Physical Fitness

[KenpoTex]

I've got one K-bell and like it quite a bit.

Here's a great routine with step-by-step instructions

here's a couple of sites with different exercises and how to do them:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kettlebells.htm
http://www.kettlebellinc.com/videos/index.php

 

[Hudson69]

My agency, here in Southern Colorado, has a great fitness program for the new recruits but dropped the annual fit test due to one person who falls under special interest(s) complaining because that person could not get on a motors unit due to failing the fit test. Along those same lines we have our fair share of "Day slugs" but overall we have a great department of fit, motivated officers (with their share of gripes and complaints, whose does not? ).

We have mini-gyms at every sub-station that will do well enough for everyone but the truly hard core and they usually have a click that meets at World's or Golds' every night.

Still though, as an after thought, my agency does not promote enough "get fit" at least to me. At least we now have annual Defensive Tactics training; I know once a year isn't grand or anything but we only got this two years ago with some officers saying that until that point they hadn't had any for 10+ years.

In a perfect world we would have time built into our day for PT, monthly DT, Range, Baton, Driving, Less lethal and more. But it is not so it is incumbant on all of us at my agency to do some on the side; while spending time to keep up with their family and other non-duty time.

Thats my 2 cents.

 

[sgtmac_46]

On a scale of importance, I would say that muscular endurance would be more important than CV endurance. I would also say that power movements would be more important than raw strength.

The current philosophy seems to be either "high reps low weight" or "high weights low reps". I think that moving progressively heavier loads for progressively more reps, cycled accordingly, coupled with power movements and middle distance CV training (800M vs. long slow distance) is the way to go for combat sports/combat applications.

I agree completely.

 

[sgtmac_46]

Lets face it-most of us who have been doing this for long are out of shape. However, my butt and everyone elses butt is potentially on the line whenever were on duty. I have a responsibility to myself and my fellow officers to be in good enough shape to get to where the action is and OFFER GOOD ASSISTANCE ie deal with whatever is going on. If anyone in law enforcement is winded after a short run they need to get in and start working out. We don't have physical fitness requirements after you're hired but i think we should. It would motivate me and other officers to get into shape. We are currently working on contract negotiations and were trying to implement the Cooper standards of physical fitness for pay increase. If you meet the stand once you get 1% of your gross pay(not including OT holiday pay etc) and if you meet it twice you get 2%. Testing is done every 6 months. Hmmm I get extra pay if I'm in shape? That will get some people working out.

I'm just curious if any other dept. have incentive pay for meeting physical fitness requirements? Any of your dept's have physical fitness requirements yearly for officers or only for SERT/SORT?

Oh, I agree completely.....with shift work, court days, training days, etc, etc, etc, etc......it's a real pain in the butt to keep in shape......and I find myself getting further and further out of shape from time to time, and need to reboot and reorganize my schedule to stop that decline.

Unfortunately my department doesn't do anything at all to encourage physical fitness. A neighboring department is a lot more progressive on that count, and actually allows a certain number of on-duty hours to be used for physical fitness time. They have their own state of the art gymnasium, wrestling room, etc.......fortunately for us my department is invited to use their facilities, and my Judo instructor has his classes there now.