New York State Trooper

[sweetdream]

I just signed up to take the exam in January right here in Buffalo and I am soooo excited!!! : This is one of the major reasons why I have been so interested in my health and fitness because not only is it required for the job, but would be extremely beneficial for a LIFETIME!:

The recruitment process is a lengthy one and includes sit-ups, push-ups and a 1.5 mile run. I am ok on most of this except the sit-ups (okay and the push-ups too). For the sit-ups they hold your feet and you must touch your elbows to your knees (videos on nystrooper.com) When doing normal situps only going half way and then trying to do full ones is really hard for me. I can't seem to keep my feet on the ground.

Anyone have suggestions on how to get the full effect? :confused: Would it be easier to start off doing as many as I can on my own, trying to get as far off the ground as possible? Also with the push-ups I saw a video in which they had a cone (could be en equivalent of a plastic cup 8 oz) on the ground. You have to touch your chest to the cup to get a complete push-up. What kind of weight training exercises would be good to build up strenth in my shoulders so I will be able to complete full push-ups without restrictions?:confused:


Thanks for the anticipated advice!!!

[.V.]

I do cable crunches with weight and now full situps are a breeze.

Same for pushups. I once struggled with them, but doing bench press with as much weight as I can handle has made full pushups where I actually touch my nose to the ground easy. Actually bench pressing made full pushups, knuckle pushups, and fingertip pushups easy and it made one arm pushups possible.

[Gooseneck]

Congrats on the job prospect. I'm currently trying for my local city police department myself.

[CF-OC_gal]

Sounds like you are a candidate for Crossfit training. Go checkout midgetcop's journal and how crossfit has whipped her butt into shape for police testing.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by Brat

Sounds like you are a candidate for Crossfit training. Go checkout midgetcop's journal and how crossfit has whipped her butt into shape for police testing.

Oh yeah, there's always that. I've got a bunch of girls doing something kind of like crossfit, circuits involving cardio, bodyweight, and weight training. Just a couple of weeks has already made a visible difference in attitude, strength, and endurance. Today, we increased the intensity and duration of all exercises and not a one of them complained.

Good call Brat.

[midgetcop]

I've had to train for components such as pushups, pullups, situps, etc. My best advice is to DO them, and again, and again, etc....You can either try your max every day +1, or break them into sets, or even alternate between the two. Pushups are a compound exercise, meaning that you're getting your pecs, delts, back, abs, almost *everything* involved, so a full strength training regime will help.

As Brat already mentioned, CrossFit has helped me IMMENSELY in terms of getting ready for police tests. Not only that, but it has been extremely useful in my employment right now, in ways that traditional weights and a treadmill have never been. Functional fitness and overall health are of utmost importance to law enforcement, not just for the immediate physical tasks but for stress management and coping with shift work.

Check out my journal, (or gymgirl's, minime, brat's, tim_mcf), and check out our CF workouts. Or crossfit.com for a general idea of what it's all about.

[sweetdream]

Thanks everyone!!! I definitaly need to step it up with training. I will call June 6th-9th my "first week" and this week I have tried concentrating on my food intake, which I had been doing completely wrong. I have replaced a lot of foods that have no nutritional value with many different "clean-foods" and have been actually pretty excited about being able to eat more. I feel more confident not having to practically starve myself, watching my caloric intake and getting frustrated if I went over.

As for working out, I have not set up something set in stone yet. I am a member of a fitness club out here and I plan on going up there tomorrow to talk to someone or make an appointment. I feel as if what I am doing at home/outside isn't enough, when it just might be. Yesturday I walked for 26 min at a face past and completed 2 miles, I played tennis with my boyfriend for about 1/2 hour andf then when I got home I did a 25 min bike ride. The walk was no some much intense, the tennis since we are not pros was on and off with intensity and my bike ride was a steady pace for a 10 speed bike.

I am hoping to start running with time, considering that I have about 7 months, possibly even longer to get into shape it gives me motivation to succeed because it's not in such a short time period. Right now I think I just need a good clean workout schedule, and somoene to steer me in the right direction with intensities and cardio plans. I can't ever seem to come up with something on my own because I never stick to it.

So I hope to see the guy I wanted to talk to at the gym tomorrow and if not I am going to set up an appointment, get weight, body fat %, and measurements for waist, thights, arms ect and then set up some goals with him.

[CF-OC_gal]

The sooner you take responsibility for your own fitness, the sooner you will stop having to wait for anything or anyone.

[LiftGirl]

The cardio is great, but you need some weight training to really whip you into shape. If you want to do that at home, you can use bodyweight exercises or sandbag training (check out our spring newsletter) or something like that.

[sweetdream]

I'm slowly starting to realize my strenthgs and weaknesses when it comes to health and fitness. I know their are a lot of things I need to work on. I do great at picking out cardio, but am lousy at knowing what kind of weight training I need. I know I like to eat but need to control portions and what I not only eat, but drink.

In regards to cardio/weight training. How often do I need to do both? Cardio everyday and weight resistance every other? Or is it ok to skip a cardio for a day but make sure I am doing something else. Also, how does everyone feel about rest days? do you guys use these or do you just use the rest day as an active cardio day? I think I need some more advice on this stuff. If anyone knows a good thread link hit me up!:

[LiftGirl]

Originally Posted by sweetdream

In regards to cardio/weight training. How often do I need to do both? Cardio everyday and weight resistance every other? Or is it ok to skip a cardio for a day but make sure I am doing something else. Also, how does everyone feel about rest days? do you guys use these or do you just use the rest day as an active cardio day? I think I need some more advice on this stuff. If anyone knows a good thread link hit me up!:

You can start by doing a full body resistance workout twice a week. Cardio can be between 3 and 6 days a week depending on your preferences and how much you go each time. You should have at least one rest day a week. You can go for a light walk or bike ride or playing tennis or something like that, just keep it light and gentle.

Hope this helps!

[sweetdream]

ok so let's say yesturday I went to the gym did a cardio and upper body.

today I just did cardio

tomorrow I will do cardi oand lower body weight resistance

Is this an ok pattern and then use sunday a light day?

[LiftGirl]

Originally Posted by sweetdream

ok so let's say yesturday I went to the gym did a cardio and upper body.

today I just did cardio

tomorrow I will do cardi oand lower body weight resistance

Is this an ok pattern and then use sunday a light day?

That would be great.

What exercises have you chosen?

[sweetdream]

Originally Posted by LiftGirl

That would be great.

What exercises have you chosen?

Do you mean cardio or weight resistance?

[LiftGirl]

Originally Posted by sweetdream

Do you mean cardio or weight resistance?

I was thinking weights when I posted that, but you can tell us both if you want :