Academy Traing starts Monday

[CPO_Robbn]

Hi

I start the academy Monday. I am about 5'10(a little tall for a female) I recently lost 60lbs preparing for this academy. I still need to loose more weight. I am looking for a program that will allow me to do the mile runs required daily but not build too much muscle. I run (more like spped walk)about 2 miles on the treadmill (18 min time) and bike 3 miles on the gym bike(15 min time). I recenlty started taking cardio boxing and kick boxing.

I'm looking forhonest answer so be direct but helpful.

Thanks.

[greg72982]

Hi

I start the academy Monday. I am about 5'10(a little tall for a female) I recently lost 60lbs preparing for this academy. I still need to loose more weight. I am looking for a program that will allow me to do the mile runs required daily but not build too much muscle. I run (more like spped walk)about 2 miles on the treadmill (18 min time) and bike 3 miles on the gym bike(15 min time). I recenlty started taking cardio boxing and kick boxing.

I'm looking forhonest answer so be direct but helpful.

Thanks.

It sounds simple but running is the best way to build your cardiovascular endurance.


IMO I'd stay away from the gym bikes and treadmills. Run on a track or streets/sidewalks etc.

[Samuel]

Hi

I start the academy Monday. I am about 5'10(a little tall for a female) I recently lost 60lbs preparing for this academy. I still need to loose more weight. I am looking for a program that will allow me to do the mile runs required daily but not build too much muscle. I run (more like spped walk)about 2 miles on the treadmill (18 min time) and bike 3 miles on the gym bike(15 min time). I recenlty started taking cardio boxing and kick boxing.

I'm looking forhonest answer so be direct but helpful.

Thanks.

1. In the future, try not waiting until the last minute.
2. Why would you say you're too tall? Are you hitting your head on objects or having trouble finding clothes that fit you?
3. IMO, you're not going to have time to add a workout program - unless your academy is some kind of non-PT, wussified academy.
4. Diet.
5. IMO, There is really not much you can do between now and Monday except make little preparations around home and get your game face on...

[greg72982]

5. IMO, There is really not much you can do between now and Monday except make little preparations around home and get your game face on...

I'm not sure she meant a program for the next two days, but maybe I'm wrong. BTW running more than once a day can be helpful too

[ChevySSP]

Shoot she'll be fine.

Good luck!

[Cat_Doc]

Shoot she'll be fine.

Good luck!

Yep, the academy rigors will slim her down, tone her up. Unless, like Samuel said, it's one of those wussified ones.

[retdetsgt]

Unless, like Samuel said, it's one of those wussified ones.

I'm a proud graduate of one of them wussified ones!

Seriously, we had a pretty tough initial physical agility test to pass to be hired. If you weren't already in good shape, you didn't attend the academy. Therefore we didn't waste time doing PT that we could have used learning something useful.

Besides, people that aren't in that good a shape when they start an academy aren't going to continue working out after they graduate anyway.

[Cat_Doc]

My academy stressed academics, but we still had to do PT every single day. The standard (after stretching and warming-up with those dreaded leg flutters) was as many pushups and sit-ups as you could do, with a minimum number (can't remember what that was after all these years), the basketball court dashes around cones, and then the 1.5 mile run. The longest run we had to do was the 8 mile with Hemorrhoid Hill the last week of the academy. That one was more of a pride thing.

I was in some pretty good shape when I got out and still lit up a cigarette after the run. I would have smoked while running if they would have let us.

[adamsclarke]

We have a pretty vigorous program in the academy I am in right now.....5 days a week of tough crap. When we started 14 weeks ago...my running was weak...I think my mile and a half was almost 12 minutes and the best thing to improve our times was 1/4 mile sprint routines and loooong runs. We worked up to 7 1/4 mile sprints in about 1:30 sec with the same time slow run rests, and I took my mile and a half down to 9 minutes flat. The long runs help a ton with the cardio...we are up to 10 miles every thursday and next week is 12.....so running 1.5 miles seems easy after that.....just take your time, push yourself and make sure to not get injured....
FYI, I am 34..so not old, but older than all of the 23 year olds in the academy and it really does help improve times and cardio.

