Illinois POWER Test

[AgencyIntern]

Illinois Police Officer Wellness Report Requirements

1.5mile: 13:46min or under
37 PushUps: 1 min
1 Rep Bench Press: 98% of bodyweight
SitnReach: 16in

Background

21, 175lbs., 5.6...............unfortunately......i am not in the best shape.

Goals by April 2007

Drop 20lbs
40+ Sits ups/Min
13:00-min for 1.5mile
100% Bodyweight Bench Press/1 Rep

******************************************

I would like some advice on what do to reach my goals. I am still a college student (day/night classes). I will start testing in March but the two main departments that i am looking at will be testing in April and the other in August. It is really cold here now..and its hard to run outside. Gyms are to expensive right now and the college's gym isnt convenient but i do have access to it. What can i do at home and/or around the house. I dont have any weights or barbells. And as a last resort how can i utilize the college's gym. If you can, please give me advice for each of my goals.

[Frogdiver]

Make the decision to get to the gym. It will probably involve a change in lifestyle but it is worth it for many reasons. Use an intelligent diet when you start working out, the internet can help but beware of the fad B diets. Lacking weights and such, situps and pushups at home are effective but may take some time to show any gains. Your best first step is to get your mind to accept the idea that you ' have to ' work out at least one muscle group a day. IMHO this mental exercise is the most important step. As for the no weight equipment workout, pushups can be varied, such as putting your feet on a chair/diamond pushups/placing your hands on chairs so you go past the point you would normally touch the floor etc. Abdominal exercises can be varied the same way by adding leg raises and flutter kicks to the routine. Just remember to exercise everday and to alternate muscle groups so your muscles get the rest they need. As for running, if you can't run outside due to the weather, you will need to hit the treadmill somewhere or find some stairs to run. Squat thrust and mountain climbers are another excellent exercise for leg strength and stamina. You can also do unweighted squats to strengthen your legs. It is funny how normal everday activities can become exercises if you think about them. My father just spent a gob of money on a log splitter that runs on the hydraulic system of his tractor and he called me a knucklehead for splitting all my firewood by hand. I use that as one of my exercise days. He still thinks I'm a "twit" as he puts it, but that is one way to add exercise to normal activities.
Good luck.

[AgencyIntern]

oh ok.......thanks a lot...anymore advice, welcome

[Roger Dat]

might as well get used to running in the cold, your going to have to at some point whether its in the academy or to chase a perp, start slow and work your way up. I start my academy here next week so I will be running everyday in freezing temps and you'll encounter the same in illinois in a winter academy. Best of luck

[AgencyIntern]

oh ok...........i just thought, after reading some other posts, that running is the cold is bad for your lungs.......until i read that, i've been running in the cold for about a week now....

[ellis redding]

Here is some advice, don't worry! The power test isn't that hard. If you can run a 1.5 mile in 13:46 your good. All you need to do to run a 1.5 mile in 13:46 is keep jogging. If you walk your not gonna make it. If you pace your self and keep moving you won't have any trouble. As far as your sit ups and bench press are concerned do push ups and sit ups every day. The machine they use to do the bench press is a joke. If you weighed 200lbs and you had to bench press 196lbs on a bar bell that might be tough. However, when you bench 98% of 200 on the DVR machine it feels like you are benching 165-170lbs. It isn't that hard at all. Just keep working and you'll do fine. Where are you testing at?

[AgencyIntern]

Thanks for the advice again........

Im testing at the following...

South Holland in March
Univ or Illinois in Urbana in April
Matteson in August

I REALLY want to work for Matteson....I am currently a cadet for Matteson Police and Ive been a cadet for about 2+ years....so i know the department and the village.......In order to pass their test......they do an obstacle course instead of the POWER Test. The course includes......exiting a squad car, climbing and decending stairs, climbing a 6 foot wall, pullin a 165lbs dummy out of the squad car, and finally dragging it 25feet. The entire course is about 875ft or so...i think....and this has to be completed in 1:30min or less....I just need to get pass the part.......and everything else im not to worried about.........except maybe that psychological evaluation. But all in all.......if I get on the List im good......the POwer test doen't come into play until i start the academy.

[K-9MALY]

He still thinks I'm a "twit" as he puts it, but that is one way to add exercise to normal activities.

But you are a twit!!!!:D Feb 17th, you need to be ready!