If you take a quick look around the web, or a book store for that matter, there are hundreds of “proven methods” to either get in shape, stay in shape, bulk up, lean out and whatnot else. It’s important to stay in shape no matter where you are and what you do, but it can be especially important for security personnel, law enforcement and military.
We all know the jokes about cops and donuts, but it’s pretty far from the truth. Most police forces have annual or semi annual physical tests that they have to pass, or face the consequences. Here’s a short list of some of the fitness demands for law enforcement around the world (note that these are also fitness tests to qualify for academy acceptance):
Akron Police Department |
The test and standards are based on those set by the Ohio Peace Officer Training.
The men 29 or younger need to perform:
The women 29 or younger need to perform:
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Oregon State Police |
fitness testing includes push-ups, sit-ups and a 2-mile run
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Singapore Police Force |
The annual Individual Physical Fitness test is for all male officers below the age of 45 years and females below 35 years, except those who have borne children. This annual test is pegged to promotions in the force. If one does not obtain the minimum pass, his promotion is stalled until he passes. The test consists of five components:
The standards are measured according to the age groups. There are also award incentives for high achievers.
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Law Enforcement Montana Highway Patrol, USA |
They need to complete:
These values are at the level of 40 percent of the nation – they must do it above the 50 percentile to graduate |
Police, Canada |
In Ontario, they use a physical fitness test named the physical readiness evaluation for police (PREP). The PREP test consists of:
The RCMP use a Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation (PARE) test which is a 6 lap obstacle course which must be completed within 4 minutes 45 seconds. The PARE test was developed from a detailed task analysis performed on various city and rural police agencies and then data collected on a specific test group that matched the average profile of a “bad guy.” Currently PARE is the occupational test for the RCMP, Calgary City Police, the requirement for any Police Officer who want to work for the United Nation Police Initiative. There is also another test (POPAT) which is used extensively with police agencies in Canada. |
Police TRG (Tactical Response Group), Northern Territory, Australia |
A one day selection trial is completed, which requires you to perform:
Completion of the above makes you eligible for a three day intense physical assessment. |
Most of the best workout routines come from the military. It’s no secret that they’ve gotten pretty good at training their people, and
many of their routines can be very effectively adapted to “civilian” use. The real problem for someone who wants to embark on a military work-out is sifting through the myriad of different styles and schedules and routines.
The big mistake that most people do, is working out too much. Hard to believe, but it’s fact. Most workouts in a gym should last no more than an hour, and many professionals (such as Dolph Lundgren) swear to 45 minutes. That doesn’t apply to cardio, of course, since your run might take longer, but let’s not worry about that.
So what are the criteria for the best military workouts?
– Easily adaptable to “civilians”.
– Doesn’t take too long.
– No specialized equipment (i.e. no military only stuff).
– You don’t need a squad or a drill sergeant to get through it
And that’s all really. We’ll give you a few good ones to choose from. After that, it’s really up to you to get your ass to the gym… but this should make things a little more tempting, at least.
Air Force Pre-Boot Camp Workout
Army Green Beret Training
Coast Guard Basic PFT
Core Fitness for Recruits
Firefighter Fitness Standards
Navy SEAL Fitness Prep
Navy SWCC Fitness Training
Semper Fit
The Marine Workout
The Perfect Workout
One more important thing; have your doctors check you out before you embark on rigorous workouts. This is important! Working out is just about the best thing out there for you, but if you have hidden medical conditions, doing it the wrong way could have very bad consequences.