A New Addition to the Redline Conditioning Toolbox (PARE/POPAT/COPAT/SOPAT)

The push/pull machine can sometimes be a make or break for applicants when it comes to passing the test. But it's such a specialized machine; quite often the only time you get to try it is on test day itself. And even on test day you may only have 5 or 10 min to try it and get the feel for it. You get a sense of what the machine is like, but it doesn't prepare you for the difficult you'll face when under extreme fatigue.

You can simulate it the push/pull and I do have a few videos demoing ways to simulate it:

Pull Sim On A Cable Machine

Pull Sim With Resistance Tubing

Push Sim With a Partner

But the real deal is what you really need to be adequately ready for it.

In the past I've used the above methods to prepare my clients for the push/pull. Not anymore. I recently acquired my very own push/pull machine, and I'm very excited to use it with my current Redliners, as well as future Redliners looking to get into law enforcement.

The push/pull machine gives many fits, and the lack of availability to the machine has hampered many an applicant in proceeding forward in their application process. If you live in the Metro Vancouver area and have difficulty with the push/pull machine, then give me a shout. I'm located in the South Surrey and you can email me at redline.conditioning@gmail.com

Practice Practice Practice: Why you need to for the PARE and POPAT

Let’s take a trip down memory lane and go back to your high school days.  It’s your last year and you’re in the home stretch, getting ready for finals and studying your ass off. The grades you get will determine if you get into the school you’ve always wanted. You study all the facts and figures, all the stats and tidbits.

Test day arrives and you know you’re ready. You prepared for so long, written practice tests, and nothing that’s thrown your way will deter you. You got this. Because of your preparation, you got the grades, and you got into your dream school, and it set you up for the right path in life.

What does this have to do with the PARE, POPAT, COPAT, or SOPAT? Everything. Just like high school when you prepared for finals, you need to prepare for your physical test. But I’ve received so many clients who went into their test under prepared or totally underestimating the difficulty of the test. Their idea of preparation is running 3x/week at a moderate pace for a few months. No practice test. No strength training. No high intensity training for that matter. They figure by watching a few Youtube videos they should be good to pass. Then they do their test and reality bites them in the ass, grabs them by the throat, and slams them down to the ground like the Undertaker.

When I used to run PARE tests for the RCMP, I would always ask applicants if they practiced the test before. If they said no, I knew they were in for a world of hurt. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are places where you can practice. For those of you who live in Metro Vancouver or the Fraser Valley, I highly recommend going to LEPAT (Law Enforcement Physical Abilities Testing). Located in Abbotsford, they do a very thorough job of explaining the test, breaking it down into its components, and giving you feedback on your performance.

Like a written exam, you studied and you practiced. Getting ready for your physical test is no different. In this case training is your studying, and LEPAT is your place to practice.

If you need help with your “studying”, you can email (redline.conditioning@gmail.com) and I’ll help you study the right way.

Controlled Falls (PARE/POPAT conditioning)

The Controlled Falls is a great conditioning drill that can be added at the end of a workout. Perform 3 sets of 30 sec controlled falls, alternating falling on your front and back. Take only 15 sec of rest in between each 30 sec set. Try to maintain the same number of falls on each set. If you'd like, you can perform multiple rounds of controlled falls, but usually one set is more than enough.

Police Test Warm-Up (PARE/POPAT/SOPAT/COPAT)

                Warming up for your police test is essential if you want to do well on test day. So many people going into their test, whether it’s the PARE, POPAT, SOPAT, or COPAT, fail to take advantage of what warm-up time is given to them before their test. Some have the false belief that shouldn’t do anything at all for fear of wasting energy, but that is so far from the truth. Here are a few reasons why you should warm-up:

1. You ‘prime’ the body to get ready for action
2. Your muscles are warmed up and loosened and ready to go
3. Your joints get loosened up, decreasing the chance of injury
4. Your HR slowly increases, that way it doesn’t jump from 0-60 when you start your test; it’s already elevated
5. It gets you mentally ready, which is crucial when you’re hurting at the end and you need to dig deep to find that extra gear

                I’ve put together a basic warm-up routine that you can follow for your next test. It’ll take you about 10 min to complete. If you’re among the first 3-5 to test, you can still take advantage of the warm-up. If you’re around the middle of the pack or near the end to test, you can redo parts of the warm-up as your turn is about to come up, that way you get the body ready again.

Below is the routine: 

• 4 laps around the gym
• High knee grabs x 10
• Walking lunges, forward, reverse x 10
• Shuffle walk x 10

The following is done half the length of the gym (~40-60ft)

• High Knee skips x 2
• Straight leg skips x 2
• Butt kicks x 2
• Star Shuffle x 2
• Back pedal x 2
• Carioca x 2
• Power Skips x 2 (full length, rest 0:30 between skips)
• Sprints x 2 (full length, rest 0:30 between sprints)

If there’s time, run a couple laps of the course and practice the push/pull. Finish with:

·         Forward and back legs swings x 10 (per leg)

·         Side to side leg swings x 10 (per leg)

·         Forward arm circles x 10 (one arm at a time)

·         Backward arm circles x 10 (one arm at a time)

·         Arm crossing x 10

·         Arm swings x 10

To see how most of the routine is performed, watch this video:

Do I Need to Run for the PARE or POPAT?

                Maybe it’s my bias to running, but my answer to that is a resounding YES! Whether it’s the PARE, POPAT, COPAT, or SOPAT, I believe it’s very important to include a healthy dose of running into your training program, especially for the PARE and POPAT. Like I said, I do have some bias to running as I consider myself a runner, but if you’re serious about becoming a police officer, realize that you’re going to be starting out on the streets and walking the beat, and you’ll more than likely encounter enough foot chases. You’ll also be doing plenty of running during your training, so it would be good to get a start now if you haven’t done so.

