GORUCK Tough Training

This post brings together multiple articles to give you the knowledge you need to prepare yourself for the GORUCK Tough (aka Challenge) event. This article should be considered the launching point for all GORUCK Tough training articles.

How Do You Train For This?

The GORUCK Tough is tough… there is no getting around that. We broke this page up into multiple sections to help you navigate the path to your event.

1. The GORUCK Tough: This section will explain the GORUCK Tough event and give you some insight into what to expect. Read this section.
2. GORUCK Tough Advice: The second section features very important pieces of advice that are outside the scope of training. Read this section.
3. All Day Ruckoff Articles: Valuable posts on All Day Ruckoff that will help you train and prepare for your GORUCK Tough event. Read this section.
4. GORUCK Tough Training & Plans: This section is the meat of this page and features training plans which should help physically and mentally prepare you for the event. Choose a plan and follow it.
5. What’s Next: This section provides links to additional resources as well as final insight. Read this section.

The GORUCK Tough

The GORUCK Tough experience is unique for multiple reasons. First, there are not many events out there that are similar to it. Second, each event is different and the structure can vary depending on the cadre that you have. Read through both the All Day Ruckoff GORUCK Tough page as well as GORUCK’s GORUCK Tough event page to make sure you understand everything about the event. GORUCK does a great job explaining the event, what you need to bring, and how to not look silly. With all of the resources out there you no longer have an excuse to show up unprepared for your event.

GORUCK Tough Advice

Here are some random pieces of advice that are incredibly important. Read through these… even if you read nothing else on this page please read through these.

• Understand the GORUCK Tough event. Read the pages on both the the GORUCK and All Day Ruckoff websites about it. Do some research (being on this page is a great start!) Don’t be the confused, lost person at the event.
• Join the Facebook Event page for your GORUCK Tough. That page is how the Cadre (leader) of your GORUCK event will communicate with you. There is a chance that the start point will change. There is a chance that the Cadre will list additional required gear. All of that will happen on the Facebook Event page… so join it and check up on it. If you’re not on Facebook (and don’t want to be) then consider making a fake account.
• Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to post question on the Facebook event page, posts on All Day Ruckoff, or anywhere else. Everyone has been where you are right now and asking questions now is easier than paying for it later.
• Don’t train for the bare minimum. There is a chance that your event will run longer than 12 hours and travel more than 20 miles. There have been GORUCK Tough events that lasted 14+ hours and traveled 24+ miles. Which leads us to…
• You will not want to make other plans on the day of your GORUCK Tough. There is always the chance that your event will run long. Save yourself the trouble of stressing over other commitments on that day by keeping your calendar clear.
• Don’t be late to the event. If you are late your team will suffer because of you. Show up at least 25 minutes early.

All Day Ruckoff Training Articles

These articles are the important ones to read when training for your GORUCK Tough event.

• Choose Your GORUCK Weight
• Ruck Plate: How To Secure GORUCK Ruck Plates
• Bricks: How To Wrap Bricks
• Sandbags: Revised Article Coming Soon
• Learn How to Ruck
• Figure Out Your Packing List
• Determine Your Service Component

GORUCK Tough Training & Plans

When training for your GORUCK Tough you will want to train as close as you can to how the actual event will be. This means training with a ruck, getting a lot of ruck miles in, and doing some not-fun activities. When it comes to the GORUCK Tough (especially compared to other events) mental toughness plays an important role. There’s a good chance you’ll be out there for 12 hours and you need to instill a “No Quit” (DFQ) attitude in your mind.

Ruck Clubs

Do you dislike training alone? Some people need others to hold them accountable. If this sounds like you then we recommend looking for a local Ruck Club in your area. GORUCK has an expansive list on their website that you should check out if you want to find your local community of ruckers.

Physical Toughness

You will need to be in shape for this event… no questions asked. To get you there we have built out a GORUCK Tough Training Plan page which will give you information on what we do as well as links to other official and non-official training plans.

Mental Toughness

Mental toughness is a fun one because it’s not something most people train and, unfortunately, it’s also the most difficult to train. The idea behind training mental toughness is to install a “no quit” attitude into you so that you will not quit the event. We’ve built out an entire Mental Toughness page to the website as there was too much information and it applied to too many different events. Check it out to find workouts and tools to improve your mental toughness.

What’s Next?

So now that you have a training plan it’s time to do some research on what your event might be like. Read through some of the GORUCK Tough AARs (event reviews) on All Day Ruckoff and experience what your event might be like.

Hopefully this page gave you a great starting point to begin (or continue) your GORUCK Tough training. We know there is a lot of information (and links) here so give it some time to digest. If you have any suggestions for additions or changes please let us know in a comment as we’re always looking for feedback. Train hard, smile often, crack some jokes, and you’ll have a great time at your event.