How Often Should You Carry Weight in Military Training?
For soldiers, load carriage is an inescapable part of the job and it generally sucks, no matter how fit you are. Whether it's training, field exercises, or on operations, carrying weight over long distances is a critical military task. But as essential as it is, load carriage is also one of the most physically demanding and injury-prone activities soldiers undertake.
Musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs), particularly to the lower limbs and back remain one of the leading causes of injuries and medical discharge across UK Armed Forces. So, a key question arises: how often should soldiers be carrying weight during training to prepare effectively, without significantly increasing injury risk?
Emerging research suggests that to minimise the risk of injury, load carriage training should be limited to no more than once every 10-14 days.
This recommendation comes from a growing body of scientific literature examining the biomechanics, physiological stress, and injury patterns associated with loaded marching and training.
Understanding the Risk
Load carriage places considerable strain on the musculoskeletal system. Repetitive exposure to heavy loads especially when combined with running, jumping, or uneven terrain increases the risk of overuse injuries such as:
Stress fractures (tibia, femur, metatarsals)
Knee pain (patellofemoral pain syndrome)
Lower back pain
Tendinopathy in the Achilles or patellar tendon
Carrying weight multiple times per week will also have an effect on our ability to recover properly and potentially lead to over training and a reduction in performance.
What the Research Tells Us
Several studies have examined the effects of load carriage frequency and its relationship to injury risk. Notably, studies have found that frequent exposure to high-load carriage (e.g., more than once per week) significantly increases injury rates.
One key finding: soldiers who carried weight more than once every 7–10 days had a noticeably higher incidence of lower limb injuries. The safest frequency identified for sustaining physical readiness while mitigating risk of injury was one loaded session every 10-14 days.
What About Operational Readiness?
A common concern is whether reducing load carriage frequency compromises operational readiness. The answer lies in how the training is structured.
Instead of frequent loaded sessions, try:
Periodised training: Incorporating progressive overload principles, where intensity and volume are carefully managed.
Strength training: Building strength in the lower body and core significantly improves load tolerance.
Cardiovascular conditioning: Maintaining aerobic and anaerobic fitness helps support endurance under load.
Specificity: While soldiers must train for the tasks they perform, specificity doesn’t mean daily replication, it means preparing the body in stages, with proper recovery.
There will be times, for example when you are approaching courses or operational deployments, when you may need to carry weight more frequently. However, you should have built the required level of strength and conditioning to withstand these additional loads and perform effectively. This increase in load carriage frequency should be managed by a progressive training programme and not ramped up in a short period of time.
Final Thoughts
Carrying weight will always be a necessary part of soldiering but how often we do it in training has a direct impact on injury rates and long-term performance. It is so important to include load carriage in your training especially when training for arduous courses or operations however, it is also important to understand you need to manage the intensity and frequency of it. Utilising strength training and bodyweight running or cycling to improve your load carriage capacity will go a long way in increasing performance and reduce the risk of injury.
Key References
Orr, R., Pope, R., Alves Lopes, T. J., Leyk, D., Blacker, S., Sanz Bustillo‑Aguirre, B., & Knapik, J. J. (2021). Soldier Load Carriage, Injuries, Rehabilitation and Physical Conditioning: An International Approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(8), 4010.
Orr, R., Knapik, J. J., Rodgers, R., Cassidy, R., Rousseau, J., Van Tiggelen, D. & Pope, R., 2025. Rehabilitating soldiers for load carriage tasks: An international perspective. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(8), article 1286.
Orr, R., Pope, R., Johnston, V. and Coyle, J., 2010. Load carriage: Minimising soldier injuries through physical conditioning – A narrative review. Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health, 18(3), pp.31–38.
