GORUCK Training

Every 2021 GORUCK Tribe Theme, Workout, Book, and Additional Tasks

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GORUCK Tribe launched in January of 2021 with the overarching theme of “Seek Pain.”

Here’s a link for the the 2022 GORUCK Tribe Themes, Workouts, Books and Tasks and the 2023 GOURCK Tribe Themes, Workouts, Books, and Tasks.

Every month a new theme, workout, book, and additional tasking was released. Below is a comprehensive list of every month for 2021.

January 2021 GORUCK Tribe Theme, Workout, Book, and Tasks

Theme: Pain

Official Post: Read on GORUCK.com

Book: Tribe, by Sebastian Junger

Rucking: 1 mile/day. 5 mile penalty ruck per day missed. Use baseline weight.

Workout: MILLER HERO WOD:

3 Mile Ruck

12 Rounds:
6 x Sandbag/Ruck Rows
6 x Burpee Squats (Full Burpee with Jump followed by Squat)
6 x 4 Ct Mountain Climbers
6 x Rucksack Getups 

3 Mile Ruck

Additional Task
Reach out to and connect with one person you haven’t been in contact with in too long. Ruck with them, side by side, or virtually (phone call) while rucking.

February 2021 GORUCK Tribe Theme, Workout, Book, and Tasks

Theme: Love

Official Post: Read on GORUCK.com

Book of the month
Warrior’s Creed by Roger Sparks

Rucking
4 x 5 Miler throughout the month

Workout of the month
IWO JIMA
2 Rounds
19 Sandbag Cleans
300m Ruck
45 Burpee Step Ups
300m Ruck

Additional Tasking
Write and send 4 handwritten letters

March 2021 GORUCK Tribe Theme, Workout, Book, and Tasks

Theme: Misery

Official Post: Read on GORUCK.com

Book of the Month
Fight Club, by Chuck Palahniuk

Rucking
3 x 2 Miler throughout the month (Baseline + 20%)
1x 8 Miler (Baseline)

Workout of the month
FALL OF BAGHDAD:
2000m Ruck infil

34 rounds
1 sb CLUSTER (sq clean + thruster)
3 Ruck Push Ups
5 mountain climbers

2000m Ruck exfil

Additional Tasking
Do one miserable thing (with someone else) that you haven’t done in at least a year. You should be scared, at least a little bit, to do it.

April 2021 GORUCK Tribe Theme, Workout, Book, and Tasks

Theme: Endure

Official Post: Read on GORUCK.com

Book of the Month
The White Darkness, by David Grann

Rucking
12 Miler & 10 days of consecutive rucking (2+ miles)
ADVANCED: 26.2 Miler, Ruck 2+ miles every day.

Workout of the month
BATAAN:
9 ROUNDS
10 Burpees
11 Deadlifts
12 Thrusters with Ruck
13 American Twists with Ruck
14 Arm Circles
15 Neck Circles
16 Sit Ups with Ruck
170m March

Additional Tasking
Dream up something big, something you have at least a 50% chance of failing. Write it down somewhere you’ll be reminded of it often. Do something symbolic to take the first step down that path, then endure it as long as you can.

May 2021 GORUCK Tribe Theme, Workout, Book, and Tasks

Theme: Honor

Official Post: Read on GORUCK.com

Book of the Month
Ashley’s War: The Untold Story of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield, by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

Rucking
15 consecutive days with 2+ miles rucking/day.
If you miss a day, make it up with a 10 mile ruck.

Workout of the month
“MURPH” HERO WOD
1 Mile Ruck
100 Pull-Ups
200 Push-Ups
300 Squats
1 Mile Ruck

​All with (20/14 lb)

​Modification: Bent over sandbag rows (60/40) are a substitute for pull-ups.

Additional Tasking
Reach out to and connect with one person you admire greatly, and tell them why.

June 2021 GORUCK Tribe Theme, Workout, Book, and Tasks

Theme: Fear

Official Post: Read on GORUCK.com

Book of the Month
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, by Stephen E Ambrose

Rucking
Ruck 77 miles throughout the month.

Workout of the month
D-DAY WOD
FOR TIME:
1 Mile Ruck
77 Ruck Squats
77 Push-Ups
77 Ruck Deadlifts
77 Ruck Shoulder Press
1 Mile Ruck

Additional Tasking
Memento Mori – visit a gravesite and make a commitment. What that is is entirely up to you.

July 2021 GORUCK Tribe Theme, Workout, Book, and Tasks

Theme: Defy

Official Post: Read on GORUCK.com

Book of the month
The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron, by Howard Bryant

Rucking
This month we are decreasing the overall mileage while upping the weight to 20% over your baseline. Most people’s baseline weight falls between 20-45lbs depending on your body type and time under a ruck, YMMV. Take 20% of your baseline weight and add that amount to your overall load out. This can be done by adding a water bottle, more sand, maybe even another ruck plate. When in doubt, round up.

