Recommend Exercises For Job Fitness Test?
BlitzClipz
Posts: 154 Member
I am attempting to start a new career in a law enforcement type job. There is a required fitness test, and I have 16 days to prepare. I will need to do at least 25 pushups, 35 situps, and run 1.5 miles in 15:30. So far I can do about 15 pushups, 20 situps and I can run the 1.5 in about 18 minutes. I plan on interval training on my treadmill to decrease my running time, and I'm relatively confident I'll do fine there, but I need some help on what exercises (besides the obvious pushups and situps) I can do to increase my strength enough to pass my tests.
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A very long time ago I took our local force's police officer physical aptitude test (POPAT). It was very involved, requiring jumping (both feet) up to a platform and down repeatedly, carrying weights, balance, and other activities in addition to the usual running, swimming, and probably also callisthenics but I don't recall doing push-ups and sit-ups.
No doubt others will have lots to say. I'd just like to point out that you should work on your core (planks et al) and don't forget about maintaining or gaining flexibility. Also... unless the run test is actually on a treadmill, where very few bad guys are ever caught I'm sure, get thee outside for your training runs. Or in a gym track if that's how the run is conducted.
Good luck!0 -
No time to really prepare. So its really going to be all about how bad you want the job. You probably have the strength, but it's going to be a big mental challenge. I did annual fed law enforcement/ military fitness exams. I did learn some tricks to make it easier even though I can pass them easily. I learned in order to prep for the test and pass with an excellent rating is to do what the test requires you to do. No need to get fancy. Running on a treadmill isn't ideal IMO. Maybe if you had it on incline of 10. However, doing interval training is a very good move. I would suggest hitting the track and doing intervals out there. Sprint the straights, jog the curves. It conditions your legs a lot better to handle the ground strikes. If your test allows you to use a toe bar for sit ups I would recommend giving it a try. For some reason I can crush the sit ups faster using the bar vs someone holding my feet. Give it a try. Other than that, keep focusing on sit ups to get better at them. You can also mix in some other core workouts like hanging raises, planks, bicycles. Same goes for push ups. You need to do them to get stronger with them. Also, keeping your elbows close to your body. If you flare them out too much you'll fatigue faster and also stress your joints. Just keep doing them until you burn out and then continue to do them on your knees for a double burn out. Mixing in chest and tricep weight movements(bench, DB, machine presses, tri extensions, close grip presses) will add to your benefits but nothing is better than doing what they ask for. Next time don't wait so long. It's a cruel world out there and you cant just tap out when some crazy suspect is beating your *kitten*. Being in top shape will save your life as an officer. Good luck and be safe to a future LE.0
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Agree with Rez. If your current status on the exercises represents your true all out effort, you can't make the needed progress that fast. If you numbers aren't really your best, kick your butt, puking effort, maybe you have a shot.
Best of luck, but if you don't make it this time, start training the day after the test for the next testing window.0 -
BlitzClipz wrote: »There is a required fitness test, and I have 16 days to prepare.
How many attempts are you allowed and how long is there between each attempt?...and I can run the 1.5 in about 18 minutes. I plan on interval training on my treadmill to decrease my running time...
Not going to comment on the bodyweight work, other than to say I think it's probably all in your head for those. The only observation I'd make is that push up/ sit up tests are frequently timed, rather than continuous, so find a nice rhythm and don't push it out too quickly. If it is timed, then take breaks to loosen up.
15:30 is quite leisurely for a running fitness test, that's only a 10 minute mile. But if you're still 2:30 short then you're unlikely to gain that in a week.
Go longer, rather than intervals, to improve your running speed. I would normally expect new entrants to my service to be able to do 5K in 30 minutes. In training they'll never run as short as 2.4Km except as part of their testing.
Running for longer times, improves shorter period speed. Intervals without a base to build from are more likely to injure you than help improvement.
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I think you can make it easily if you focus and put the time in. If I wanted it badly enough then id keep doing short manageable sessions through the day at least twice a day and progressively increasing them. Fitness can come quite quickly at the beginning. I dont run, but 1.5 miles in 15:30 sounds generous. Learn how to pace yourself.0
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Unless those numbers are from an attempt where you didn't try very hard, you aren't going to close that gap in 16 days0
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25 pushups, 35 situps, and run 1.5 miles in 15:30. So far I can do about 15 pushups, 20 situps and I can run the 1.5 in about 18 minutes
Surprised ay why people are saying no, but it does depend how hard she is trying. Agree its all very last minute.0 -
25 pushups, 35 situps, and run 1.5 miles in 15:30. So far I can do about 15 pushups, 20 situps and I can run the 1.5 in about 18 minutes
Surprised ay why people are saying no, but it does depend how hard she is trying. Agree its all very last minute.
Give yourself 16 days to hit the standards and see why people are saying not likely.0 -
Do push-ups everyday.
Do sit-ups everyday.
