The Importance of Pacing (PARE/POPAT Test)

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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.