Being, or becoming a Tactical Athlete in the Police, Fire/Rescue or those that are or want to be in the Military fields must be multi-faceted in their abilities. Those in these fields must have good strength, good cardio, and quickness. Notice I said GOOD not great. While it is ideal for those of us (or those like me that were) in those fields to be great, it is not expected. Most of us are simply not Elite level athletes. So where does that leave us. I was a Collegiate athlete, but not Elite.
While not Elite, the Tactical Athlete must be a “Jack of All Trades ” Athlete. The Tactical Athlete must be good at everything. Therefore the training must include a variety of different training methods. The tactical Athlete cannot simply train like we did is high school football, basketball, or baseball or any other sport.
As I explained earlier, we cannot train like a traditional athlete. We must be dynamic and train for our own specific job requirements. Unlike a “traditional athlete,” which I define as someone that KNOWS what they must do for a competition, the Tactical Athlete must be ready to “GO” in the blink of an eye.
In my years as a Road Dog, Detective and Tactical Operations I had to go from 0 to 100 Miles an Hour in the Blink of an eye. On a few occasions I had to do it MULTIPLE times a day. The job of a Tactical Athlete is NOT easy! Therefore the Tactical Officer’s training program must be specific to your job.
Physical strength, speed and stamina are all required for these fields, but in different ways. Someone in the Police and Fire/Rescue fields should train a little more in the strength dynamic. Let’s face it, they are wearing heavy bunker gear and carrying heavy equipment while their air may be restricted by a Scott Pac they need the extra training. In General, the Police Officer is sedentary, but must be able to quickly flip the switch into combat mode. Someone in the military, especially in a combat theater, must be able to sprint, jog and carry heavy items such as ammo boxes or other gear once again in the blink of an eye.
While similar, you can see the differences. While subtle, you can see why I am working with those in or wanting to be in the Police, Fire/Rescue or Military fields to help them make gains. I can help, because I LIVED that life. If you chose to let me help you, I can get you where you need to be. If you want to train on your own, here is my advice. Sit down with a piece of paper and pencil. (Maybe your laptop, but be able to record your thoughts.) Now, go over in your mind the scenarios you may face. EACH branch of the Tactical Athlete is SPECIFIC. Obviously there are similarities but focus on the training you will need for the field you are in, or want to be in.
Design your program based upon that. For Police Officers, I would focus on Strength and Quick Movements for a short duration. What I learned being an Officer, was if I didn’t catch them in the first hundred yards, they could hunker down and find cover. The same is true for those in the Military, but they should also focus on slightly longer distances if you need to carry heavy equipment toward the battlefield. For Fire/Rescue, I would work on cardio to make sure you can handle the demands of carrying heavy loads for rather shorter distances. Fire/Rescue must be able to work under heavy loads while working for shorter times as a great Fire Chief will cycle in new personal to complete the tasks needed. As you see, all of the safety forces fields are similar, but they are also unique. If you want me to design a program for you one-on-one or online reach out to me at Garan Fitness Tactical Conditioning. You can also let me help you with Garan Fitness Consulting. If you are in the Kent, Ohio or Northeast Ohio area or want online training, contact me at Garan Fitness Tactical Conditioning, or Garan Fitness Consulting. You can also call me at 330-554-1345 if you have any questions. Afternoons and Evenings are best to reach me.
Scott