Training for Police Physical

[adollarwodbnice]

Sorry if this is the wrong section couldn't really find a better place to post it. Anyway I've been very interested in becoming a New Jersey State Trooper for some time now. I went to speak to a recruiter today and he wasn't there so I picked some manuals up explaining what i'd need to do to be a State Trooper. One of the sections was the physical test. It lists what you need to do to pass the test. OBVIOUSLY I want to pass with flying colors..., the first test is a push-up test. These tests are points based on how many you can do. The highest award is 47 or more push-ups for 7 points. Sit ups is 49 or more for 7 points, 1.5 mile run with a time of 11:31 or less for 7 points, and a 75 yard run for 17.3 or less for 7 points.

Now these are not crazy goals; I used to wrestle when I was in high school and I ran more than 5 miles a day 6 days a week. Running is not the area i'm worried about it's the push-ups and sit-ups. I decided to see where i'm at push-up wise so I did as many as I could a few minutes ago and I barely did 18 which is enough to get 1 point on the test.

I'm not GREATLY out of shape even though i'm 20 and I weigh 219 people look at me and tell me I look like I weigh around 180..., my weight is pretty balanced through my body. ANYWAY, What is the best thing for me to do to get into shape for these push-ups and sit-ups. I have a weight bench that I hardly use anymore, is benching going to help me with the push-ups? I want to be able to throw whatever exercise I can into my daily routine to get me better suited for these tests.

-Robb

 

[MsGhettoBooty]

My husband had to pass the physical test inorder to get into the police academy. (The physical tests are somewhat similar to the State Troopers Physical) For pushups, I believe your chest has to be around 3" off of the floor to be considered 1 offical push up. If you purchase one of those floating pool "noodles", slice off a 3" high piece, anchor it to the floor, so you can practice that way.

Also, if you really want to strengthen your pushup and situps skills, my suggestion is to start trying to crack out as many as possible in the given time for the physical. You just have to keep trying to pass/ up your "best set." Good luck with the exam... and if you do get into the academy.. good luck with that. I heard the ST's academy is hard as hell. (My husband's best friend is doing the NYST academy right now.)

-Sheryl

 

[maleficent]

The Right Way to Do Pushups:

“Age and gender shouldn’t be an issue when doing pushups since you’re only pushing up your body weight. Strength or lack of it is usually an issue. It’s lack of strength due to lack of proper repetition. You must work to get stronger,” says Schuman, who offers the following tips:

* Elbows must be fully extended at the start and end of a pushup, forefoot or toes on floor; legs, hips and back straight.
* Commonly, people don’t make a deep enough descent. Your chest should be slightly lower than parallel to the level of your arms
* To test your form, have someone make an upright fist and position it below your chest. Your chest should make contact with the fist.
* Avoid half-pushups, a common error caused by fatigue.
* Inadequate reps are usually due to a lack of strength endurance, which can be built up over time by executing pushups properly and doing multiple upper body exercises to increase strength.

Variations on the classic pushup — which should only be performed under expert supervision—include:

* In-close pushups – Bring your hands in closer proximity to one another.
* Clap pushups — Push off the ground plyometrically, high enough to clap and put your hands back in the start position — to build explosive strength.
* Fingertip pushups — Position yourself on the tips of your fingers, which increases all-round difficulty.
* Prison pushups — Using a deck of cards, do the number of pushups that corresponds to the number on the card. Face cards equal 10 pushups; an ace entitles you to a one-minute break. Go until you finish the deck. It’s an amazing, but extremely challenging workout.
* To increase the intensity of pushups, add weights, which are placed on the middle of your back. You can use a backpack, a sandbag, a free weight or wear a weighted vest.

“Athletic performance can be enhanced by the improved strength that comes from doing pushups, especially for youth athletes where overall developmental strength is important,” says Schuman. “Adult athletes can benefit from pushups through strength endurance, which allows the athlete to perform activities for a longer period of time.”


Q: I am going to be taking a physical test for a police department in about 4 months, and need some help with pushups. For some reason I just can't do them very well. I'm at about 20 good ones right now, but I need to get at least 33-38 to pass with flying colors. What do you recommend I do/add to my TT workouts to get better at the pushups? I really want the job, so I've gotta get cracking here to get where I need to be. Thanks in advance for whatever help you can give me!

Answer:
For the pushups...

You should do pushups twice per week.

Once early in the week, at the start of the workout, do a set to failure. Pair that with inverted rows. Rest 1 minute. Repeat two more times.

Later in the week, at the end of your workout, do 3 sets of 12 pushups with 30 seconds rest between sets. Next week, do 3 sets of 12 with only 20 seconds rest betweeen. Then only 10 seconds, and finally try to do it with 5 seconds of rest between sets.

Or this one offers some pretty good tips as well