Conditioning for Law Enforcement

By Danny O’Dell

 

 

Imagine yourself behind the wheel of your patrol car just coming up on an intersection. At the stop sign you see an obvious domestic violence situation in the car in front of you. You let communications know where you are and what you are doing.

 

Turning on your lights brings the normal response; nearly everyone in the car turns around to look at you. The driver, and suspect in the assault, stares straight ahead as if nothing was going on at all. You know the fight or chase is about to begin.

 

As you unbuckle to get out the suspect suddenly and even predictably bolts, and the chase is on….are you ready for it? We all think we are, but that initial surge of adrenalin will soon be gone and then you are left with your previous conditioning level to carry you onward.

 

Many so called law enforcement conditioning experts still rely on basic aerobic training methods. Go to any academy anywhere in the United States and you will see the recruits running two to three miles everyday…at a slow pace. How many of you have ever in your entire career chased anyone at a slow pace? Anyone trying to escape is doing so at high speed. Not a Jog.

 

Most of the foot chases are gut busting; wind sucking, side aching ones. And they are not conducted at a training jog, they are all out races. Good vs. Bad.

 

How you train can make a tremendous difference in how you participate in one of these chases or who ultimately wins the fight at the end of the ‘run’.

 

Explosivelyfit advocates and instructs the anaerobic style of exercise. This means development of a solid level of general physical fitness consisting of strength, power, balance, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. The ultimate goal is to win on the street. The ultimate test of who wins the physical challenge is who is still standing at the end of the chase or fight. It can be you if you train the way you are expected to act.

 

The following section is a very basic training regimen for two weeks. Each day will have a component of the essentials necessary to prepare your body for the street encounters. Correct warm ups, cool downs and static stretching AFTER THE EXERECISE SESSION are vital elements of the program.

 

Diet will not be addressed except to say what you put into your body will influence the eventual physical development either good or bad. Daily intakes of quality food and drink will help build your physical fitness profile in a positive manner.

 

 

The schedule: Warm up for 5-10 minutes prior to each period of exercise. Rotate the limbs around in ever widening circles, get the pulse up and break a slight sweat. Perform each exercise for 10-12 repetitions for two to four sets. The work to rest ratio is 1:2. This means if you work for ten seconds then you rest for twenty seconds before starting on the next set.

Always use correct exercise technique. Don’t add weight until you can do the exercise perfect. ‘Technique first, weight second’!

 

Each strength day has abdominals listed numerous times. These are not meant to be strictly sit ups or crunches. Instead this is meant to imply working around the center of your body by doing an exercise for the front of you med section, one for the sides of your mid section and one for the rear of your mid section. Examples would be: weighted sit ups for the front, side bends or body lateral raises for the side area, and back extensions for the rear section. 360s are also a good way of training the four positions. 360s are also known in some literature as planks.

 

Day one

• Squats
• Abdominals
• Bench press
• Abdominals
• Barbell rows
• Abdominals
• Military press
• Abdominals
• Dead lifts
• Abdominals

 

Day two

• Bicycle at a moderate pace for twenty minutes
• Running technique practice-sit on the floor and rapidly move your upper arms in the correct pattern
• Medicine ball chops top to bottom and bottom to top-Move rapidly.

 

Day three

• Power cleans
• Abdominals
• Front squats
• Abdominals
• Incline bench presses
• Abdominals
• Chin ups
• Abdominals

 

Day four

• Run four to six twenty yard sprints at seventy percent of your fastest twenty yard speed. The work to rest ratio is 1:3-1:4. Gradually build up your endurance for running this distance FAST.
• Static stretch

 

Day five

• Squats
• Abdominals
• Bench press
• Abdominals
• Barbell rows
• Abdominals
• Military press
• Abdominals
• Dead lifts
• Abdominals

 

Day six

• Bicycle at a moderate pace for thirty minutes
• Running technique practice-sit on the floor and rapidly move your upper arms in the correct pattern
• Medicine ball side to side chops top to bottom and bottom to top-Move rapidly.

 

Day seven

• Active rest

• Bicycle ride for ten to thirty minutes

 

Day eight

• Power cleans
• Abdominals
• Front squats
• Abdominals
• Incline bench presses
• Abdominals
• Chin ups
• Abdominals

 

Day nine

• Run four to six twenty yard sprints at seventy five percent of your fastest twenty yard speed. The work to rest ratio is 1:3-1:4. Gradually build up your endurance for running this distance FAST.
• Static stretch

 

Day ten

Begin moving more weight in less time. Do more sets or more repetitions in the same amount of time as last week. Think of that person on the street…the guys in prison lifting everyday, the young college athlete out to do you in, your family. Push yourself and don’t even think of quitting.

• Squats
• Abdominals
• Bench press
• Abdominals
• Barbell rows
• Abdominals
• Military press
• Abdominals
• Dead lifts
• Abdominals

 

Day eleven

• Bicycle at a moderate/rapid pace for thirty to forty five minutes. Emphasis the rapid pace as much as possible. Get well into your target heart range. Use the Tanaka formula as it is the most accurate.
• Running technique practice-sit on the floor and rapidly move your upper arms in the correct pattern.
• Practice quick feet drills
• Medicine ball quick top to bottom moves. Move rapidly.

 

Day twelve

• Power cleans
• Abdominals
• Over head squats
• Abdominals
• Incline dumb bell bench presses
• Abdominals
• Chin ups with weight added
• Abdominals

 

Day thirteen

• Run one to two twenty yard sprints at one hundred percent of your fastest twenty yard speed. The work to rest ratio is 1:4-1:5.
• Run two to three thirty yard sprints at eighty percent of your one repetition thirty yard speed.
• Gradually build up your endurance for running this distance FAST.
• Static stretch

 

Day fourteen

• Active rest and revaluation of the next two weeks program
• Plan the next session and begin a heavier emphasis on lower and upper body strength, speed and anaerobic power output.
• Begin working in the lactate area for the bicycle and sprint training. Bounce in and out as you gradually build up your tolerance for this highly taxing method of exercising.

 

If you have questions or want to contact Explosivelyfit, the home of innovative training concepts, email Danny@explosivelyfit.com.

 

Authors brief bio.

Danny M. O’Dell, MA. CSCS*D is a retired 31 year law enforcement veteran, the co-owner of ‘The WeightRoom’ gym and Explosivelyfit.com, both located in Nine Mile Falls, WA. His Masters Degree is in Human Services and he is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with Distinction through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

He has published articles in national and international magazines describing the benefits of living the healthy fitness lifestyle. Danny is a national and internationally recognized fitness presenter. In addition, he is the author of four training manuals: Wilderness Basics, Strength Training Secrets, Composite Training and Power up your Driving Muscles. All are available in download versions at http://www.explosivelyfit.com/