[retdetsgt]

I was in some pretty good shape when I got out and still lit up a cigarette after the run. I would have smoked while running if they would have let us.

Funny how things have changed. When I came on, it was a small minority that didn't smoke. Now very few still do.

When I went through, we had our own academy. Now recruits go to the state academy for basic and they do PT there. One difference might have been that when I came on, it was an all male department. The initial physical agility had to be watered down to accommodate women who couldn't do stuff like pull ups. The run we had to do was only 1/4 mile, but it was timed as a sprint and after only a one minute rest from doing a bunch of pull ups and sit ups. A lot of people flunked the running part. I guess the idea was you should be able to catch the bad guy within a few blocks, I dunno. But even though the run was short, a lot of people ended up puking at the end of it. I was just out of the Army and didn't think it was all that bad, but I doubt a lot of recruits we get today could pass it, even some of the male. I was told it took out a lot of people.

I'm not sure what the test consists of now, for a time it was ridiculously easy. We hired one woman who couldn't pull the trigger on a revolver 6 times in succession within 15 seconds or so. They made that part of the test for a while. Finally we got enough women on the department that they didn't feel it necessary to lower the physical standards so much. But in the meantime, we hired some real doozies....

My dept's biggest failure by far is not requiring annual testing. We have people who are embarrassingly fat and heart attacks waiting to happen. If I were king, there would be some sort of age based annual testing and if you can't pass it after so many tries, you're unemployed.

[Cat_Doc]

Funny how things have changed. When I came on, it was a small minority that didn't smoke. Now very few still do.

I haven't smoked a cigarette in over a year. But, back in the day you walked into the patrol briefing room and everyone had moustaches, was smoking, sucking down black coffee, cussing and ready to go kick some.

It is much different, now. Guys eating carrots, granola bars, drinking foo-foo flavored water and talking about stupid TV cartoon characters.

I'm getting old, I guess.

[retdetsgt]

I'm getting old, I guess.

Yeah, you used to be able to tell a cop because he had a mustache, now you can tell them by their shaved heads.... One of the guys who retired after I did said that now they don't even allow foul language in roll call.... That sucks, some of my best blue streaks occurred after hearing some BS teletype read. (Teletype, there's one for the kiddies).

Back in the mid 90's I was working a surveillance one night with a young detective. He was driving and when we took a break, I suggested we go get some coffee. I was expecting some bar or other dive to get the coffee that had been sitting on the burner for an hour or two. But no, he took me to some foo foo coffee joint. I have no idea what the hell he ordered, but when I told the young lady I just wanted plain black coffee, she looked at me like I was nuts....

[CPO_Robbn]

I actually ment a plan during the academy. I am going for a probation officer not police. But I am attending Pat Thomas Academy in Florida. I have been told its a paramilitary type academy. It is about 4 1/2 months. I didn't wait until now to start. I have lost a significant amount of weight. To date I think I am down 82 pounds(I originally started working out before getting a job offer). I say tall because compared to the other woman in my class I am tall. Or they are short guess it depends on how you look at it.

Maybe in 2 years I can transfer to the sheriff department or highway patrol or just go to the feds. Thanks for the feedback.

[Rlong1985]

Hi

I start the academy Monday. I am about 5'10(a little tall for a female) I recently lost 60lbs preparing for this academy. I still need to loose more weight. I am looking for a program that will allow me to do the mile runs required daily but not build too much muscle. I run (more like spped walk)about 2 miles on the treadmill (18 min time) and bike 3 miles on the gym bike(15 min time). I recenlty started taking cardio boxing and kick boxing.

Thanks.

If two miles in 18 mins is the best you can do, you are going to be hurting in a boot camp type academy. Its a great start, but group runs can last 5-6 miles at the slowest persons pace. As a tall male ( 6'3"); I am going to be pushing for a much faster pace. You don’t have much time before it starts so the Academy PT guys will help you. You will be surprised how much running is a mental blockage....Before going to boot camp, I thought I could not run 8-10 miles ever in my life....I was wrong.

[CPO_Robbn]

I'm packing now getting ready to make the 4 hour drive to Tallahassee. Wish me luck. This is going to be an interesting 4 1/2 months