Police officers serve and protect their communities. To prepare for unexpected events that may occur in the line of duty, police officers need to complete specific training. One of the most important aspects of that training program is physical preparation with running and strength training. Police officers are athletes who require a sport-specific running and strength-training program to ensure safety and job performance.
Training Components
With the potential to experience a wide range of situations, a strength-training and running program for police can’t specialize in just one area. Instead, the physical training program must focus on developing overall fitness and 10 physical skills, according to The CrossFit Journal — cardiorespiratory endurance, stamina, strength, speed, power, agility, balance, flexibility, coordination and accuracy. The combination of these skills in training improves the chances for survival in the line of duty.
Functional Movements
The strength-training component to physical training for police includes a variety of functional exercises. These exercises build total body strength along with developing the 10 physical skills. Sample exercises include barbell lifts such as deadlifts, overhead squats and Olympic lifts for the lower body as well as shoulder press, clean and jerk and bench press for the upper body. Functional body-weight exercises include lunges, situps, pushups, pullups and dips.
Workouts
Training for police should take place whenever the work schedule and time commitments allow. For example, some police academies may allow a brief workout at the station, while some police officers need to work out on their own time. Find a time that works for you and stay consistent with the program to maintain your fitness level. Try to spend at least 30 to 60 minutes during the workout by blending strength training and running. For example, warm up for five minutes, then run for 20 minutes and finish with 20 minutes of strength training.
Testing
Most police academies make their police officers undergo routine fitness testing to see whether they meet minimum physical fitness standards. The actual tests vary according to the academy, but the overall goal is to test your strength, stamina and fitness level to ensure you can fulfill your job responsibilities. A traditional test includes performing as many repetitions as possible in a specific time frame of pullups, pushups and situps followed by a timed two-mile run. Following a specific strength-training and running program will give you a greater chance of passing the test.
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