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gaining strength

drovecrazy Posts: 1 Joined: 2007/03/21	2007/05/30, 09:12 PM I'm new to posting here although I've used this site for a couple of years now. I lost all the extra mommy weight I was carrying I'm toned and look good now but I have a new dilemma. I am trying to get in the police academy. I actually ran through the obstacle course for the first time last week and failed but not because of my lack of endurance or anything. I went over my time simply because I lack the strength for a few things mainly getting over the 6 ft wall in a fast time and the 165 lb dummy kicked my rear or actually I fell on my rear and it landed on top of me. I'm 5'3" and weight 120. The recruiter told me I need to strength train and keep doing my cardio and come back and retest in August. I finished the course by the way just not in the time limits. So I have no clue how to begin working out to gain muscle and strength so if anyone could point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it.
asimmer Posts: 8,201 Joined: 2003/01/07	2007/05/31, 07:48 AM Congratulations on your results so far! Does the police academy have any resources to help people train for the exam? What type of workouts have you been doing up until now? I think probably you want to focus on the basic, compound movements and some specific movement training for the activities you need to do - so pull-ups, deadlifts, squats, these will help build total body strength - work in the 6-10 rep range on most of them. As far as specific movement - the best way to train for carrying a 165 pound person is...carrying a person or dummy. So - find a way to simulate this with a friend or loved one...or maybe bags of sand? Climbing the wall is the same idea - figure out a way to simulate the movement - maybe there is a rock climbing gym near you, or maybe just somewhere with a big wall you can practice on.... And build up your cardio by doing 20-30 minutes every other day, if not every day, working in sprint intervals some days and just doing steady state others. If you aren't a runner, now might be a good time to start working on that as a skill - start by adding running intervals into your walks, gradually lengthening them until you are just running. -------------- Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak. Thomas Carlyle
7707mutt Posts: 7,686 Joined: 2002/06/18	2007/05/31, 07:59 AM Sand bag carry as Amy suggested is a great way to build that up. I worked out with a few Greece Ny Police and State Troopers at a gym i once went to. A few of them told me that to stay in shape for "real life" they not only trained in a gym, but ran a obstacle course a few times a week.....not the one at the training site but out in the neighboorhood. One guy ran 2 miles to the gym jumping fences, climbing over walls etc...not saying that could work for you but anything you can do that works for that test would help you out. -------------- Curl Jockeys, get outta the squat rack! I wish everyone would get a partial amnesia and never use 'tone' ever again. (thanks Menance) 7707mutt@freetrainers.com