And run everyday. Try to run further than 1.5 miles. Running further will help increase your speed over shorter distances. And don't run on a treadmill. It's easier to go faster on a treadmill than it is to go faster outside. You should train how you will have to test. If everything is done outside, do all of your training outside.
Good luck!0 -
Packerjohn wrote: »25 pushups, 35 situps, and run 1.5 miles in 15:30. So far I can do about 15 pushups, 20 situps and I can run the 1.5 in about 18 minutes
Surprised ay why people are saying no, but it does depend how hard she is trying. Agree its all very last minute.
Give yourself 16 days to hit the standards and see why people are saying not likely.
You dont really know how hard she is trying. She needs to be able to do another 10 push ups, so managing an extra one a day for each and take 2.5 minutes off of her run, which is already reasonably generous.
OP you cna only try abd see how it goes. If I wnated it badly then i ve devoting time to it and keep doing small training sessions of c 20 minutes. You should have a good idea if you are improving after a week.0 -
BlitzClipz wrote: »So far I can do about 15 pushups, 20 situps and I can run the 1.5 in about 18 minutes.
Personally I think this sound pretty achievable given your current performance (but depending on whether your current stats are as a result of an all out effort.)
Add 1 push up and sit up a day to your totals over the next 2 weeks or so.
With regard to the run I wouldn't bother with short intervals but more like 3x5 minutes at a comfortably hard pace (rather than all out) followed by 1 minute jog to recover between each once a week, with two runs at a slower but manageable pace of about 20 minutes each.
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I think that adding the pushups and situps daily would be a great idea. I'd be worried about shaving 2 1/2 minutes off of your mile and a half though. Conditioning for running can take time. Like others have said, if this is an "all-out" effort, that's a pretty large hurdle to overcome. I'd recommend running further than a mile and a half a few times a week until then and pray that adrenaline kicks in on test day. Are you allowed to wear a watch on test day to keep up with your time? If you're running on a quarter mile track, just pace yourself at 2'30" (roughly) per lap and try to keep that pace instead of burning out in the beginning.
Good luck to you either way!0 -
Packerjohn wrote: »25 pushups, 35 situps, and run 1.5 miles in 15:30. So far I can do about 15 pushups, 20 situps and I can run the 1.5 in about 18 minutes
Surprised ay why people are saying no, but it does depend how hard she is trying. Agree its all very last minute.
Give yourself 16 days to hit the standards and see why people are saying not likely.
You dont really know how hard she is trying. She needs to be able to do another 10 push ups, so managing an extra one a day for each and take 2.5 minutes off of her run, which is already reasonably generous.
OP you cna only try abd see how it goes. If I wnated it badly then i ve devoting time to it and keep doing small training sessions of c 20 minutes. You should have a good idea if you are improving after a week.
As I said earlier don't know how hard the OP is trying when he came up with those numbers and I said wish him the best of luck
Just being honest though. 15 pushups and an 18 minute 1.5 mile run time for a male young enough to qualify for a law enforcement training program doesn't indicate a very high level of fitness. Also to make matters more challenging most people produce faster running times on a treadmill vs the road or a track.
Can the OP workout and get to and surpass the standards, sure but imo probably not in 16 days.
As he is trying to pass this time I would focus on training with the bodyweight exercises he has to do for the test. For the running as someone suggested intervals on a track slow run on the curves picking it up on the straights to help get him to feel what running faster is.0 -
Packerjohn wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »25 pushups, 35 situps, and run 1.5 miles in 15:30. So far I can do about 15 pushups, 20 situps and I can run the 1.5 in about 18 minutes
Surprised ay why people are saying no, but it does depend how hard she is trying. Agree its all very last minute.
Give yourself 16 days to hit the standards and see why people are saying not likely.
You dont really know how hard she is trying. She needs to be able to do another 10 push ups, so managing an extra one a day for each and take 2.5 minutes off of her run, which is already reasonably generous.
OP you cna only try abd see how it goes. If I wnated it badly then i ve devoting time to it and keep doing small training sessions of c 20 minutes. You should have a good idea if you are improving after a week.
As I said earlier don't know how hard the OP is trying when he came up with those numbers and I said wish him the best of luck
Just being honest though. 15 pushups and an 18 minute 1.5 mile run time for a male young enough to qualify for a law enforcement training program doesn't indicate a very high level of fitness. Also to make matters more challenging most people produce faster running times on a treadmill vs the road or a track.
Can the OP workout and get to and surpass the standards, sure but imo probably not in 16 days.
As he is trying to pass this time I would focus on training with the bodyweight exercises he has to do for the test. For the running as someone suggested intervals on a track slow run on the curves picking it up on the straights to help get him to feel what running faster is.
