a new program for all kinds of athletes
PATHFINDER Ruck Training has been the ultimate ruck training program since 2013.
We’ve trained athletes to work harder, faster, heavier and for longer distances to prepare them for challenging endurance events that ask everything of them.
But something was missing...
We’ve been through a lot in the past year, and we’re pretty sure you have too. We’ve noticed our commitments change and some new focuses have come into view.
One of the things we noticed was we were shifting away from long training hours and into less intense effort (and more fun and movement) as our personal priorities changed.
We just needed a break.
We realized our rosters might want a program that encourages approachable fitness too.
Our PATHFINDER Life focus is on overall fitness, with rucking miles as a core pillar, but now with flexible options that include other fitness disciplines. We have Challenges in PATHFINDER Life that test you, but don’t deplete you. We encourage workouts, but across a broad range of options that free you up to explore new things.
After a PATHFINDER Life 90-day program, you’ll feel strong, refreshed and ready to take on whatever comes next.
You can use PATHFINDER Life as your general training plan all year long.
How is PATHFINDER Life structured?
PATHFINDER Life is flexible to meet your needs.
You structure PATHFINDER Life around your life. With only three important criteria to consider as you put your plan into place, we make it easy for you to make decisions about your priorities. Do you plan on rucking more miles? Or doing more workouts? What kind of workouts do you want to do? Do you need more, or fewer, Challenges?
Just like our other programming, you’re in charge of making what works for you, using our framework as a guide.
What if I just want to be told what to do?
We have helpful suggestions and recommendations set up, along with a few case studies with our own experiences as PATHFINDER Life Rosters. You can take what we’ve done and make it your own, or get inspired to put your fitness in your own hands. You know what you like, you know what makes you feel healthy and strong, and you know your current life parameters. PATHFINDER Life gives you the freedom to make a program that works for you.
Who is PATHFINDER Life for?
PATHFINDER Life is for everyone from experienced ruckers, to athletes, to those just starting their fitness journey.
You might be in need of balance and accountability. You might be an endurance athlete moving into your “off season.” You may be a new parent of an infant or a parent looking to create more household balance. You might be coming back from injury. You may be looking to integrate rucking into your existing fitness plan. You may even be brand new to rucking. To do PATHFINDER Life, you don’t even need to have exercised before. Just grab a backpack or rucksack, throw in a little weight, and get going.
PATHFINDER Life is for people going through life changes.
You’ve got a lot of plates spinning. Life has changed. You may be finding yourself in a space that wasn’t in your plans, like many of us in 2020. You may be racing to catch up, or in need of a serious breather.
You may be a parent with young children and you need to balance your life with your family's needs. PATHFINDER Life is here for it. With easy-to-manage programming that you can flexibly select according to whatever you’ve got going on, you can make sure you get time for you.
Honoring your commitment to staying healthy, regardless of what you're navigating around, is a vital part of being who you are. You know that committing to a full program could be tough, but you know that you can handle a maintenance program that keeps you focused on achievable goals when you’ve got a plan, a community, and Course Advisors for support.
PATHFINDER Life is for seasoned endurance athletes.
You’ve done the Challenges. You’ve got the patches (or medals). Your ruck is dirty, your shoe soles are worn out and slick. You’ve got Events or adventures on the horizon, but you know it’s time to take a season to rest. But you know rest doesn’t mean sitting on the couch with Netflix.
We all need an “off” season. PATHFINDER Life will help you slow your pace but keep your momentum - which is priceless in your world. You can decide how difficult or easy to make PATHFINDER Life. If you need a slower month or two before ramping into a faster pace again, or you need a full, calm 12-weeks off your blistering pace to reset and recharge, you can do that. Our support and guidance are there, and we know what a badass you are...and that badasses need an off season too.
PATHFINDER Life is for those who need Community.
There’s such a diverse group of rosters PATHFINDER Life is good for, we’ve got a place for everyone.
Our greatest asset is our community of Rosters who support and motivate one another. “No Wednesdays, No Wolves,” we like to say…what that means is at PATHFINDER, we keep things motivating, positive and real. We lift one another up daily, encourage one another and you can seriously ask a shoe question...and you’ll get a serious answer. We have fun, but never at anyone’s expense.
Our community is diverse, respectful and open, and it will always be that way.
We share triumphs, commiserate when things get tough, and push one another to Choose the Harder Thing, which can sometimes mean pulling back when training gets too intense. Our Community is our most powerful guiding force and one you can rely on for honest feedback and a meaningful response.
