Weighted Vest & Rucking Calorie Calculator
Weighted Walking Calorie Calculator
Estimate how many calories you burn walking with a weighted vest or rucking backpack.
Best Devices and Methods to Track Rucking (Speed, Distance & Time)
Tracking your speed, distance, and time while walking with a weighted vest or rucking backpack is key to seeing real fitness progress. By measuring these metrics, you’ll get a clearer picture of how many calories you burn, how your endurance improves, and where you can make small tweaks for bigger gains.
With modern technology—from free smartphone apps to high-end smartwatches—it’s never been easier. Below, you’ll discover the best devices and tips for tracking your workout data, plus how to plug those numbers into our Weighted Vest & Rucking Calorie Calculator for deeper insights.
1. Using Smartphone Apps
Many apps leverage your phone’s built-in GPS and motion sensors to measure pace, distance, and elevation.
- Popular Choices: Strava, MapMyWalk, Nike Run Club, or Apple’s Health/Fitness apps.
- How to Use: Before you start walking, open your app of choice and select “Walk” or “Outdoor Walk.” Hit “Start,” then tuck your phone away so it can track your route.
- Pro Tip: Calibrate the app by letting it detect your stride length over time or by manually entering it if the app allows. This boosts accuracy.
2. Smartwatches & Fitness Trackers
Wrist-based devices are perfect if you don’t want to carry your phone or check it during your walk.
- Examples: Apple Watch, Garmin (Forerunner/Venu/Fenix series), Fitbit, or WHOOP.
- How to Use: Set up a “Walk” workout profile, ensuring your body weight and height are correct. If possible, factor in the extra load of your vest/backpack for more accurate calorie estimates.
- Pro Tip: Enable heart rate monitoring to see how carrying extra weight increases your workout intensity or to get the benefits a zone 2 rucking workout.
3. Treadmills
If you’d rather keep things indoors, a treadmill lets you replicate consistent walking speeds and add incline for a greater challenge.
- How to Use: Enter your body weight if the treadmill allows, then note speed, incline, and time. If you’re wearing a weighted vest or rucking backpack, include that added weight in your body weight settings if possible.
- Pro Tip: Treadmills are ideal for testing how your body responds to progressive load increases, since the environment is so controlled.
FAQ
Q: Should I enter my vest/backpack weight in my fitness tracker’s settings?
A: Whenever possible, yes. Some trackers let you adjust total body weight, and adding your vest weight can improve calorie-burn estimates.
Q: Will using a treadmill vs. walking outdoors yield different data?
A: Yes, slight differences may occur because treadmills often underestimate wind resistance and real-world terrain changes. But for consistency and comparing progress over time, a treadmill is a solid option.
Q: How often should I increase my vest or ruck weight?
A: Bump it up gradually—say, every 1–2 weeks—listening to your joints and energy levels. Safety and consistency is the goal.
Strap on that weight vest or rucking backpack – science confirms rucking can speed up fat loss! 🔬 Walking or exercising with a weighted vest or weighted backpack can help you burn more calories, lose extra fat (while keeping muscle), and even boost your cardio fitness – all without high-impact workouts. Perfect hack for beginners to level up weight loss safely. Read how it works, according to new studies.
Ready to see the best in weight-adjustable rucking gear? You can check out our weighted vests, rucking backpacks and rucking weights to level up your walking routine.