Tactical Barbell: Physical Preparation for Law Enforcement

By K. Black

Welcome to Tactical Barbell's Physical Preparation for Law Enforcement, the most comprehensive and effective police fitness guide on the planet. This is training camp. Couch-to-Cop in 12 weeks. Let the professionals in the field train you to ace your police fitness test, and prepare you for the academy and beyond!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Mar 2, 2015
• ISBN: 9781483551746

Book preview

PART I – OVERVIEW

GOALS

This program has three primary goals.

Pass the entry level physical fitness testing for your law enforcement agency.

To prepare you physically for the academy.

To prepare you physically for a career in law enforcement.

There is no one standard Police Fitness Test or PFT across the country, they vary from one agency to another. But they all tend to test the same fitness parameters, generally aerobic/anaerobic stamina, and strength. In North America, most PFTs generally contain some variation of the following; a timed run, push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups. Some agencies use timed circuits consisting of running, minor obstacles and moderate tests of strength and stamina. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police P.A.R.E is an example of this kind of mixed circuit test.

PPLE develops the general physical attributes required to pass any PFT. So whether your test consists of timed circuits, or the more traditional Coopers/pull-ups/push-ups - you will be prepared.

You might be starting this program with no athletic ability at all. Maybe you can’t do a single pull-up or run for more than a few minutes at a time. On the flip side you might already be athletic but looking for a little specificity in your training. Either way, this book has the step-by-step training required for your particular starting point. The program will be used differently depending on your current ability, but the end result will be the same. How to use the book for your unique situation will be discussed in later chapters.

If you follow the program exactly as outlined, you won’t have any difficulty meeting your agency’s entry requirements. In fact, there’s a good chance you’ll be fitter than a large majority of the regular members at your local department.

There are two keys to success with this program; preparation and consistency. There are people out there that decide to start training for a PFT two or three weeks out. Panic sets in as test day approaches and they frantically start searching for the best way to go from 0 to 10 pull-ups in a week. You’re wasting your time reading this book if you’re looking for shortcuts in that kind of situation. What this book will give you, is the most efficient and effective map to reach your goal. In a sense it is a shortcut, because you are not wasting time on ineffective or unnecessary training.

If you are in that type of time-crunch situation, I have a suggestion. Do whatever you want to do to prepare in the two or three weeks you have (it won’t make much difference), and take the test anyway. Look at it as a practice run, but don’t be surprised or disappointed if you fail. Then take the experience and use it as a starting point. It’ll give you some starting numbers and an idea of where you stand and what you need to focus on. If you pass, great! Use this book to prepare yourself for the academy.

PPLE is broken down into two main training blocks, plus a third optional block;

Block I – Base Building – 4 Weeks

Block I revolves around general strength and conditioning. It’s designed to take a novice with average physical ability, and develop greater levels of strength and endurance. Block I is all about the broad-strokes. The focus will be on progressive barbell strength training along with developing a strong cardiovascular system. You will be running and lifting consistently. Not very sexy, but it WORKS.

Block II – Specificity – 8 Weeks

In Block II, we take your newly developed strength and conditioning and start funnelling it toward police specific physical skills. Things you’ll encounter at PFT and the academy. There will be a greater focus on bodyweight work, timed runs and work capacity. Block I was the broadsword, Block II is the scalpel. Think of it as police academy physical training camp.

Zero Block

This is an optional block. This is for you if you can only do zero to four pull-ups, and/or can only run for a few minutes at a time before stopping. It’ll last roughly 1-4 weeks depending on your ability and progress. It’s meant to be completed before you begin this program. Pull-ups are found in most PFTs, and even if they’re not, you’ll most likely face them at the academy. They’re a great exercise and develop strength to a high degree. They’re also harder to perform initially. This mini-program will bring you up to roughly 5 pull-ups or more from zero. It’s recommended you begin Block I when you reach this number. The 12 week program will bring your pull-up numbers even higher, but you need a base starting point for optimal