Most law enforcement officers are physically taxed, mentally exhausted, and emotionally overwhelmed. As such, a complexity exists with a requirement to match the need for physical fitness in a demographic that lives their lives in a potential state of general exhaustion.
The purpose of this article is to review the physiological determinants of police work, provide the strength and conditioning professional with an overview of comm on constraints associated with training police officers, discuss the role of autoregulated training, and provide programming recommendations for training police officers around their patrol shifts.
TSAC FacilitatorsExercise TechniqueProgram designTesting and EvaluationProfessional Development
By implementing a fitness assessment, a law enforcement agency can assess its officers and gather important data. As long as there are support mechanisms in place to assist the “at risk” officers—such as access to physical training instructors, occupational health professionals, or dietitians—the organization can ensure that its officers move towards becoming a healthier and more resilient workforce.
This article is a personal perspective of creating and providing a fitness assessment and resistance training program from scratch to a large law enforcement organization.
TSAC FacilitatorsProgram designTesting and Evaluation
September 12, 2020by Brandon Loewen, CSCS, Bridget Ann Frugoli Melton, EdD, CSCS, TSAC-F, Gregory A. Ryan, PhD, CSCS,*D, TSAC-F, and Ronald L. Snarr, PhD, CSCS,*D, NSCA-CPT
The purpose of this article is to address the key elements when designing a training program for firefighters, provide evidence for utilizing circuit training, and suggest recommendations on how to incorporate circuit training into the training program.
In addition to standard health, fitness, or sport assessment guidelines, several guidelines exist for the fire service. Since each agency is different in its preferences, capabilities, and philosophies, applying a standard recommendation may not be possible. This article introduces basic decision-making considerations for fire service assessment batteries.
This article describes the transition from the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) to the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), as well as the detailed events that make the ACFT.
TSAC FacilitatorsExercise TechniqueProgram designOrganization and AdministrationTesting and Evaluation
Those who are in key decision-making positions should understand the importance of proper research, validation, and implementation procedures when developing physical fitness standards.
This article seeks to provide insight on a training method based around prescribing small amounts of training to achieve a large amount of physical improvements.