Thursday, August 2, 2012

Training for the POPAT Part 3: Tips and Tricks

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

19 comments:

  1. Great! ...another trainer with NO police experience training people wanting to be "police."
    Being a police officer and having worked in recruiting and training I have to say if someone has to use tricks to pass the physical to become an officer, I wouldn't feel comfortable working with them. JR

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    1. Hello JR,

      I respectfully disagree with you. Yes, I have no policing experience, but does that disqualify me from preparing applicants for the physical? No, I don't believe you need to be a police officer to physically train others for policing. Do you have to be an Olympian to train future Olympians? Do you have to be an NHL player to coach in the NHL? It may help, but it's not a necessity. Understanding what it takes to prepare an officer physically is what a trainer needs. For the past 6 years I have been preparing applicants for their physical tests, and I have done a very good job of it. Now six years may not be a long time, but considering my clientele base consists of 90% police applicants, you can be sure I have experience preparing them.

      I train and coach my clients to be stronger and faster than they can do on their own, and I train them to be well prepared for their tests. Do I provide tips and tricks as well? Obviously with the title of this post I do. But these tips and tricks are the same that test administrators provide, and if you read carefully, there is nothing tricky at all. It is sound advice to help people be more efficient on the test. Nothing in this post indicates anything deceptive.

      I have clients who are now officers that can attest to my training and coaching abilities. I have clients who are currently going through academy training. I have several friends serving on the force who highly recommend my services, and I know recruiting officers who send applicants my way. They know what I offer, they know what I can do, and they trust I can prepare their candidates for the physical.

      I suggest learning more about what I do and not lump me with other trainers. I have several posts about preparing for the physical tests (PARE and POPAT primarily), and videos online, if you care to check them out. If you still want to critique me, then I can't change that, but don't form your opinion until you've seen my other works.

      Marc L

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    2. Marc it's about DAMN TIME YOU GOT HATED ON!!! You've gotten away too long without having critics and insecure people in the industry that feel threatened by your success. Congratulations, you've made it! Hahahaha!!!

      I mean come on man, how long have you been doing what you do with PROVEN RESULTS? How many people have viewed your videos and applied your "tricks" and reaped the rewards? How many people continue to walk through your doors and walk out BETTER than they were walking in? Plenty of people do, and this would include me.

      I had a horrible first time run on my physical. I passed but required vast improvement. Long story short, I did my research and found your name all over the forums by many people who praised your work. Immediately I felt comfortable speaking with you on the phone and in person. You put me through the test and made me work. You were straight up without having an "inflated ego" and "attitude" while letting me know. You were REAL and positive in your approach. Within a month of training with you I knocked off 30+ seconds on my physical. I could NOT have done it without you Marc. And I thank you for helping me.

      JR, hate will only consume you. Stay positive. Maybe you shoul dtake some of Marc's "tips and tricks" and apply them to your personal and professional life.

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  2. Dear, JR.

    Firstly, you somewhat have a point and if you feel so strongly about it why are you anonymous and why not tell us what service you represent for as a member of said service when posting in such a forum you do realize; you are representing their values and does your leadership endorse the mindset you have presented because in that case it is very concerning you were in recruiting and I wonder how many good applicants you turned away because they did not fit your "typical cop" mentality.

    Secondly, way to carry forward the adage of the "old boys club" that policing is stained with and perhaps update your mind set to this century where diversity in policing means a lot more than simply hiring female officers and/or minorities; it entails valuing those in our community doing good and Marc IS providing a great service for those who struggle with certain aspects of the application process.
    Lets clarify .. struggling, not looking for an easy way in. you should know how diverse not only are the recruits of present day but the job as well and no individual is perfect so please explain the harm in providing tips in order to help people overcome weakness'?
    I speak as someone who has worked with recruiters from municipal services to federal while certainly not as tenured as you, I am shocked at your post as this is a mind set which needs to change. Are you basically stating that someone who takes Marc's classes and passes the fitness tests, interviews, background, etc still is not deserving because they sought help?

    I can somewhat agree with you in that a LEO knows the field well however I can stand firm in saying Marc knows fitness better than most LEO's (law enforcement officer) and thus I wonder what motivated you to present yourself in such a negative way whilst hiding behind an anonymous title.

