap and Shoulder Strap Management44:00 - Why Ruck Setup Is Individual44:44 - Unit Ruck Training and Avoiding Injuries46:22 - Free TF Voodoo Training Circulars47:00 - What to Do If You Have a Ruck Tomorrow47:30 - Hydration, Fueling, and Carbs48:30 - Nerd Clusters and Snickers for Ruck Fuel49:30 - How Much Water to Drink During a Ruck50:39 - Fueling During a Zulu Course Refire51:23 - Ea