PATHFINDER Life is for people who are new to rucking.
You’ve heard about rucking or you might even have some friends who are into it, but it all sounded really intense. You’re active and you have other fitness hobbies and you may not be sure you want to give those up to take on something else. But you’re curious…
You can integrate PATHFINDER Life into any existing fitness plan. Say you already cycle with a group twice a week, have a lifting program you do in your garage, or take a yoga class online that you love...no problem. Fit your training in easily with Life programming. The work, whatever it is, counts.
Or you may not be all that into exercise to begin with. You’re wanting something more than “just walking,” but you aren’t into running either.
Rucking is walking with a weighted backpack, with your choice of weight. You choose how much weight you want and how intense you want to get. Us ruckers can talk a big game and make it sound really intimidating...but we promise you, it’s not.
If you want more work than a walk, but less work than a run, you’re our kind of person.
PATHFINDER Life is for people returning from injury, recovering from illness or just having had a baby.
PATHFINDER Life can also be used by people who are just getting “back in the game” after a medical absence. After you’ve been cleared by your physician for exercise, slow-roll into PATHFINDER Life with a gentle start. We have programming recommendations that will guide you to a place that gets you moving again. You can choose how intense you want your programming to be, depending on your situation, and can talk one-on-one with our Programming Director and certified personal trainer for specific suggestions if you need to. We want to make sure you get back to “who you were.” We’ve been there, and we get it, 100%.
Can I do PATHFINDER Life with other training programs?
Yes, you absolutely can. We designed it that way.
If you’re an athlete like us, you’re into a lot of stuff. You spin with your popular app and bike. You play pick-up basketball with your kids after work. You walk after dinner, or do Zoom yoga with your old in-person class. There’s so much fun to be had with so many different activities, and we want you to explore it all! With PATHFINDER Life, every activity counts as long as it meets a minimum time requirement (which can be broken up however you see fit). It might be 10 minutes of an upper body strength video, 20 minutes of football tossing in the backyard, and 15 minutes of mindfulness yoga to wind down before bed, or “just” a PATHFINDER Ruck workout of any length. If it fits your schedule and interests, it fits our program.
How is PATHFINDER Life different from other PATHFINDER Ruck Training programs?
It’s different...but it’s also pretty similar.
PATHFINDER Life follows our popular programming framework, where you select your own path of accomplishments. You decide from a grouping of three criteria what you’d like to do, then either create or view a sample calendar to devise your unique program. Then, you get started. You still have great CA (Course Advisor) support, and an unparalleled community group to work alongside.
Where this program diverges is work intensity.
Like we’ve said above, PATHFINDER Life is a slower paced program, with more options for workouts and less intense Challenges. You really do choose your own adventure, based on how and why you’ve selected the work for your 3-month cycle. We give you all the guidance you need to pick the right selections from our programming “menu.”
What does PATHFINDER Life cost?
Surprisingly, very little.
Cheaper than a gym (and almost every other program out there), PATHFINDER Ruck Training, and PATHFINDER Life, is one of the most cost-effective programs available. We don’t have any hidden fees, or apps or groups to join that cost extra. With a single charge for a 3-month program, you don’t have to deal with irritating monthly charges you forgot about.
You can’t put a price on Community...and the benefits of community are priceless. We are proud of the community we’ve created, filled with many of the most experienced ruckers out there. People with thousands of hours of experience, hundreds of various endurance events between them and owners of (probably) every shoe ever formed for exercise.
Is there a patch for finishing PATHFINDER Life?
Of course! We love patches!
If you’re familiar with PATHFINDER, or just with rucking, you know how important patches are. (And if you’re 100% brand new, get ready for a new obsession.) When you complete the minimum requirements for PATHFINDER Life, just like with our other programming, you will receive a 3x3 square Finisher’s patch in the mail. It’s an emblem of success, hard proof of how far you’ve come (whether it's getting back your fitness, or celebrating your down time) and encouragement to keep up the great work. Display it on your ruck, or anywhere else you want a good reminder of a job well done.
Who created PATHFINDER Life?
PATHFINDER Life was created by a Certified Personal Trainer, mother, and endurance athlete.
The PATHFINDER Life program was written by a certified personal trainer, mother, endurance athlete and PATHFINDER’s Director of Programming, Amy Petersen. Every step along the way, know that the program you're using was created by an experienced and knowledgeable professional who can answer your questions based on the most current scientific data.
You will also have accessible accountability from our seasoned PATHFINDER Course Advisors who can help guide you through the program, answering questions and providing support.