Baseline weight + 20% = Total
​ 20lbs + 4lbs = 24lbs
25lbs + 5lbs = 30lbs
30lbs + 6lbs = 36lbs
35lbs + 7lbs = 42lbs
40lbs + 8lbs = 48lbs
45lbs + 9lbs = 54lbs

Three 5 mile rucks at that weight throughout the month

Workout of the month
Join or Die 4 Rounds
250m Ruck
17 Sandbag Squats
250m Ruck 76 (alternate movement each round)
Sandbag Pull Throughs
4 count Flutter Kicks with Ruck Overhead
Ruck High Pulls
​Ruck Push Ups

The first round would be 17 squats then 76 pull throughs, then 17 squats and 76 flutter kicks, and so on.

Additional Tasking
Write down a list of your loyalties in life. People, causes, you name it. What you do with that list is entirely up to you. One suggestion is to pick your top three and talk to a friend or loved one about it. Are they the right loyalties?

August 2021 GORUCK Tribe Theme, Workout, Book, and Tasks

Theme: Suffer

Official Post: Read on GORUCK.com

Book of the month
The Comfort Crisis, by Michael Easter

Rucking
6x 3 Miler (2 of those 6 rucks scaled up in weight). Tracking max distance in 60 minutes (45# / 30# recommended baseline rucksack. Add 40# / 20# for scaled up rucks).

Workout of the month
AMRAP (with a Partner) in 31 minutes

Partner A performs AMRAP of:

  • 8 Thrusters
  • 6 Rows + Knee Ups
  • 11 Squats + Jump Overs

While Partner B performs: 400 meter Sandbag Ruck/Run

Partners switch after each Run.

Additional Tasking
Volunteerism. Find a good cause and donate a block of your time, asking nothing in return.

September 2021 GORUCK Tribe Theme, Workout, Book, and Tasks

Theme: Duty

Official Post: Read on GORUCK.com

Book of the month
Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11, By Mitchell Zuckoff

Rucking
13 Miler – Ruck – One mile for each service member who died in Afghanistan. (Baseline weight).

Workout of the month
2001 meter Ruck buy in
9 rounds
11 Box Jumps or Step Ups with Ruck
11 Thrusters
11 Pull Ups
11 Power Cleans
11 Ruck Push Ups
11 Ruck Swings
11 toes to bar / ruck V Ups
11 Deadlifts
11 Push Jerks
​2001 meter Ruck cash out

Additional Tasking
FUNCTIONS CHECK – 7 DAY CHALLENGE

  • 10,000 Steps/Day – 100% outside
  • 3 Workouts, 30 minutes minimum- 100% outside
  • No Social Media or Video Games, as in zero
  • Eat well, Prioritize sleep, Talk to people in the real world
  • Optional: No Alcohol, No Caffeine, No Tobacco

October 2021 GORUCK Tribe Theme, Workout, Book, and Tasks

Theme: Chaos

Official Post: Read on GORUCK.com

Book of the month
Black Hawk Down – A Story of Modern War, by Mark Bowden

Rucking
Cashout 4X. After 4 separate workouts in the month — 1 Mile Ruck – Max Weight for time.

Workout of the month
Mog Mile WOD
4 Rounds for time of:
19 Ground to Overhead
19 Front Squats
19 Push-ups each arm, one hand on sandbag or ruck at all times, left then right for a total of 38
400 M Ruck

Can be completed with a Ruck or Sandbag. Treat the sandbag or ruck as your battle buddy and keep one hand on it throughout the entire workout. If you let go of contact, you must start the round over.

Additional Tasking
Write a love letter, put a stamp on it, and mail it to them.

November 2021 GORUCK Tribe Theme, Workout, Book, and Tasks

Theme: Persever

Official Post: Read on GORUCK.com

Book of the month
A Grief Observed, by C.S. Lewis

Rucking
22 Miles. You pick how to get them in.

Workout of the month
Chad 1000x

Additional Tasking
Ask a Veteran what the best part of their service was.

December 2021 GORUCK Tribe Theme, Workout, Book, and Tasks

Theme: Sacrifice

Official Post: Read on GORUCK.com

Book of the month
Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl

Rucking
Ruck every day this month – you pick the distance, weight, and time. And complete one Heavy 12 Miler (Baseline + 20% or Double Baseline if ready).

Workout of the month
80 push ups
1 mile Ruck

THEN
12 Rounds alternating
7 Sandbag clean and press
41 Flutterkicks on odd rounds,
*41 Mountain climbers on even rounds

THEN
1 Mile ruck plus sandbag
80 Slick push ups

Additional Tasking
Write down the answer to something you’ve been thinking about for far too long.

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