Physical training is an invaluable resource for law enforcement officers. On a daily basis, officers are bombarded with layers of stress, ranging from on-duty demands to off-duty demands, creating greater physical, mental, and emotional strain.
Exercise is critical to prepare them physically for their jobs and offers a positive avenue for their total well-being. Training is an expectation that can lead to increased longevity of their careers, but more importantly, increased quality of life post-career.
Exercise Selection
Exercise selection is like a doctor prescribing medication. It needs to serve a specific purpose and be appropriate for the individual. Once you have established the proper exercises, then looking at the dosage or total volume and load can be dialed in.
The exercise selection of law enforcement officers still revolves around primary movement patterns.
- Press
- Pull
- Squat
- Hinge
- Single Leg Movements
- Carries
Any sound training program is built on and progressed upon these foundational patterns. All individuals should perform some variation of these movements. Now, that is going to look differently from person to person, but we are ensuring to check that box.
Training Considerations
Everyone varies in some capacity, taking into consideration variables such as training and biological age, background, career, and previous injury history. However, there are a few common traits that should be covered by a majority, if not all, of officers. Just from the nature of the job, the shoulders, lower back, and hips are commonly injured areas, with elbows and knees not far behind. The job is more sedentary than most think, which leads to many of these issues and overall physical stagnancy.
Also, consider the lifestyle of an officer when laying out a training program. Typically, this is not a career where restoration and readiness are at peak levels. Having a flexible program is a necessity to meet the individual where they are that day.
Officers must train to be well-rounded in terms of physical abilities. Yes, they need to be strong and powerful, but they also need to be mobile and conditioned for things we cannot even imagine.
Exercises are not inherently good or bad. They are tools; just like some tools are better for jobs than others, some exercises are better. Finding exercises that can offer great stimulus yet save wear and tear on the body is key.
Police officers are not athletes or powerlifters; there are no exercises that they must do. This opens additional exercise variations to rotate through a program and allows for more freedom.
Typically, primary exercises still rotate every three to four weeks, as too much variation can be a bad thing, but this will depend on the individual, how much training frequency they can achieve in a week, and much more. This is to assume their schedule even allows a consistent program.
Exercise Variations
Below are some exercise variations I routinely use with officers.
Press
Vertical
While not a complete vertical press, the landmine press is a great option for officers who may not have the mobility to achieve a full overhead lockout position. The landmine press can also be performed unilaterally and from different positions, making it perfect to rotate in a training program.
Horizontal
- Dumbbell Bench Press
Often, people compare dumbbells to barbells, but that is like comparing apples to oranges. They are two completely different tools and offer different benefits. Dumbbells are great for creating symmetry in the upper body, and having the freedom in the wrist position makes them a more suitable press for officers.
- Floor Press
The floor press limits the range of motion in the press, and the pause required on the bottom often forces a more manageable weight to be used. With both of those considered, this is a great variation to place into a program and can be performed with dumbbells or a barbell.
It is not the same, but utilizing board presses or throwing a shoulder saver on a bar can also control the range of motion.
Recent: Single-Leg Conjugate Training for Athletes
- Push-Up
Push-ups are not just for beginners. There is no graduation from push-ups. While sometimes push-ups may be overused with the tactical population used correctly, they are a great indicator of relative body strength, train the trunk, and allow the shoulder blades to move freely throughout the press, something that is not possible with a bench press.
There is also a lot of variety in the push-up. They can be performed at a slower tempo, with load, and within multiple different sets and rep schemes.
If possible, the use of specialty bars with pressing is recommended. Using a Swiss bar or a Cambered American bar will allow individuals to still train the bench press efficiently and healthily.
Even if no pain is associated with the barbell bench, rotating bars is a good idea to prevent overuse injuries and continue progress.
Pull
Vertical
- Chin-Up/Pull-Up
Chin-ups and pull-ups are a staple exercise for officers. When programming, ensure that you mix up the grips and positions from overhand, underhand, neutral, etc. Continue doing this, building up a wide base of relative body strength, which is required for the streets and for life.
Horizontal
- Inverted Rows
Inverted rows are more than just a regression exercise for pull-ups. This horizontal row is easy to scale for any fitness level and can be performed with a barbell on a rack or a suspension trainer.
- Chest Supported Rows
The bent-over row is a solid exercise, though it can cause strain on the lower back, even if performed correctly. When dealing with the police population, where low back strain is far too common, we want to do our best to prevent any additional unnecessary stressors.
This is why chest-supported rows are a great alternative. It places the lifter in a position for success and places the emphasis on the row. It requires a stricter form than the bent row and is easier on the low back, a win-win.
