2024 Arrived...Are You Still On Track?
Whether or not your profession requires (or should require) high levels of fitness...where will you be at the end of this year?
Content on Long Term Strength and Conditioning will always be free. If you enjoy these posts, please share and consider my book:
Answering the Call: Proper Physical Training for Police and Military in the in the 21st Century
The patrol cop is one of the most unique and insane professions in the United States. During a single shift a cop can be a marriage counselor, social worker, or even a paramilitary force.
On a winter night you could be driving your temperature controlled vehicle sipping your favorite 1 a.m. caffeine source as you roll to a stop at a red light. You notice the passenger of the vehicle next to you start to slump into his seat. Is he concealing his face? His presence? Not sure, but you can tell the female driver is concerned about his actions. You also notice the vehicle’s tail light is out and you initiate a traffic stop.
You go from enjoying your latte to being in a 400 meter relay with a guy who has a stack warrants and a violent history. Turns out he is a wanted methamphetamine cook. You didn’t know that at the time but here we are. The adrenaline hits, you slam your vehicle into park, and you jump out of your car to give chase to the gentleman who is now a faint outline in the dark.
Now you’re on your radio...while running and trying to watch the suspect...you inform your team what is happening, where you are, direction of travel, etc. If you did your due diligence training you’re able to close the distance and push him down. As usual Murphy’s Law gets a vote, you slip on some ice, and now you’re in a grappling match...in the dark...with a guy that could be armed. You’re also wearing a bat belt that is now within the suspect’s grasp.
Also please remember…you have a have a shift tomorrow…make sure you get some rest tonight.
Background For New Readers
About a decade and half ago I was a strength and conditioning coach. I loved the work but at that time in my life I wanted to experience more before I spent my life in a gym. I fell back on my original career plan and became a cop. I worked in law enforcement for almost four years. One night at work I was venting to one of my best friends and mentors that I wanted another professional challenge. That mentor had an extensive military background, and he told me I would be a good fit for special operations.
I almost ignored his advice. After some convincing I later enlisted in the Army with an Army Ranger contract. I served four years at Regiment, which included graduating from Ranger School while at Battalion and two combat rotations to Afghanistan. After a rough parachute landing, I later needed a total hip replacement which required ample recovery and an overhaul to my training.
Prior to entering the Army, I used strength coach Craig Weller for my build-up before heading to Ranger Assessment and Selection. I was intimidated to write my own program. This did not fit the typical program design for a sport or athlete.
Craig is an outstanding coach, and he opened my eyes to the application of some of the conditioning methods I had previously read in Joel Jamieson’s book, The Ultimate Guide to MMA Conditioning. Craig was paramount for my preparation and success.
After a few years in the Army, I started helping guys with their programming, as well as former coworkers from law enforcement. I never stopped educating myself on strength and conditioning. Over time I have refined some techniques and have come up with what I think is a decent framework for police officers.
Framework For Success in 2024
Let’s revisit our foot pursuit. The officer went from sitting to sprinting without a warm-up. Probably landed on one leg when jumping out of the vehicle, and then got into a fight after a 2-400m sprint. How do we physically prepare for that?
Below is how I typically block training for Police Officers:
Focusing on just the physical training aspect, crucial to surviving this encounter will be a robust aerobic capacity. The longer you stay aerobic, the longer you stay out of the finite anaerobic energy systems. This will improve your performance and recovery from stress. We don’t want our officer falling into our primitive fight or flight or keeling over from a heart attack after this event. We also complement this with total body strength. This is your foundation.
Next is aerobic and total body power. How long can you last at your anaerobic threshold? Can you stay aerobic before you go hands on? Do you have the combined endurance, strength, and power to apply the training you hopefully received to bring this guy into custody safely?
Last are the lung burning, lactic intervals we all grew to love. This has its place for short periods, but I would argue for cops once we have gotten through stress inoculation training these tools should be revisited only for short periods. The aerobic system is our most adaptable energy system. Nudging up our anaerobic threshold and aerobic power will create adaptions that allow for long term progress. Relying too much on glycolytic or lactic training will often have you peaking in a few weeks and then...where do we go?
Now that we established a framework, why is this even important for cops? Although violent crime rates saw a slight dip from 2021 to 2022, violent crime is still elevated from years past. Although numbers don’t match where we were in the early 1990s, I would argue one needs to reference the massive strides in modern trauma care to provide context. The reality is in the United States if you are unfortunately shot, and the bullet does not hit the brain, heart, or spine...and you are treated in a timely manner...you’re probably going to survive.
God Bless America.
Now as an officer, are you the best version of yourself to respond to this kind of violence?
The New Year came and went. Are we still on track with our health and fitness goals? Is your long-term vision still intact?
If not, revisit this process:
Assign 3-4 week blocks to each level of the pyramid above. Maybe right now the base for you is just cutting out drinking and going for daily walks. Getting to bed a little earlier. Next block we find a solid program like Dan John’s Easy Strength or another template that works for you...and as Coach Dan says: just show up. In the third month we up the intensity. Month four we sprinkle in some hard interval training. Month five dial it back and maintain. Now check your “before” picture, scale, and the mirror.
If you honestly attack this there is a high likelihood you’re happy with your results. In month six let this motivation carry you to re-planning and restarting the entire journey. You already covered most of 2024. Imagine the goals your healthier, fitter, and motivated future self will set for 2025. The possibilities are endless.
Great reminder!