Answering The Call: Proper Physical Fitness Training for Police and Military in the 21st Century
The Foreword and what this book is. Now Available!
Foreword
By Dan John
When I look at a new fitness or health book, I often simply flip around a little bit and get a sense of what the author is going to sell us. I am a bit exhausted by biohackers and their infrared tanning of their private areas, expensive freezing chambers, and some elixir that comes from frog poison and pond scum. I find myself putting these books back on the shelf and moving along.
Occasionally, when I flip around a book, I stop.
That’s not often. “Occasionally.”
Matt Hibler’s book, Answering the Call: Proper Physical Training for Police and Military in the in the 21st Century, made me stop. It’s not a fancy section; it’s not a bunch of workout ideas. It was simply a series of “ramblings” about the health, fitness, and longevity of the police patrol officer.
I did a quick review of what I tell the elite performers in my life and decided that, like many coaches, I needed to sit up straight and listen. I don’t want to hold you in suspense, so here you go:
Basically, Matt tells us that to be elite you need to prioritize sleep and take care of appropriate nutrition. He also explains to us that most of us (the readers) will push back on such obvious things and, as they say in Hollywood, “cut to the chase.”
Matt’s book doesn’t have a lot of “cuts.” Training for a collision occupation is dangerous stuff. “The enemy has a vote,” I was told when a number of friends of mine were killed in action. Training for warfare and urban combat is not working on your pecs or abs so you can look like an action hero.
The real-life action heroes are rucking, prioritizing sleep, and doing those five sets of five on the basic lifts that have worked since people first piled plates on a barbell.
Matt teaches the appropriate balances between the cardiovascular training and strength training and recovery withOUT getting us involved in any particular cult. Sometimes, the best of the best, the true elites, walk out the door and…
Walk.
Matt also gives us programs and templates to build up, over a logical stretch of time, to prepare for boot camps, academies, and selections. As always, “on paper” his programs seem relatively easy. Reading the programs, of course, is miles from DOING the programs.
It’s all here. There is no one behind the green curtain, there are no superhero workouts, there isn’t hint of “looking like a (fill in the blank).” His programs are logical, repeatable, and doable. Those three words, “logical, repeatable, and doable” are my highest praise for program or workout scheme.
Matt’s book should be on the shelf of everyone in the field of corrections, police, or military.
Those interested in training like superhero should sit down with this book and these concepts and forget about Hollywood.
I recommend Matt’s book without hesitation or reservation. It’s the real deal.
Dan John, Utah State All-American discus thrower, pictured above…a writer for Men’s Health, multiple books on strength and conditioning, coaching, and life. A legend in the field with 40+ years of experience…both in competing and coaching. It is truly an honor and it is still hard to believe he would write something like that about my work. Thank you, Dan.
It has been around a year of writing, rewriting, reorganizing, rethinking, adding, subtracting, editing, formatting, hiring graphic designers...I could keep going. I got feedback from valued friends in the tactical community in my hopes to write something digestible to cops, military, and strength coaches. Whatever that is...I think it happened.
For those that provided feedback along the way...thank you. You made me better and helped me realize I wasn’t just writing for strength coaches, but for the people who actually need this stuff. Thank you Mike Boyle, for that insight.
I was briefly a strength coach after obtaining my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Fitness. I fell back on my original career plan and left coaching, and spent almost four years in law enforcement. I later decided I wanted another challenge, and at age 28 enlisted in the Army on an “11x Option 40” contract...guaranteeing me an OPPORTUNITY to become an Army Ranger.
Thankfully I was successful during Ranger Assessment and Selection Program (with the help of guys like Craig Weller and Dan John), and I got the privilege to serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment. That time in my career included two combat rotations to Afghanistan as well as graduating from Ranger School while serving at the Regiment.
After a rough parachute landing, I later needed a total hip replacement in my thirties. Since joining the bionic world, I have moved on to lower impact positions. Over time, I started writing down the lessons learned from an almost a decade and half of experience in these professions.
It is amazing how spending twenty minutes here, ten here, an hour there...all adds up. All of a sudden you have a book. Ironically it is almost exactly how most people should train. Little and often.
This book outlines many things, but the highlights:
Briefly discusses my background. I am not special. I am just one dude, who did some things. Maybe I can help you from those unique experiences.
Why I wrote this book, and why intelligent training needs to be part of these professions in the 21st Century. Especially for cops.
An overall outline of how strength and conditioning should look for this population and why.
What “conditioning” really is and how to actually build it...for long term progress.
3 Months of “Day to Day” programming for a Combat Arms Soldier.
3 Months of “Day to Day” programming for a Patrol Cop (and how to even start if you are just getting back into fitness).
Guidelines for a healthy lifestyle while working in Law Enforcement. The daily stuff…ranging from how to get a decent meal in while on the job, or how to sleep after trying to solve all of society’s problems.
Train-Ups:
4 Month Build up to Ranger School, or similar training
2 Month Build up to a SWAT Selection, or a shorter tactical school for Law Enforcement.
Both have schedules and color coded workout cards with detailed instruction. Similar to this article, but designed to be printed off for the trainee and filled out.
Mindset for these events.
The importance of letting strength and conditioning support your performance and not hinder you.
The book in total is 141 pages. Reads like a conversation. If you’re a cop, you’ll think we’re driver-side window to window BSing waiting for a Saturday night with a full moon to turn to chaos.
I am honored that Dan would take the time to provide mentorship for this book, write the foreword, and interject for the reader his usual nuggets of wisdom from decades of competition and coaching.
High level performance, whether that be on the platform, field, major metropolitan area, or God forbid a battlefield…has parallels. Yes, the stakes might not be as high in athletics but the mindset for performance is still there. Dan beautifully articulates that dichotomy. He is not lying about trying to leave a legacy. He is the real deal. I can’t thank him enough.
If you are just getting into law enforcement and need help preparing, this is for you. If you are fit and just looking for structure to get to that next level, this is for you. If you are getting ready for training that could potentially change your career path...this is for you.