The Importance of Pacing (PARE/POPAT Test)

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

You can find it here: http://rlconditioning.ca/blog/60305/The-Importance-of-Pacing-PARE-POPAT-Test-

Why You MUST Warm-Up For Your Police Fitness Test (PARE/POPAT)

Recently I had a conversation with a new client training for his POPAT test, and we got onto the topic of warming up. I asked him what he does for his warm-ups and his response was, "not much, I don't want to tire myself before the test." Mentally I smacked myself in the head.

 

This wasn't the first time I had this conversation. I've had it countless times with other clients preparing for the POPAT and PARE, and even from applicants who email questions about preparing for test day and what they should do. When I tell them they have to warm-up properly, they don't believe me.

The belief among many applicants is that if they do a warm-up, they will zap their energy and  have nothing left for the test. That is far from the truth.

Here are the facts:

- The warm-up increases body temperature

- The warm-up increases blood circulation to the working muscles

- The warm-up increases joint lubrication so you don't feel so stiff through areas like the hips and shoulders

- The warm-up fires up your nervous system, which allows the body to move better and efficiently

- The warm-up engages your mind and mentally prepares you for the task at hand

Yes, your heart rate will increase, your breathing will become a little more laboured, and you will be sweating slightly, but that doesn't mean your energy is being drained. It means your mind and body are getting ready to do what you need it to do, which is to run as fast as you possibly can and get you through the test. It means your body is going through all of the above.

Think of it this way: it's easier to go from 60-100 mph than it is to go from 0-100 mph. When you're running your test without a proper warm-up, you're asking your body to start from 0 and to move as fast as it can with no preparation.

When you warm-up, you're hitting the ground running. You have the momentum already built from going at 60, and getting yourself to 100 is not as straining.

Here's a routine you can follow the next time you practice or run your next test. You can also follow this routine during your own training workouts (this routine is borrowed from Police Test Warm-Up):

• 3-5 min easy running
• Walking knee grabs x 10
• Walking lunges, forward, reverse x 10
• Shuffle walk x 10

• High Knee skips  2x40-60 ft
• Straight leg skips  2 x40-60 ft
• Butt kicks  2x40-60 ft
• Star Shuffle  2x40-60 ft
• Back pedal  2x40-60 ft
• Carioca  2x40-60 ft
• Power Skips 2x60-80 ft (rest 0:15-0305 between skips)
• Sprints  2x60-80 ft (rest 0:30-1:00 between sprints)

If there’s time and you're performing this before a test or practice test, 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

Check out the video to see the warm-up in action:

Remember to warm-up. It's how you ramp up your body and prepare it for the high intensity nature of the test. It won't be detrimental, only helpful.

How To Set Up Your Own PARE/POPAT Course

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

You can find it here: http://rlconditioning.ca/blog/59919/How-To-Set-Up-Your-Own-PARE-POPAT-Course

My Continuing Lesson in Fatherhood

Last year I wrote a piece about the lessons I’ve learned as a dad. Feel free to check it out here. One year later and those lessons hold true now as they did then. And one year later, I’ve learned a few more things about myself. 

Becoming a Parent 

 

“What do you mean becoming a parent? You’re already a parent.”

Sure, I became a parent as soon as he was born, but now my parenting skills are being put to use.

- Teaching him right and wrong

- Playing games with him

- Disciplining him

- Taking him out and exploring the world around him

It’s no longer just feed him, burp him, change him, and put him to sleep.

It’s about teaching him to be a young man, making sure he does the right thing, and not be a selfish little a-hole.

Loving Your Child More

I may call my boy an a-hole sometimes, but it’s true (parents, you know what I’m talking about). But I still love the little guy. And the love for him grows stronger and stronger each day.

I find myself missing my son more and more when I’m away. Every time I see other toddlers, I can’t help but think about my little boy running around like a crazed monkey. He’s in his terrible twos, but I don’t see it that way (mainly because he entered that stage before he even turned two).

