Train Like a Superhero

Those who serve our communities as police, firefighters and paramedics have got to be in great shape- lives depend on it! If you think you’ve got what it takes to make the grade, check out their workouts, or at least you can incorporate a few of their training maneuvers into your own routine.

Generally, most fitness assessments for police recruits vary from state to state, and include a combination of sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, and a mile run; others will add speed, agility and jumping tests.

Most fire departments in this country use the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) to measure prospective candidates. This test of job-related functions comprises eight exercise drills done one after the other in less than 10 minutes. During the test, the candidates wear a 50lb. vest to simulate wearing the self-contained breathing apparatus!

The CPAT Test

Stair Climb: Recruits must climb 60 steps in 3 minutes carrying two 12.5 lb. weights.
Hose Drag: The candidate places the end of a 200-foot hose on his/her shoulders and drags it 75 feet around a barrier, making a 90-degree turn, and then dragging it another 25 feet.

Equipment Carry: Candidates must remove two saw horses from a cabinet and then place them, one at a time, on the ground. Then they must carry the saws 75 feet, around a barrier and back to the starting point.

Ladder Raise and Extension: The candidate picks up a 24-foot aluminum extension ladder, and raises it, rung by rung, so it ends up against a wall. Then the candidate moves to another ladder and raises it via a pulley standing on a 3×3 foot box.
Forcible Entry: The candidate uses a 10lb. sledgehammer to strike a measuring device until a buzzer sounds.

Search: Recruits must crawl on hands and knees in a 64ft. tunnel maze that is four feet wide and three feet high. The tunnel has two 90-degree turns.
Rescue Drag: The candidate grabs the shoulders of a 165lb. mannequin and drags it 35 feet, around a barrier, and back to the starting point.
Ceiling Breach and Pull: The candidate uses a pike pole to push up a 60lb. hinged door three times and then use the pike pole to pull an 80lb. door downward five times.

EMT standards are also rigorous. Tests usually involve either a standard fitness test, like the ones used by police; or a more functional test, like those used by firefighters. Most paramedics train six days per week.

Here’s a typical workout:

Warm-Up: Stairmaster for 4 minutes; dumbbell lunges (3 sets of 10 reps); standing cable wood chops (3 sets of 10 reps); jumping squats, not weighted (3 sets of 10 reps).
Strength Training: front barbell squats (3 sets of 6-8 reps); standing dumbbell press (3 sets of 6-8 reps); pull-ups (3 sets of 6-8 reps); push-ups (2-3 sets of 50 reps); sandbag load (2-3 sets of 100 feet)

Cardio: weighted vest walk (2 miles); running treadmill (1.5 miles).

To all our fearless police, firefighters and EMTs – we salute you! For more info on their dynamite routines contact trainertomb@aol.com.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2018/08/22/train-like-a-superhero/