Good Exercise Routine?

[bkelm18]

Ok, so I am giving some serious consideration to joining a local police department. However, I am pretty out of shape. I looked at the fitness test for recruits for the PD, and it was pretty simple, no running or push/ups situps, it's pretty much a couple of upper body endurance tests. But i just want to get in better shape overall. Are there any routines that you guys use or that you know of that are good? I just came out of the Navy, so I really don't have much experience with fitness, haha. Any help is much appreciated.

[Zero]

Here's a link to the Army Pocket PT Guide, I believe it's distributed to new enlistees. Either way, seems like a good basis to build on.

http://assets.goarmy.com/downloads/pocket_pt_guide.pdf

[Gravel]

Great guide!

[dobbsjv]

I would begin by getting in cardio shape before I started lifting/weight endurance. I try to keep my mile under 8 minutes, if you can get in good cardio shape it will make the weight/endurance training a lot easier to transition.

[Bycyclist]

Originally Posted by dobbsjv

I would begin by getting in cardio shape before I started lifting/weight endurance. I try to keep my mile under 8 minutes, if you can get in good cardio shape it will make the weight/endurance training a lot easier to transition.

Do both - cardio and weights right from the start - just start slow and easy. For weights, stick with multi-joint exercises (presses, squates, pull-downs, etc.) and also incorporate 'body weight' and core exercises (pushups, pullups, crunches, leg lifts). Stay away from single-joint exercises (curls, extensions) - waste of time unless you're bodybuilding.

[turbosupra1313]

Anything that you will actually stick with. Find something you like doing that involves active movement and do that often. Most people quit their routine not because its hard, but because they get bored with it.

[Dhunter55]

Originally Posted by bkelm18

Ok, so I am giving some serious consideration to joining a local police department. However, I am pretty out of shape. I looked at the fitness test for recruits for the PD, and it was pretty simple, no running or push/ups situps, it's pretty much a couple of upper body endurance tests. But i just want to get in better shape overall. Are there any routines that you guys use or that you know of that are good? I just came out of the Navy, so I really don't have much experience with fitness, haha. Any help is much appreciated.

Start by walking. Good cardio and easy on the knees. Gradually increase your distance and speed. Then you can go onto running, weights, etc.

[sloopy70]

try this site www.bodybuilding.com its not for "bodybuilders" its more of a myspace.com for getting in shape, you can set goals for almost anything pertaining to fitness and it will give you charts and help track your progress, plus theres a wealth of info there since theres a forum just like this one you can post on... also you can post progress pictures and people can comment on them and give you motivation... I've looked through lots of profiles and have never seen anyone make any negative/bad comments about anybody even people just starting out that may need to lose 100lbs or more...

[AKpredator]

Start walking first. 1.5 to 3 miles, every day for a week.... then use 5lb weights in the hands. Work up to 3 miles with weights in 1 hour. This will develop cardio, hands, wrists and arms. Combining it with a 500 yard swim is ideal.

Stretch and build your knees. Stretch as much as you can. Lack of flexibility is the number one factor in many types of injuries. Be flexible and you will be healthy.

Lunges (stand straight up and step out and, keeping the back straight, smoothly lower and stretch the profile until you are almost kneeling.) with weights are a considerable challenge and one of the best strength builders for the legs, knees and hamstrings and will build arms up too. Your a$$ will hurt for days afterwards. After a cartlidge fracture, I started these barely able to do ten. In two weeks I could do twenty each side and then added weights up to forty pounds in each hand. When you step forward, raise the weights all the way to the shoulder and lower them as you raise upright. It's like a curl/lunge combined. Exhausting excercise for 90 feet of travel. I am told NFL recievers do this the length of the field.

Here is what I did and it works pretty well.


Walk 2 miles a day. Great stretch and warmup/cooldown.
Play basketball 40 minutes a day... full court. Awesome cardio workout. Being a big guy and a competitor, I play rough, too. Get back on defense!
Lift weights on a circuit program for 15 - 30 minutes with as much weight as you can. One set of each excercise for complete circuit then rest 20 seconds and do it again. Gradually increase the weight every week. I do bench press (3 sets of 20 reps) Leg press (3 sets, 15 reps and 20 toe extensions using only the balls of the foot and extend the toes out. this builds calfs and helps prevent shin splints.) Curls 3 sets, 15 reps Lift I forget the name but put a hand down on a bench and reach down to lift as heavy a dumbell weight off the floor, as you can ten times with each arm all the way up past the shoulder. It's like starting an outboard motor. Remember to extend it up as far as you can. This will build the shoulder muscles, the chest, hands, forearms, back, legs and stomach, too. I'm doing 75lbs. Situps as many as you can in 30 seconds.

This circuit training (30 minutes) alone will kick your butt. Expand it to include other excercises and stretches. Be disciplined and do it 6 days a week and you will be doing great in 3 months. Cool down with at least 1, preferably 2 mile walk, at a brisk pace. If you are not tired at the end of this, you are not working hard enough. Drink all the water you can; 2 liters a day, minimum. Eat high protein, low sugar diet. No potatoes, bread or candy. Eat lots of chicken and fish.

[east_stingray]

If you're wanting to bodybuild, ignore me. If you just want to get in shape, I'll second the swimming thing. It burns more calories than running, and it's MUCH easier on your joints. I swim 5X/week to stay sane... it's my break from studying.