PATHFINDER Life Guides FAQs

The minimum requirements for PATHFINDER Life is 60 miles, covered over the span of our 12-week program. (That averages out to five miles per week). We have a few ways to look at that though. Your mileage with PATHFINDER Life is flexible:

You can choose to do the 60-mile requirement, at any mix of miles per week that works for you.
You can choose to do the 1.5x mile Challenge if rucking is where you want to focus most, and ruck up to 90 miles total.
Or, you can choose to swap in up to 30 miles of your 60 mile requirement with our LifeFlex option, which is only available in the PATHFINDER Life program.

What is LifeFlex?

LifeFlex is our trade-in mileage program. You can trade in 15 minutes of workout time for 1 mile rucking. Your workouts can be either PATHFINDER Ruck Workouts or any variety of cross training. You can swap out workouts for miles at any time during the 12 week program, and LifeFlex can be used for up to 30 miles worth of trade-in value.

Keep track of your LifeFlex conversions in the log by allocating one (1) mile per 15 minute workout, and in the Notes section of your log entry, write LifeFlex Trade to keep track.

Even if you select LifeFlex, it does not have to be done in consecutive minutes throughout the day.

Example:

I did :15 minutes of an arm & shoulder workout at 7am, then I took a :20 minute walk after lunch, and I ended the day with :10 minutes of yoga before bed. That counts as my :45 minute workout, regardless of if I select LifeFlex or this is my regularly scheduled workout.

Do I have to have a certain weight in my ruck?

No, you do not. Because PATHFINDER Life is our maintenance plan, you can select any weight you'd like for your ruck.* As long as you can feel some weight in your backpack or ruck and feel resistance, you're doing great. Weight can be anything from books, to bricks, to a lighter cast-iron plate.

*We do recommend if you are coming from our highest program, PATHFINDER Advanced, that you drop weight from your ruck for this cycle.

How do I find workouts?

Our workout library is located here. You may select any workout from the group.

Can I do other workouts?

Yes! You can do whatever workout you'd like (although we're pretty partial to ours). Any PATHFINDER workout fulfills your workout requirement, regardless of how long or short that workout is.

In addition, any workout discipline counts, from apps, to live classes, from swimming, martial arts, running and yoga to rowing and whatever else you can think of. Even mowing your lawn. Any activity you do counts. The one rule: make sure you do 45 minutes of activity throughout the day, sliced up however you feel is necessary and log it together at the end of the day.

Can I make up my own workout?

Yes. If you know there are exercises you need to do, either ones recommended by a physical therapist, or a personal trainer, go for it. If you like writing your own workouts, by all means, do it. If you have an injury you're working around and know what exercises you can do, it's all you.

With that being said, we do want to offer a word of caution regarding workout generators. While generators tend to be a popular recommendation among exercise enthusiasts, the workouts they generate are often imbalanced and can lead to a number of issues - from overly sore muscles to potential muscular imbalances when the generator is the primary source of regular workouts. Ignore the generators, and focus on full-body fitness with lower (12-15 is standard) reps per round for your best and healthiest outcome.

What does "slick" mean?

In our workouts, slick means no ruck! You're just walking or running. :)

Do I have to do 45 minutes of consecutive exercise for it to count?

No. One of the great things about PATHFINDER Life is that as long as you do :45 minutes of exercise on your workout day, it counts, regardless of if you are swapping for miles with LifeFlex or it's a planned workout day. Mini workouts throughout the day provide your body the same benefits as continuous exercise does. A little bit really does go a long way for better program results. It's science.

My physical therapist/doctor gave me workouts to do for my injury. Do those count as a workout?

Yes! If you are currently recovering from an injury or surgery and were given specific exercises to do, those count! Your medical professionals know your needs best, so if they specifically tell you to do certain exercises as part of your recovery process, do them.

Where do I find the blank printable calendar for Life?

The printable calendar is located here.

What are Charity Challenges Seasonal/Live Challenges?

Charity Challenges Seasonal, or "Live," Challenges are hosted by CharityChallenges.org, a PATHFINDER partner. Charity Challenges Live Challenges events are virtual events typically focused on a goal of reaching a certain number of repetitions for a single body weight movement . Simply register for a current Live Challenge Virtual Event, complete the challenge anytime and anywhere you desire, and log your activities to their website. The goal of Charity Challenges is to be a fundraiser for charities. 100% of the net proceeds from their Live Challenges are donated to charity.

Do Audiobooks count in the "Move Your Brain" 3 book Challenge?

YES! Listening to an audiobook while you ruck is a great way to unwind and move your brain while you're moving your body. We have no requirements for what kind of book you choose to listen to (or read).

Do GORUCK events count in PATHFINDER Life?

Unfortunately, no. We thought long and hard about this, and felt it was incompatible with the ideas we're trying to express in the PATHFINDER Life program format. However, if you do an event, your miles DO count. It just doesn't count as a Challenge.

I never got a roster patch. How do I get one?

Oh no! If you're new to PATHFINDER and never received a patch, the likelihood is that you clicked "NO TAN ROSTER PATCH" when you were purchasing your program. If you think that's the case, no problem. Send us an email at support@pathfinderrucktraining.com with TAN ROSTER PATCH in the subject line. There will be a $1.99 postage invoice you will have to pay before we can ship it out to you. (You would have paid that with your program at the time of purchase.)

If you think your patch may have been lost in the mail, send us an email at support@pathfinderrucktraining.com with LOST PATCH in the subject line.

I need to change my mailing address. How do I do that?

If you've moved between the time you began PATHFINDER Life and the end of class (referred to as endex), please send us an email at support@pathfinderrucktraining.com with NEW ADDRESS in the subject line. Please supply us with your new address in the body of the email. We will send you your Finisher's Patch to your new address.

Who runs PATHFINDER?

PATHFINDER was started by Lyell Petersen and a few friends back in 2013, through Team Spearhead out of Charlotte, NC. It began as training for GORUCK Tough's (Challenges now) and sustained a few of them through Bragg Heavy. The friends moved on, but Lyell knew PATHFINDER could help rucker's throughout the world prepare for their endurance events.

In 2019, Amy Petersen officially came aboard as PATHFINDER's Director of Programming and Operations to create more powerful content and programs as a Certified Personal Trainer and Sports Performance Specialist.

PATHFINDER Ruck Training has had thousands of rosters from all over the world - from the United States and Canada, to Australia, Belgium, Germany, Japan, Singapore and Ireland, to name just a few. We are so proud of the company we have built and of the incredible people who support it.

All other questions or requests:

For all other questions or requests, please email support@pathfinderrucktraining.com

To email Lyell Petersen: lyell@pathfinderrucktraining.com

To email Amy Petersen: amy@pathfinderrucktraining.com