                How much running should you do to prepare for your test? If you’ve never run before, find a good coach to teach you how. As simple as it looks, it’s more than just getting one foot in front of the other. Without good technique, the chance of injury increases. It may not be right away, but over time it will develop. If you’re already running, find a good coach. Even if you already know how to run, it’s still a good idea to consult with one from time to time.

                When you’re starting off, don’t worry about getting a lot of volume in. Three to four times a week, anywhere from 20-40 min is a good start. If you have to break it down to run/walk, so be it, you can build yourself up to a continuous run. Don’t worry too much about how fast you run either. Find a good rhythm that you can maintain and stick with that. As your aerobic capacity increases, your speed will naturally increase.

                You can include interval and/or hill training into the mix as well to provide some variety to running. Intervals is a bit of a catch all term; you can adjust the intensity to be  high or low, the interval can be long or short, time based or distance based, and the rest can be manipulated. You can be creative with intervals. Hill training can also be time or distance based, steep or slight, and varying rest times.

                If you want more bang for your buck, then perform high intensity intervals or hills with short rest periods. But do realize that this type of training can lead to burnout quicker and greater chance of injury if done too much and too soon. Understand your current fitness level and how much time you have to get ready for your test. Obviously the more time you have the better, but just be careful you don’t jump out of the gates and do something your body wasn’t prepared for.

                Need some help with training? Shoot me an email at redline.conditioning@gmail.com.

Specific Push/Pull Strengthening Exercises

                As important as cardio training is for the PARE (or any police testing for that matter), the push/pull machine can be a make or break deal if you’re not strong enough, particularly for women (especially petite women) due to lack of strength compared to men. But, if you incorporate a good strength training program, along with some technique work, you can get through the push/pull with relative ease.

                What are some specific strengthening exercises you can perform? A combination of heavy strength training and bodyweight training. Here’s a list of exercises:

Push	Pull
Bench Press Push-Ups Sledding	Standing or Seated Rows Inverted Rows Pull-Ups

                The bench press and standing (or seated) rows can be performed with heavy weights for 3-5 sets of 4-6 reps. Push-ups, inverted rows, and pull-ups can be performed as bodyweight only, or with resistance, depending on your strength level. For novice trainers, work on perfecting your technique first before you lift heavy. Intermediate and advanced trainers, challenge yourself with heavier weights or different variations of the bodyweight exercises.

                I haven’t mentioned sledding yet. This is a “fun” exercise that works the entire body. It emphasizes leaning into the weights and not just relying on your arms to push, but your entire body, particularly the legs. Choose whatever weight is challenging (beginners can just slide). You can use a sled, a prowler, or be creative for it. Below is a video where I place a couple plates on a mat, which worked just fine:

 

                You can go for time, go for distance, or a combination of. You can combine it with other exercises, as you saw in the video. Sledding is also great for building up your conditioning.

                Start incorporating strength training into your routine, even if you have no weights or a gym to go to. Bodyweight exercises are still great options and can be done anywhere and with infinite variations.

Tackling the Push/Pull Machine (PARE/POPAT/COPAT/SOPAT)

This post has been moved to its current home at www.rlconditioning.ca

You can find it here: http://rlconditioning.ca/blog/62160/Tackling-the-Push-Pull-Machine-PARE-POPAT-

PARE Training Videos: Tips and Tricks Part 2

PARE Training Videos Part 2

                Yesterday in Part 1 I posted videos on getting over the hurdles and mat jump more efficiently. Today, I wanted to show you the vaulting videos. The first couple videos will demonstrate the back fall, the next two will show the front fall, and the last video will demo the different variations of getting over the vault. For those who may be taking the POPAT, SOPAT, or COPAT, please note that when you jump over the vault, you are only allowed to grab the vault with your hands and no other body part.

                The first video is the back fall, and getting up from a sit-up position. This is the most common method used to get up, but not necessarily the most efficient.

                The second video of the back fall shows the rollover method of getting up. I like this method because you use less energy to get up from the fall and it allows you to make a b-line for the cone.

                The third video is the front fall, and the most common way of landing on your front. You will see that I land parallel to the bar.

                The fourth video is another method of falling on your front, and that’s facing forward. I like this better than the previous method because it allows you to face the cone and make a b-line for it. When you land parallel, it’s common to see people get up and then make a large arc around the start cone, wasting precious time. Although I like this method, not everyone can do it well the first time. Practice it first and get comfortable doing it before you use it in the test.

                The fifth and final video demonstrates the different methods of getting over the vault. The first one you’ll see is the most common method, which is to grab the vault with both hands and swing your legs over. The second method is to put one foot on top, to give you a little more control. The third method you see is the scissor method. You place one leg on top of the vault and use that as a lever to help lift you over. The fourth method is similar to the first one, but you’re only placing one hand on the vault. And the last method is kind of like the first one, but instead swinging both legs over, you go up and over one leg at a time.

                If I had to rank the best method for jumping the vault (in terms of being the fastest), it would be: method 1 (two hands, no feet), method 4 (one hand, no feet), method 2 (two hands, one foot on top), method 5 (up and over), method 3 (scissor). Ultimately, it comes down to what you’re most comfortable with. The more time you have to train for your test, the more you can practice the top methods. If you’re short on training, stick with what you know.

                I hope these videos will prove to be useful. If you're a police applicant in the Greater Vancouver area and you need help with training, please feel free to email me at redline.conditioning@gmail.com.