I see a little boy learning and growing at an exponential rate. He’s constantly pushing his boundaries, and testing mine and wifey’s patience. But even when he does, I can’t help but love him.

His innocence is so precious, and I want him to hold onto that for as long as possible.

Developing the look

Ever had your mom give you that look? Or the stare down your dad had? I’m starting to develop mine.

 

Each time he throws a temper tantrum or whiny fit, I look at him. He’ll try to hit me, but I’ll grab his arms and stare him down. And I’ll say as few words as possible. Because I know the more I say something, the more he fights back.

Stare him down, and say nothing; he won’t know what to do.

Being a role model

He may be 2, but he’s aware of the world around him. He sees everything I do, even when I think he’s not paying attention.

We may think kids at this age are, for lack of a better word, dumb, but they’re smarter than you think. They know what’s going on around them and are understanding the world by the minute. What they see you do, they will copy. And with Jonathan I can see the thought processes that occur in his wee little mind.

I have to watch out what I say. I freely swear around him, but one day I can see him dropping an F bomb, or saying something that rhymes with “it” and starts with “sh”. I don’t want those being his first words.

I also have to watch my actions and emotions. I can have a temper, and I don’t want my boy picking one up too. He’s beginning to develop one, but so far I’ve done enough to keep it in check.

I Observe Him, a Lot

It’s fascinating to watch my boy. I watch him play with his toys. I watch him watching TV. I watch him observe a simple blade of grass as he twirls it in his tiny fingers.

I watch him because I can see him trying to learn. He wants to know how things work and so everything intrigues him. Sometimes he has this look of deep concentration, like “ok, so this is what this does, and that’s what that does...”

How’s this a lesson? In today’s world where everything seems to move so fast and be complex, we forget how simple life can be, and how there can be joy in just watching the natural world around you.

Being Hands Off

I let my boy be. I give him the freedom to run around and fall so he can learn to pick himself up. As long as he doesn’t get into anything that will hurt him (or get into something he’ll destroy), I let him do what he wants to do.

He needs to learn his limitations, and he can’t learn that if I’m constantly on him.

The worst thing you can do to a child is restrict them.

Console When You Have To

Even though I want to be hands off, I will still be there when he falls. Maybe not to pick him up, but to let him know that it’s ok.

Falling is not a bad thing, and it doesn’t hurt as bad as he makes it out to be.

Kids will fall, and they will hurt themselves, and they will cry. But don’t baby them. Console them, and let them know that falling isn’t a big deal.

Fatherhood is an ever changing process. What used to work before doesn’t now. I’m always learning what it means to be a dad. In all of life’s challenges, this is my greatest. But it’s also the one I look forward to the most.

Strength First? Or Cardio First?

I received a question yesterday on the Redline Facebook page, asking me the following:

When doing aerobic training and weight training how do you recommend splitting them up? One in the morning / one in the evening? Aerobic one day, weight the other? Both at the same time? Would your answer change based on what I want as an end result? I currently do a fast 5-6 mile run (6-6:30 minute miles) Then I go directly into my weight training. I typically lift and do all my exercising in about 45 minutes. I then stretch and call it an evening. Would you recommend something different?

Many people have this question, it's really quite common. They want to make sure that what they're doing is right and that they're not screwing anything up. 

Here's how I answered:

"The answer does depend on your goal, as well as the amount of time you have available to train. You can also factor in what you like to do too. If someone has more of a strength focus, then that should take priority and be done first. If cardio is important to you, then perform cardio training first.

If it doesn't matter, then it comes down to personal preference and time availability.

I should note, the intensity of the training can also play a factor. So if you do a hard run first then go straight into weight training, you may not lift as heavy as you'd like. But that matters if getting stronger is the goal.

The flipside is true too. If you go hard and heavy with the weights, then don't expect performance to be optimal if you run right after. Although I find heavy lifting affects run performance more than a hard run affecting heavy lifting. But that comes from personal experience."

In short, it depends.