My Weekly Workout Routine: Strength, Rucking & Tactical Readiness for the Civilian Rifleman

Hey Folks,

If you’ve been following Civilian Rifleman, you already know the mission: be strong, be ready, stay capable. Looking jacked is great, but being able to carry a load, move under fire, and outlast the fight is what actually matters. So, I wanted to share the exact weekly workout routine I do, and have been doing for almost two decades. From college athlete, to firefighter, to Civilian Rifleman, it combines old-school strength training, smart hypertrophy work, and consistent rucking to build a body that’s not just big, but functional. Print it, screenshot it, or save it to your phone.

Weekly Overview

• Day 1 – Chest, Triceps, Forearms
• Day 2 – Shoulders, Traps, Neck + Ruck
• Day 3 – Leg Day (Best Day)
• Day 4 – Back & Biceps + Ruck
• Day 5 – Rest Day
• Day 6 – Full Body Workout
• Day 7 – Rest Day or Optional Ruck

Now let’s break it down day by day.

Day 1: Chest, Triceps, Forearms

• Bench Press
  1 Warmup Set
  3 Sets at 85–90% of 1RM, 6–10 reps
• Tricep Pulldowns
  3 to 5 Sets, 8–12 reps
• Chest Fly’s
  3 sets, 12–15 reps (keep it controlled — protect the rotator cuff)
• Pushups
  3 sets to failure
• Forearm Curls
  5 sets to failure

Day 2: Shoulders, Traps, Neck, Ruck

• Front Shoulder Raise & Side Shoulder Raise
  1 Warmup Set
  3 Sets (front and side together), 10–12 reps
• Shoulder Press / Log Press
  3 Sets, 8–12 reps
• Shoulder Shrugs
  5 sets to failure
• Weighted Neck Curls
  3 sets, 8–12 reps
• 3 Mile Ruck – 45 minutes with 45 lbs

Day 3: Leg Day (Best Day)

• Deadlifts
  1 Warmup Set
  3 to 5 Sets at 85–90% of 1RM, 6–10 reps
• Squats
  3 Sets at 85–90% of 1RM, 6–10 reps
• Lunges
  3 sets, 12 reps each leg
• Leg Curls / Extensions
  3 Sets — go until 1 or 2 reps before failure
• Calf Raises
  5 Sets to Failure

Day 4: Back & Biceps + Ruck

• Pullups – 3 sets to failure (warmup)
• Lat Pulldown
  3 Sets, 6–10 reps
• Lawnmowers
  3 sets, 8–10 reps each arm
• “21’s”
  3 sets of 21’s: 7 lower-half reps, 7 upper-half reps, 7 full reps
• 3 Mile Ruck – 45 minutes with 45 lbs

Day 5: Rest DayFull recovery day. Stretch, walk lightly if you want, but let the body rebuild.Day 6: Full Body Workout

• Hit every muscle group with at least 3 sets each.
  The weekly goal is 8–10 total sets per muscle group — this day is how you close the gap.
• (Optional) 3 Mile Ruck, 45 minutes with 45 lbs

Day 7: Rest Day or…

• Rest Day or
• (Optional) 3 Mile Ruck, 45 minutes with 45 lbs

Why This Routine Works

• Heavy compound lifts build real strength.
• Higher-rep and failure work drives hypertrophy.
• Weekly rucking (3x minimum) develops the conditioning every rifleman needs.
• Built-in rest days prevent burnout and keep you progressing long-term.

This isn’t some fancy bro-split or Instagram gimmick. It’s simple and effective, which is exactly what civilians who train like riflemen should be doing. Track your weights and ruck times every week. Progressive overload is VERY important. Eat enough protein (1.5g to 2g per cm of height, I personally shoot for 220g of proteing a day), sleep like it’s your job, and you’ll see the results.

Cheers,

Civis Miles