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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 Intro
01:05 - Tasty Gains and Modern Athlete Strength Systems
03:11 - Welcome Dr. Dave Walton from TF Voodoo
03:30 - Dave’s Background in Rucking and Special Forces
04:00 - Why “Just Ruck More” Is Terrible Advice
05:00 - The Three Parts of Rucking Performance
05:53 - Fitness, Technique, and Misery Management
06:39 - Start With Zone 2 Running Before Rucking
07:30 - Why Zone 2 Builds the Engine
08:55 - Build to 90 Minutes of Zone 2
09:14 - Why Zone 2 Is Boring but Necessary
10:00 - Strength Training for Rucking
10:55 - Bench Press and Squat Standards
11:30 - Upper Body and Lower Body Strength for Load Carriage
13:00 - When to Start Actual Rucking
13:30 - Field-Based Progressive Load Carriage
14:28 - How Often Should You Ruck?
15:00 - Start With 10 Percent of Body Weight
15:56 - Short Intense Rucks Beat Long Junk Miles
16:50 - Why Long Rucks Increase Injury Risk
18:22 - Shut Up and Ruck and TF Voodoo Resources
19:20 - Load Carriage Training Circulars
20:00 - Foot Care for Tactical Athletes
20:46 - Dave Does Not Have a Foot Fetish
21:20 - Skin, Boots, Socks, and Insoles
22:12 - Old Boots vs. Modern Rucking Boots
23:00 - Heat, Friction, Moisture, and Blister Formation
24:00 - Finding the Right Sock and Boot Combination
25:00 - Foot Conditioning Takes Time
26:00 - Mobility Screening and Ankle Mobility
26:55 - Taylor Starch Is Somewhere Punching the Air
27:30 - Flexibility vs. Mobility
28:00 - Ruck Selection and Frame Use
29:00 - Posture Under a Ruck
29:30 - Strength Exercises That Actually Matter
30:00 - Six Main Lifts for Tactical Athletes
31:25 - Functional Strength vs. Bodybuilding
32:30 - Shoulders Back and Down
33:15 - Head Up and Eyes on the Horizon
34:15 - Breathing Under Load
35:00 - Leaning From the Ankles
36:00 - Walking Fast vs. Running With a Ruck
37:00 - The Ruck Shuffle
38:21 - Misery Management and Strap Adjustment
39:30 - Hip Belt, Waist Belt, and Load Transfer
40:43 - Why You Should Use the Hip Belt
42:02 - How to Find Your Iliac Crest
42:30 - Sternum Strap and Shoulder Strap Management
44:00 - Why Ruck Setup Is Individual
44:44 - Unit Ruck Training and Avoiding Injuries
46:22 - Free TF Voodoo Training Circulars
47:00 - What to Do If You Have a Ruck Tomorrow
47:30 - Hydration, Fueling, and Carbs
48:30 - Nerd Clusters and Snickers for Ruck Fuel
49:30 - How