Best Cardio Excersizes?

Hi, I have recently applied to be a Police Officer and have already Passed the written Exam. The next phase is the Physical Performance Test on July 26 2008. The test consists of the following...


Dragging a 175-lb weight a distance of 12 feet

Running up and down a flight of 7 stairs (Twice)

Climbing through a window about 3 feet off the ground

Sprinting 42 yards in a straight line

Climbing over a 5 foot fence

Sprinting 70 yards in a zig zag line

Climbing over a 4 foot high hollow tile wall


I know I can do all of these things but they Need to be done in 70 seconds without stopping. I'll just come out and say it, My cardio is straight garbage But I'm willing to do what it takes to build it up enough to pass this test with relative ease. I only have about 2 months. Anyone have any suggestions or tips that I can use for weight loss and/or cardio excersizes. Oh...I own a bowflex (Don't know if that's a good or bad thing) Can't really afford to go to the gym or buy fancy diet food. Anything basic would be a HUGE help. Thank you so much for reading this and Thanks a lot for the help.

 

I'm fat and out of shape, but all of that looks really easy? No wonder we have fat cops...

 

You do not need cardio you need explosive strength endurance. Do stuff like the olympics lifts (cleans, snatches, etc) for high reps with speed. Check out rosstraining.com

 

Yes it is easy...I'm just afraid that I might gass out. I'm not that overweight. If I lose 20 lbs I'll be back at my ideal weight.

Thanks for the Info....I'll definitely check that out..For a second there I thought you meant CrossTraining.com but seeing as that site doesn't exist, I now know that it IS in fact rosstraining.com. Thanks again.:icon_chee

 

TBH this test looks pretty easy, and if you want to be a good cop, you should be well conditioned and at least moderately strong (grappling knowledge helps too), but just do your best to replicate the test and practice it. I'm sure you'll be able to complete it within a few weeks, it sounds kinda easy (no offense)

 

Simple, find something that makes you out of breath, then keep doing it. Over time do it faster and more intense.


Try running 2 miles (or whatever distance) and try to shorten your time each week. Run sprints also.

If you want to use your bowflex, try doing a circuit training on that. One excersise after another, no stopping. (pushing, pulling, getting on the floor and doing abs, repeat, ect..)


Try avoiding artery clogging food as well.




best of luck to you

 

I thought that said 7 fliights of stairs twice until I re read it.

Get running and doing interval work unless you're morbidly obese/knee problems

I suggest for some functional strength get rid of the bowflex UNLESS you have no resources like adjustable dumb bells or barbell

 

There is no need to overcomplicate a program to do these tasks. If your conditioning is poor now here is how you need to spend the next 8 weeks:

Spend 4 weeks working on basic cardiac output. This means doing longer 60-90 minute cardiovascular exercises at lower heart rates, generally 120-140. Try a mix of jump rope, jogging, swimming, biking, etc. Do this 3-5 days per week. Try to shoot for a target of your resting heart rate to drop 5 beats at least.

Spend the next 4 weeks working on lactic capacity (power output over 60-90 seconds) so this means doing intervals of 60-90 seconds with rest until your heart rate is down to 130 or so and repeat. Do this roughly ever 3-4 days and increase volume of how many intervals you do each time. You can also continue with 1-2 days of the lower heart rate work you were doing the first 4 weeks as well.

During the entire 8 weeks do the tasks as close to how you'll have to do them as possible. Just mimic the test as close as you can and work on doing everything faster and more efficiently. I would suggest spending 2 or 3 days per week working on the specific tasks you'll have to do.

Aside from dragging the weight there is very little strength required for the test so I highly doubt strength will be your limiting factor. Any basic strength program will be just fine.

 

set up those obsticals and do em. plain

 

I've had the best of luck alternating preacher curls with ab crunches. thousands of them.

 

Supersetting?

 

Even when talking about really specific training goals, unless there is a high degree of skill required, I believe basics produce results.

I think it would be hard to beat a program comprised of bw and weighted chins, dips, pushups, squats, deadlifts, and perhaps most crucial for explosive cardio, burpees, 400s, 100s, bag work and live grappling if available.

Or you could always buy Infinite Intensity and follow the 50 day training plan, taking a light week prior to your test.

Honestly, the portions that make up your test rely exclusively on explosive cardio. You could make great strides training 10 minutes a day, doing something as simple as 30seconds of burpees, 30 seconds of sprinting/running as you tire.

Make sure your diet is 100% in check, as you want to lose any spare tire to slow your performance.

 

well it wouldn't be a workout without supersets.

 

lo, we got a genius on the forum, seriuosly just do that, if not go to 400 or 200 or 70 second sprints

 

Thanks for all the feedback guys..I will definitely take everyones advice into consideration. My diet started today. I ate Plain oatmeal for breakfast and Im going to have a boiled skinless boneless chicken breasts with a cup of veggies for lunch and dinner. Once I go to the store, I'll pick me up some brown rice as well. Hope this diet works. Thanks again everyone.

 

Swimming

 

i hate pigs

 

I agree 100%

I feel ashamed in asking such a stupid question


I am sorry

 

Burpees for 30secs

Shadow box for 30 secs

For 3 or more mins then rest for 1 min and repeat as many times as you can.

Need nothing to do this other than a timer. (i like using hand weights for shadow boxing)

Bodybuilding.com - Ross Enamait - Burpee Conditioning - No More Nonsense!

 

Rossboxing.com is a great place to start...his books are great to have as well if your just looking for some raw no frills hard workouts.

I have gone through more physical agilities test for various law enforcement entities than I can literally remember. The one thing that I can tell you is that you need to train for "specificity".

Mimic the course as close as you can.

I would recommend getting a duffel bag from a military surplus if you don't have one and filling it with whatever you can thats heavy, denim clothing, quarts of water, Olympic plates...etc, but try to disperse the weight throughout the bag and I doubt you will be able to mimic the "casualty dummy drag" weight cause those things are heavy. Make the duffel bag as heavy as possible...likely 100 pounds and train dragging it twice the distance as required in the test, your form is the key and its hard for me to explain it...then to compensate for not having the actual weight of the dummy...do dead lifts and plyometric box jumps or weighted squat jumps.

You will need to do some shuttle runs or "suicides" I think is what some people call them...you know the ones where you run and touch the line every 10 yards and go back to the start and you do this for like 40 or 50 yards?

Go find the longest flight of stairs you can and do intervals up and down it. I go to one of our local high school football fields and use the track and field and the hills around it and bleechers...etc. It works great for me. I have never seen one where they start with the "dummy" drag. I am assuming that as a supplement to the test they are doing a 1.5 mile run or something? Maybe not?

I have to admit that this is one of the easier PA tests I have seen...but I guarantee that it will still have your legs burning and your lungs on fire if your not ready for it. I'm gonna PM you.