She, OP is a she.0 -
Unfortunately I didn't have more time to prepare. I just found out yesterday that I was accepted into the next round of testing. I am not going to be an actual LEO at this point, the job is for a corrections/transport officer so the testing requirements are a good bit more lenient. I'm not sure if my current numbers are really what I can do. I tried last night after a heavy meal and a very long day and I think I was just exhausted in general. I'm about to suit up and try again in a bit. My plan for the next couple weeks is to do cardio in the mornings and muscle building exercises in the evening at least 5 days a week.
I really appreciate all the comments, so thank you!0 -
You may want a day's rest before the test so you don't have muscle soreness to combat during the test.0
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BlitzClipz wrote: »Unfortunately I didn't have more time to prepare. I just found out yesterday that I was accepted into the next round of testing. I am not going to be an actual LEO at this point, the job is for a corrections/transport officer so the testing requirements are a good bit more lenient. I'm not sure if my current numbers are really what I can do. I tried last night after a heavy meal and a very long day and I think I was just exhausted in general. I'm about to suit up and try again in a bit. My plan for the next couple weeks is to do cardio in the mornings and muscle building exercises in the evening at least 5 days a week.
I really appreciate all the comments, so thank you!
you were accepted- which means you applied- probably not yesterday.
You should have been training 2-3 months ago. I started training before I had even SUBMITTED my application.
I wish you the best of luck- drink coffee- take a pre workout and keep excidrin on hand.
Odds are you'll be fine for the push ups and sit ups- as mentioned they are usually timed. The run- that's going to be a kicker- if you weren't trying very hard- you might be okay- but if you were really pushing 2 minutes is a big gap to make up. I'd work on slightly longer runs outside- but I'd only do maybe 2-3 longer runs- 2-3 shorter runs and then take a day or two off before. Don't push yourself exceptionally hard at this point- trying to push really hard now is really not going to do you any favors.
Good luck- cause you're gonna need it across the board given your lack of preparedness.0 -
Packerjohn wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »25 pushups, 35 situps, and run 1.5 miles in 15:30. So far I can do about 15 pushups, 20 situps and I can run the 1.5 in about 18 minutes
Surprised ay why people are saying no, but it does depend how hard she is trying. Agree its all very last minute.
Give yourself 16 days to hit the standards and see why people are saying not likely.
You dont really know how hard she is trying. She needs to be able to do another 10 push ups, so managing an extra one a day for each and take 2.5 minutes off of her run, which is already reasonably generous.
OP you cna only try abd see how it goes. If I wnated it badly then i ve devoting time to it and keep doing small training sessions of c 20 minutes. You should have a good idea if you are improving after a week.
As I said earlier don't know how hard the OP is trying when he came up with those numbers and I said wish him the best of luck
Just being honest though. 15 pushups and an 18 minute 1.5 mile run time for a male young enough to qualify for a law enforcement training program doesn't indicate a very high level of fitness. Also to make matters more challenging most people produce faster running times on a treadmill vs the road or a track.
Can the OP workout and get to and surpass the standards, sure but imo probably not in 16 days.
As he is trying to pass this time I would focus on training with the bodyweight exercises he has to do for the test. For the running as someone suggested intervals on a track slow run on the curves picking it up on the straights to help get him to feel what running faster is.
She, OP is a she.
Sorry posted earlier from a phone and didn't know OP's gender.
Same basic thoughts still stand. She's pretty far away from the qualifying standards given 16 days. One addition thought for the OP would be to make sure you know exactly how they test (knees up or down for sit-ups, depth for pushups, etc) and practice to that standard.0 -
I ran the 1.5 in 16:03. I'm probably going to die now lol but I think I'll be okay there. I also made it to 16 pushups before collapsing lol but I also got to 31 situps before I gave out. I think I'll be okay, I just have to dedicate myself to improving for the next 2 weeks. I can do this!!!0
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great improvement!
I'm guessing you haven't been doing push-ups/situps/running regularly. If that is the case you should be able to make it if you work a little bit each day. When one just starts out with these there are very big improvements early on from learning/re-learning the movements. I've taken a long time off running a few times and I always start very slow, but my times increase quickly as I get the motions down again.0 -
Update: I can do the 25 pushups, although my form for the last 5 or so is suspect. Progress. I can run the 1.5 consistently in about 16. So I have to shave about 30 seconds off still. Progress. I can't even do one successful sit up at this point because when I do, my lower abs literally feel like they're ripping and I get a very annoying and painful cramp. Idk if this means I am making progress by strengthening my abs. I have been doing 2 days of varying muscle workouts and 1 day off. I've been drinking protein supplements after each workout. Any tips on how to combat this ab thing?0
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that isn't a kind of pain i remember experiencing with situps, ever
good work on your progress in everything else, though - which came very fast! i think you'll do well if you can figure out the ab thing - sorry I can't help with that but - have you had kids? no chance you have a umbilical hernia, something like that? 0 -
With tomatoey here. I'd get that checked out, that doesn't sound right at all. Even in my worst "I can't move..." DOMS days I never feel like that.
Stop trying to strengthen them and get it checked.
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