Black - Tactical Barbell: Physical Preparation for Law Enforcement

ISBN 9781483551746

To TMLR, and also to the men in 3-1 Charlie

*Dont start this program before consulting with your physician.

CONTENTS

Amat Victoria Curam

So you want to get into law enforcement.

Whats the best way to train for the academy? How about the entry level fitness test? Do you lift weights? Calisthenics? Long distance runs, or sprints? Maybe youre at the stage where you cant perform a single pull-up and just getting off the couch seems like a daunting task. Or maybe youre already in great shape and want to funnel your ability towards police specific fitness.

Welcome to the most comprehensive and effective law enforcement physical preparation guide on the planet. This is training camp. Couch-to-Cop in 12 weeks.

This program is broken down into two main Blocks. Block I is 4 weeks long and consists of general strength and conditioning. If youre a novice, this is where youll start.

Block II is 8 weeks long. We take the foundation youve developed in Block I, and start funnelling your conditioning into the more specific skillsets youll require for the academy, and for your entry level police fitness test (PFT).

If youre part of the population starting at absolute zero, we have you covered. This applies to you if you cant do a single pull-up or run for more than a few minutes at a time. Everyone has to start somewhere. Included in this program is an optional training block designed to build you from the ground up. This aptly named Zero block was prepared with the assistance of a former nationally ranked runner, and police academy instructor.

EACH and EVERY training session over the course of 12 weeks is covered in great detail. Not a single day is left to your imagination. Even designated recovery days are noted. 84 days laid out for you with all guesswork removed.

Let the professionals in the field show you how to get it RIGHT. Save yourself constant trial and error. Dont put your precious time and energy into incorrect efforts, or allow yourself to get misguided by information from the inexperienced. A career in law enforcement is for life, and is worth spending the time to prepare for correctly.

Follow the training exactly as laid out in this guide, and you WILL get through the PFT and the academy. The physical side that is. You are on your own for the rest.

PPLE was developed by the creators of Tactical Barbell: Definitive Strength Training for the Operational Athlete programming currently being used by military, police, and emergency services personnel all over the world. Behind Tactical Barbell is the experience and training knowledge of a former federal Hostage Rescue Team member, soldiers, and tactical law enforcement personnel.

As with the original Tactical Barbell strength training system, youll find a combination of cutting edge information, and a practical hands-on approach that delivers results. Tactical Barbell is not about fun workouts, hard workouts for the sake of being hard, or the latest fad. Tactical Barbell is about one thing only, and that is getting you results.

This is not simply a do 50 push-ups and go for a run bootcamp style program. Bootcamp type programs can make you feel like youre training hard and working up a sweat, but theyre not always the best way to progressively improve your fitness levels in a short period of time.

The methods used in PPLE are highly effective and resemble an athletic training camp. Each physical attribute needed to be successful in law enforcement is developed in a progressive fashion. Concepts and techniques used include periodization, progressive barbell strength work, calisthenics, and high intensity cardiovascular conditioning. Its not always about sweating as much as you can, its about improving your performance and skill level in each individual attribute. But make no mistake, at times you will sweat.

You wont need any unusual or expensive equipment. Basic barbells, and a pair of running shoes.

Success with PPLE is simple. Read the book, and do the work. This book also acts as a training log. Its designed to help you document your progress and workouts over both Blocks. When you come out on the other side of 12 weeks, you will be far more prepared than the average law enforcement recruit.

GOALS

This program has three primary goals.

1. Pass the entry level physical fitness testing for your law enforcement agency.
2. To prepare you physically for the academy.
3. 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 cant 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 wont have any difficulty meeting your agencys entry requirements. In fact, theres a good chance youll 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. Youre wasting your time reading this book if youre 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 wont make much difference), and take the test anyway. Look at it as a practice run, but dont be surprised or disappointed if you fail. Then take the experience and use it as a starting point. Itll 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. Its 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.