#292 ‒ Rucking: benefits, gear, FAQs, and the journey from Special Forces to founding GORUCK | Jason McCarthy

The Peter Attia Drive

Peter Attia, MD

Health & Fitness, Medicine, Fitness

4.7 • 7.3K Ratings

🗓️ 4 March 2024

⏱️ 150 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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Jason McCarthy is a former US Special Forces member and the founder of GORUCK, a company specializing in rucking equipment. In this episode, Jason recounts his journey from military service to navigating the challenging transition back into civilian life and ultimately embracing the mission of introducing rucking to the masses. Delving into the significance of rucking in military training and its applicability to the wider population, he discusses the mental and physical benefits of rucking as a mode of training, provides practical tips for beginners, and answers frequently asked questions about packs, weights, footwear, and more.

We discuss:

Jason’s upbringing and what inspired him to join the military [3:15];
Jason’s path to becoming a Green Beret, his calling to serve, and staying true to oneself [10:30];
About the Green Berets: their role in the military, unique abilities, missions, and more [20:00];
The mental and physical challenges of special forces training and selection [25:00];
Rucking challenges as a Green Beret [37:00];
How Jason trained in his off-time and stayed mentally prepared [46:30];
Jason’s difficult decision to leave the army, and the challenges many veterans face returning to civilian life [51:30];
Jason’s struggles after leaving the army: loss of identity, feelings of shame, and the how he overcame a period of despair [57:15];
The origin of GORUCK [1:10:30];
The GORUCK Challenge [1:24:30];
The company's evolution from event organizer to manufacturing specialist, spurred by the growing interest in rucking as a form of training [1:35:30];
FAQs about rucking: packs, weight, rucksack vs. weighted vest, chest straps, and more [1:38:45];
Commemorating Normandy: GORUCK's plans for the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings [1:51:30];
Footwear for rucking, and how GORUCK got into the footwear business [1:57:30];
How to avoid the most common injuries from rucking, and the benefits of rucking for VO2 max, strength, and sleep quality [2:05:00];
Advice for using rucking as a mode of training, and the advantages of rucking over other forms of training [2:12:45]; and
More.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey everyone. Welcome to the Drive Podcast. I'm your host, Peter Attia. This
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1:01.0	forward slash subscribe.
1:02.0	My guess the dot com forward slash subscribe. My guest this week is Jason McCarthy.
1:07.0	Jason served in the U.S. Special Forces from 2003 to 2008 serving in Iraq in, where he was awarded a bronze star and an Army
1:15.9	Commendation Medal, as well as serving in Europe and West Africa in 2008.
1:20.9	Jason currently serves on the board of Directors for the Green Beret Foundation.
1:26.0	He is also the founder of Go Ruck, which makes rucking equipment.
1:29.3	And if you've been listening to this podcast that all lately or follow me on social media over the past
1:33.6	couple of years you probably are aware of how much I enjoy rucking and how much I speak
1:37.8	about it. I wanted to have Jason on this podcast to talk a little bit about his story and
1:42.1	Jason is not unique or alone in someone who has trained extensively
1:48.0	using Rucking. Of course anybody in the Special Forces has done that and I think that's part of the point. It's really how did
	...

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