Law Enforcement Training Center

Congratulations on being accepted into the profession of law enforcement. You have entered into an exciting and rewarding field of work. One of the most important qualities of a successful law enforcement officer is maintaining good physical conditioning. Lifetime fitness will keep you physically and mentally strong throughout your career and beyond.

The Basic Academy Lifetime Fitness program is designed to mentally and physically challenge each recruit, regardless of their physical condition or background. A recruit who participates fully in this program will meet and in most cases eclipse the POST requirements. The physical training program will provide the recruit all of the knowledge and tools to be successful. This program is a guide in getting you started toward your Academy experience. Picture of Academy students- doing push-ups

Picture of Academy students- doing push-ups

Physical training takes place almost everyday at the Basic Academy. To successfully accomplish the physical activities portion of the Academy, you must begin training before the first day of the course instruction. This will require conditioning in strength and endurance. Along with physical training, a balanced diet is essential for maintaining proper weight and energy levels.

DO NOT BEGIN A STRENUOUS WORKOUT PROGRAM UNTIL YOU HAVE CONSULTED YOUR DOCTOR.

1.	Run 1.5 miles within 12:30
2.	Perform 50 crunches continuously without stopping. (within 2-minutes)
3.	Perform 50 push-ups continuously without stopping. (within 2-minutes)
4.	Perform 5 pull-ups continuously,
5.	Participate in a minimum of 40 consecutive Physical Training sessions.

Prior to performing any exercise, you should always warm up. Proper stretching and Picture for Academy class jogging in Pittsburg

warm up activities are essential for maximizing performance, maintaining flexibility and preventing injuries. To gain the most from your workouts, stretching should be done both before you begin exercising and during the cool-down process after you work out. Never bounce to increase your range of motion, always use slow gradual pressure.

Running in place	1-2 minutes
Rotate head stretching neck muscles (left & right)	15 seconds
Arm Rotations (forward & back)	15 seconds
Triceps Stretch	10 reps
Shoulder Stretch	10 reps
Groin Stretch (Hurdler's Stretch) (left & right)	10 reps/ea
Calf Stretch (right over left/left over right)	10 reps/ea

The most difficult physical adjustments you will make at the Basic Academy will be those associated with endurance activities. Whether it is running in formation, running for test purposes or sustained resistance training, your body will be taxed almost daily. Distance running can reach 10-12 miles each week. Running is accomplished primarily on surface streets around the Training Center. Additionally, field drills (crab walks, bear Picture of students at the Academy doing rope climbs

Picture of students at the Academy doing rope climbs

crawls, etc.) are performed at the adjacent park. Students who do little or no exercise prior to the start of the training program find it difficult to keep up with the rigors of physical training along with academic studies.

Prior to beginning your training at the Basic Academy, you need to build up your endurance. Past experience has shown that those students who have participated in a good conditioning program before starting the Academy had little problem keeping up with the class load. To meet the requirements, you should develop a running program similar to what is suggested here.

Week	Distance (miles)	Student's Goal (time)	Repetitions per week
1	1.0	8:00	4
2	2.0	16:00	3
3	2.0	16:00	4
4	3.0	24:00	3
5	3.0	24:00	4
6	3.5	28:00	4
7	3.5	28:00	5
8	4.0	32:00	5

The two most common physical problems during the Basic Academy Lifetime Fitness Program are shin splints and kneecap (patella) pain. If you have these types of problems while training for the Basic Academy, seek help from a qualified trainer or medical provider to correct problems before arriving at the Academy. Physical pain is often the result of poor training techniques and or biomechanical problems that can be corrected with proper coaching and/or shoe orthotics.

It is important that you purchase quality running shoes that are designed for your running style. This will make running and physical training easier, while preventing injuries.

Your physical fitness level upon entry at the Basic Academy will be an important factor in determining your success. For people in good physical condition, exercise can be an Picture of recruits doing situps

excellent method of releasing stress. Likewise, if you are in poor condition, physical training could add to your stress level. Please do not take the Lifetime Fitness Program lightly. Any time spent properly exercising in preparation will pay dividends while attending the Basic Academy and through out your law enforcement career.

Muscle Group	Exercise
Quadriceps	Squats Leg Press (45')
Hamstrings	Hamstring Curls
Pectorals (Chest)	Bench Press Incline Flys
Abdominals	Sit-ups, V-ups Leg raises Incline sit-ups Crunches
Calves	Standing Calf Raises Seated Calf Raises
Back	Lat Pull Down Bent Rows Cable Rows
Biceps	Bicep Curls Alt. Curls (one arm)
Triceps	Tricep Push Down Close Grip Bench Press
(Muscle Group - Select one exercise from each group) Lift at least 3 days a week: Sets - 3 sets from each group Work two body parts together (i.e., Back & Biceps) Reps - Upper body 8-10; lower body 12-15

Pull-ups (palms away)	As many as possible in 30 seconds
Push-ups	As many as possible in 1 minute
Sit-ups (bent knee)	As many as possible in 1 minute
Dips*	As many as possible in 30 seconds
Above is done as a circuit-based program on the given times. For example, if you do 2 pull-ups in 10 seconds, you rest the remaining 20 seconds and then immediately start push-ups. *Dips can be done between 2 tables if parallel bars or a universal gym is not available.