- 1 Arm Dumbbell Rows
Single-arm dumbbell rows are typically performed with the free hand down for support, which helps with the previously mentioned low back strain, and the unilateral nature of the movement incorporates some trunk stability when being performed.
Squat
- Belt Squat
The squat is something everyone should have the capacity for, though different loading parameters may be required. If officers are fortunate enough to have access to a belt squat machine, that is my go-to recommendation.
Belt squats allow the lower body to be trained while saving the axial load on the spine. This is a key for longevity of training and life.
- Front Squat
We are transitioning from the back to front-loaded squat variations such as the front rack, goblet, or even the Zercher position. These are great options for officers due to the alteration in load placement; this also makes it so these movements do not require as much load to become challenging.
- Specialty Bars
If possible, specialty bars like an SSB bar or buffalo bar should be used in the exercise rotation. These bars are more shoulder-friendly and allow us to train the squat in a movement familiar to the barbell back squat.
Utilizing any of the previous options or any others to a box squat is great for forcing individuals to keep the load honest due to the pause. Depending on the body position and box height, it can also be less stressful on the knees.
Hinge
The hex bar deadlift is the primary deadlift variation I utilize in officers' training. The hex bar allows for easier body positioning with being inside the bar, and we can still train it heavily in a safer, more efficient manner for the population we serve.
- RDL
The RDL is a common exercise that will be a mainstay of an officer's program. It will be performed with dumbbells, barbells, and the landmine and can be scaled for all training levels.
- Kettlebell Swing
Kettlebell swings are performed in a more dynamic fashion. Ensure that the individual has the movement pattern down before training this exercise. It is often assigned in conditioning protocols, but swinging a heavy kettlebell for reps is a great test of total body strength and power.
Single Leg
Single-leg training is often an afterthought. Incorporating single-leg training can improve lower body strength, of course, but also lead to the benefits of increasing mobility and proprioception.
- Reverse Lunge
The reverse lunge tends to be less stressful on the knees in comparison to a forward lunge. This exercise can be performed in countless ways, allowing one to train it year-round.
- Bulgarian Split Squat
Everyone's favorite exercise, the Bulgarian or rear foot elevated split squat, builds strength on the support leg while opening the hip for the elevated leg. A double whammy, this move can be adjusted by lowering the height of the elevation or performing from the ground as a standard split squat position.
- Step Ups
Step-ups are a low-entry, high-reward exercise to introduce officers to single-leg training. Throwing someone immediately on a Bulgarian split squat or even a reverse lunge can be overwhelming to an officer's balance. The dumbbell step-up creates the bridge to a more stable means of single-leg training.
Carries
Carries help build up trunk strength and grip and can be used to train in multiple fashions. Carry heavy things, carry moderate things for time, carry light things as quickly as possible, etc. There are no restrictions.
The standard farmers carry is our base, and multiple implements are used for this exercise.
- Front Rack Carry
Holding a pair of kettlebells or an odd object in the front rack position is great for the postural muscles. It is a fantastic option for officers who are seated most of the day in a patrol cruiser.
- Overhead Carry
Overhead carries are a good indicator of shoulder mobility and stability, as they help maintain a position when moving. These carries are difficult as the load is now farthest from the body's center line, and they are typically performed in shorter distances or times to ensure quality.
As mentioned, mix-and-match carries have endless possibilities and can keep the trunk training in a training program fresh.
Programming Application
Situations will vary when applying these exercises to an actual program, so implement them as you see appropriate. They can also easily be inserted within a preexisting exercise program by replacing the current exercise options.
Below is a sample of three weeks of programming the movements discussed in the article. This is just a sample layout, and it does not go too deep into the accessory work, warmups, etc. Also, considering the time restraints of most law enforcement officers, our workouts are typically total-body and performed with supersets to accommodate these schedules.
Conclusion
Strength and Conditioning is relatively new when working with the police. We will never have all the answers, and I certainly will not, nor will the perfect program for officers due to the madness of the job. It must begin, though, with appropriate exercise selection for this unique group.
None of these exercises are new. This article was not to show any sexy or magic exercises. Given through to the police population and utilized correctly with sound set and rep schemes and progression protocols will dramatically alter an officer's quality of life and physical preparedness. Throw in some lateral and rotational exercises in the accessories or warm-up, training all three movement planes, and we have a well-rounded program that is going to benefit many of the officers we encounter on, off, and post-duty.
Brandon Holder, B.S, CSCS, is the strength and conditioning coordinator of the Fairfax County Police Department. He has diverse coaching experiences working in the private sector and stops in the collegiate setting. Working with everyone from elite athletes, youth athletes, tactical athletes, and everyday individuals. Along with his coaching experience, he has previously competed in powerlifting and strongman competitions and holds certifications through US Weightlifting and US Track & Field, amongst others.
