David Chokachi’s Weighted 5K: What to Know About Rucking

David Chokachi added a substantial extra challenge to a weekend 5K: a 40-pound pack.

The Baywatch actor joined members of Malibu’s volunteer community fire brigade carrying the weighted packs at Malibu Moves, according to an Oct. 26 announcement from the event’s public relations agency. Organizers said their effort symbolized the community’s resilience following fires.

The event’s official schedule placed the 5K on Sunday, Oct. 25, at Zuma Beach. That is just over three miles with the additional load.

If the event makes you want to try a loaded walk, choose the weight around your own training history. Forty pounds is a substantial load for a first attempt.

What carrying the pack changes

Rucking means walking with weight in a backpack. It combines the familiar movement of a walk with an additional load you carry throughout the session.

In Cleveland Clinic’s guide to rucking, sports medicine physician Matthew Kampert, DO, recommends easing into it even if you already lift weights. Carrying a load over distance is a different demand from completing a set in the gym. He suggests that some people begin with an empty pack; an initial loaded attempt might use five pounds.

The celebrity example is a reason to look at the activity. It does not establish a target weight, a calorie-burning promise, or a complete fitness program.

Make the first outing easy to assess

Treat the first walk as a chance to learn how the pack feels.

• Check the fit. Cleveland Clinic recommends a sturdy pack with comfortable, wide shoulder straps and a chest or waist strap that reduces bouncing. Cushion and secure the contents.

• Monitor the effort. The CDC’s talk test describes moderate effort as being able to talk but not sing. Gasping through a conversation is a reason to ease off.

• Change one variable next time. Record the load, route, time, and how you felt. Keeping several factors steady makes the effect of a change easier to notice.

The U.S. Army Public Health Center’s load-carriage guidance warns that increasing load or distance too quickly raises injury risk. Its evidence concerns military training, so its injury rates should not be applied directly to recreational walkers. Its discussion also identifies foot blisters and back and lower-limb problems as concerns.

A heavier pack, longer route, and steeper hill each add difficulty. You do not have to increase all three to make progress.

Keep the rest of your training

A loaded walk can be one part of an active week. The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, plus muscle-strengthening work on at least two days. Strength work should cover the major muscle groups. Wearing a pack does not automatically cover that entire requirement.

Choose a walk you can repeat and recover from. The useful result of a first ruck is learning what you can carry comfortably while keeping the walk controlled. Use that experience to plan the next outing.

More from Men’s Fitness: What Happens to Your Body When Walking Is Your Only Exercise

This article uses an event organizer’s announcement and published health guidance. No original interviews or firsthand equipment testing were conducted. The training suggestions are general guidance, not Chokachi’s personal program. People with bone or joint pain, balance problems, or a condition affected by exercise should obtain individualized advice before adding a load.

This story was originally published by Men’s Fitness on Oct 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men’s Fitness as a Preferred Source by clicking here.