    Many will be afraid to speak out against you because you present yourself as an LEO and they feel speaking out may stain their potential opportunity as an LEO but I am responding because you need to realize your limited range of thought based on little facts and certainly the fact that you never took the time to visit Marc and see his work; rather hide behind a screen and criticize him at the least compromises your credibility in such a forum.

    In closing; my response is to your post and I hope you will take this opportunity to perhaps meet Marc in person and follow up as many applicants will want to know from a recruiter how they can be competitive in this challenging and rewarding process (to which you have added no value).

    Be safe JR and thank you for your service sincerely and please take this as constructive feedback.

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  3. Thank you for the tips and tricks! I'm looking forward to watching your videos. I just found out two days ago that I'm scheduled to do the POPAT in a week and I'm totally unprepared! I thought I had another 4 or 5 months to train, and I'm still recovering from just having a baby. Oh well, if I fail I can always try again. :) Wish I could train with you in person!

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    1. Oh dear, that's quite the notice for the POPAT. The biggest tip I can give you is pacing pacing pacing. There is the pressure to pass, but don't take that to mean go all out. You do that and you will struggle mightily.

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  4. Hi Marc, what kinds of workout schedule/exercises do you suggest for people wanting to bring up their fitness level before coming in to see you or any PARE/POPAT trainer? I want to ensure my fitness level is sufficient before I go in for further in-depth training. Thanks in advance!

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    1. Hi jaelardiz,

      First off, my very sincere apologies for the late reply. I don't know how, but I missed your comment.

      Regarding what workouts/exercises to perform, it really depends on the individual. If someone has strength, but lacks cardio, than cardio is the place to start, and vice versa.

      Generally speaking though, improving cardio (particularly pacing skills) is a good place to start. Unless you grew up playing sports that required a good amount of cardio abilities, most people can stand to improve this aspect of fitness.

      Having a solid base of strength is also good. Benchmarks to shoot for could be the following:

      - Full push-ups from the toes for at least 10
      - Hold a plank (with good form) for minimum 1 minute
      - Deadlift your own weight for 1 rep
      - Performing a pull-up
      - Etc.

      In terms of how often to train, that will depend on current fitness level and how much can you realistically commit to training. At a minimum I suggest 3 days a week of training. As fitness improves or if you're more advanced, you could do up to 6 workouts a week, or more (if you end up doing two workouts a day). Only attempt this when your body can handle that much training (and you have the time for it).

      I know this response isn't very specific with examples. And that's because it really depends on the individual.

      With all that said, don't wait to build up your fitness to a sufficient level before seeing someone like me or any other trainer that specializes in PARE/POPAT training. The sooner you can see a specialist, the better and quicker your fitness will improve.

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  5. Hey marc! I just wanted to let you know that ive wanted to be a police officer since i was 15. I am 22 now volunteering with the vic pd and just applied for reserves constable. Ive tried training for the POPAT on my own and have failed sevral times but i keep going back and i wonder what im doing wrong. Watching all of these videos and reading your training tips has made me realize what i need to do to pass this exam and i now know that i will be sucessfull in my future attemts. As a five foot five girl who only weights a hundred twenty pounds i met a lot of resistance and smack talk from people saying id never be able to become a police officer because im too small. You have reinspired me to train harder and i know i am not the only one who feels that way. Thank you for all of your time and effort to help all of us who need guidance. You have done an amazing job, keep up the good work! You are a work of inspiration!

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    1. Hi Tessa, thank you for the kind words. I'm happy to hear you've been reinspired :)

      There have been many females around your height and weight that have trained at Redline, and they've shown they can make it as an officer. In fact, there have been a few smaller than yourself that are now officers, with VPD, RCMP, West Van, and Abby.

      Don't listen to the naysayers. Continue training hard, and continue transforming yourself into a candidate that any agency would want to hire.

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  6. It provides insights into mastering the Police Officers' Physical Abilities Test, offering strategic guidance and practical advice. How VPN Use This guide equips aspiring officers with the tools needed to excel.

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