Sample Police Officer Training Regiment
So You Can Train Like Cops

Wanna train like a cop? Learn the brutal police officer training that cops endure, from police officer physical training to fitness to weight training.

No matter where you live, if you want to become an officer of the law, you have to go through police officer fitness, physical & weight training. Whether you hope to keep the peace in rural America or in New York City's roughest neighborhoods, you gotta be fit.

It probably comes as no surprise that many of the tests are academic and involve your understanding of the law in whichever region of the world you reside.

But perhaps the most difficult, and certainly one of the most important, is your physical examination.

Almost anyone can retain enough information on civics and law enforcement protocol in order to pass a written test. But unless you have the physical prowess to do your job effectively and efficiently, you won't be able to become a police officer.

Police Officer Physical Training

There are a number of different exercises and movement activities that make up your police officer fitness training. Which ones will be necessary for you to master entirely depends on where you live, where you want to work, and what the manuals and bylaws of that particular organization have to say.

Some of the most common elements of police officer weight training and physical fitness include:

Pushups
Sit Ups
Running
Vertical Jumping
Grip Strength
Standing Broad Jump
Chin Ups

Activities that test a new recruit's strength differ from region to region, but almost every organization across the globe includes running (usually between one and two miles).

So, why are these police officer requirements necessary for you to become the best officer you can possibly be?

Simple: you need to be able to use your body in an athletic manner to handle the containment of a suspect. This could mean sprinting down the street, scaling a fence, or running up flights of stairs.

It's true that you may never have to do these things in your entire career as a police officer, but you must be ready, able, and willing to do so at a moment's notice.

Police Officer Workout: Example Training Session

In order to give you a better idea of what police officer training entails, I've written up a sample workout you might follow as a new recruit, or even during your active years of service.

Bear in mind that this is merely a sample, and not a strict guide to follow:

Stretch - It's important to stretch not just at the beginning of every workout, but also when you've finished, in order for you to stay limber and loose. The beginning stretch session can take anywhere from ten minutes to an hour, depending on which day of the workout plan you're on.
Cardio - Cardio can be anything from jogging, to stair climbing, to bicycling. During police officer training sessions, this section is more often than not accomplished by jogging two to five miles.
Weight Lifting - In order to build muscle mass and improve strength, some light weight lifting is performed. The goal here is not to acquire huge muscles, but rather to reduce your percentage of body fat and increase muscle tissue at a reasonable rate. Depending on the day of the workout plan you're on, this could mean upper body (arms, chest, back, neck) or lower body (calves, thighs, glutes).
The Stand-Bys - Some exercises will change depending on which day of the workout plan you're on. Others will always be called for. These ever-present activities include: pushups, sit ups (or crunches), and lunges.
Cool Down - After every workout, it is important to make sure you don't just stop immediately. Doing so causes your muscles to tighten up and greatly increases the risk of damaging your body. Be sure to stretch here for at least ten minutes, and bring your heart rate back to a normal count.

Police officer training takes on many different shapes and roles according to the region in which the specific organization resides. But one thing is constant throughout the world: the fact that physical fitness is an incredibly important part of being the best cop you can be.