It is often assumed that the ‘Push’ station of the Police Physical Abilities Tests (PATs) are a measure of upper body strength or endurance. While upper-body pressing power is a major factor, the ‘Push’ requires whole body involvement. If you only train for pressing, you still won’t get anywhere if you fail to transfer force from your core...
Read MoreThe POPAT (the Police Officer Physical Abilities Test) can be a challenging feat. Between the Agility Run, the Pull/Push Machine and the Vault, there are numerous possible sticking points. Each person has their own sticking points, and no two people have the same training background and experience.
While this article is specific to the POPAT, the principles remain the same for the PARE. Generally, the vault on the PARE is less challenging because you don't complete the vaults in succession, and you perform them earlier in the course. There are 3 common reasons for this: your don't use your arms, you're not jumping and you're too exhausted. In this article, we tackle these obstacles and how to train to master the vault.
Read MoreIf you have back pain, you are among millions of North Americans. As many as 85% of people will experience back pain in their lifetime, and most of those who do will experience it more than once. That is borderline INSANITY. There are many factors in play, like biomechanics, genetics and body composition, but the good news is, for most people it is preventable. Many people can get out of pain by making a deliberate decision to fix it.
For a Law Enforcement Officer, this can be a significant problem, and the deck is stacked against you. Between the car, the gear, and the physical demands, LEOs are pre-disposed to injury, unless you take proper precautions. The nature of the job requires you to be able to go from a standstill to 100% effort immediately. You're not about to tell a bad guy "Hold on a sec, I just need to quickly do some glute bridges and monster walks." If you are going to be prepared for this rapid increase in intensity, you need to train for it and have the mobility to handle it. The nature of the responsibilities of an L.E.O. require a lot of sedentary time, and it doesn't set you up for success.
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