Police Academy Fitness Test Preparation | American Military University (2024)

Criminal Justice Blog | American Military University

By Dr. Matthew Loux|06/28/2024

Police Academy Fitness Test Preparation | American Military University (1)

To pass the police academy fitness test, applicants must prepare mentally and physically. While each police department runs its own version of the physical fitness evaluation, all are designed to test endurance, body strength, agility, and mental determination.

Most law enforcement departments administer the physical abilities test after the written exam. However, some find it more cost-effective to first conduct the physical test to avoid the expense of administering the written exam.

As an example of what candidates can expect to face, I’ve used the requirements from theHouston Police Department’s(HPD) physical fitness test. Many departments use the same or similar requirements, but it is recommended that candidates verify the fitness requirements. Some agencies are different regarding the test instruments as well as the requirements for gender and age.

The Running Segment of the Fitness Test

One of the most significant challenges during the physical fitness test is to successfully complete a timed 1.5-mile run in 15:54 minutes or less. For men, finishing in 10:30 to 12 minutes is about average. To excel in this part of the test, you should aim for a time of 9:44 or faster to be placed among the top candidates.

For women, an average to good time is around 13:30 to 16 minutes. A time under 12:30 minutes will typically put a female candidate at the top of the class.

The HPD has the same requirements for both men and women, but some departments differentiate the scoring for tests, based on gender. I recommend that you check out your prospective department’s fit test requirements.

A Recommended Running Regimen

To reach the goal of passing the 1.5 mile run with a satisfactory score, you must train well in advance of the test. Start with a short distance and work up to running more than 1.5 miles. By increasing your distance, your cardiovascular system will become stronger, and you can run farther and faster without tiring as quickly.

Wearing anelevation training maskcan help you when you’re training. The mask strengthens the diaphragm and allows for more forceful breathing, which increases lung capacity. The purpose of thetraining maskis to increase lung capacity by forcing deeper breaths to increase blood and oxygen flow.

Wearing a weightedtraining vestduring practice runs also helps increase your stamina. The added weight helps to increase resistance during cardiovascular activities like running, causing more energy to be used in your workouts.

Adding more weight to the vest each week builds your leg strength. Removing the vest creates a feeling of lightness and increases running speed. You can also consider running sprints with the vest, as well as alternating sprints with and without the weighted vest.

Wearing a training vest is especially advantageous for aspiring officers. It mimics the feel of wearing a bulletproof vest and simulates the weight of wearing a duty belt.

The test also requires completing a 300-meter sprint in at least 78 seconds. This requirement is also why it’s important to build interval and sprint runs into a running regimen. Interval sprints focusing on posture, small strides, and breathing are recommended.

Improving Body Strength with Push-Ups

Push-ups are another important part of the police fitness test. The HPD test requires 25 continuous pushups. For a push-up to count during the test, the candidate must use proper form and the chest must briefly touch the floor.

To execute proper push-up form, the arms should be held close to the body and the core muscles should be tightened. Be sure to keep your legs straight and don’t bend your knees.

It is helpful to build up your strength over time. There are many different types of push-ups that increase arm and chest strength:

  • Incline push-ups – performed by placing your hands on a stable platform higher than the ground. Start with leaning on a wall, bed, or sturdy table and work your way down to a surface about six inches off the ground.
  • Wide inclined push-ups – performed by holding the hands in a wider position than shoulder width
  • Weighted push-ups – performed by wearing a weighted vest
  • Wide push-ups – performed by placing the hands outside shoulder width during each push-up
  • Diamond push-ups – performed by placing the hands on the floor to form a diamond between the index fingers and thumbs during each push-up

All of these push-up exercises strengthen the upper and lower body, especially the chest area. They also strengthen core muscles.

Ideally, you should start by doing 100 push-ups a day. It is recommended that applicants start by finding the maximum number of push-ups you can do at one time. Over time, start to increase the number each day until 25-30 push-ups at one time is achievable, and repeat the exercise over time until you have accomplished 100 push-ups a day.

Over time, the number of push-ups can be increased using a gradual schedule as your body adapts and becomes less fatigued. With training, it will become easier to complete the 25 push-ups for the fitness test.

Training for Sit-Ups

Sit-ups are often the final portion of the academy fitness evaluation for applicants. The sit-up test measures muscular endurance and abdominal strength, and the rest calls for as many sit-ups as possible in one minute.

The actual number varies by department as the Dallas Police Department only requires applicants to complete 14 bent-leg sit-ups in one minute. In theSan Antonio Police Department, for example, the requirement depends on your age and gender.

San Antonio scores applicants on a point basis for sit-ups, push-ups, vertical jumps, a 1.5-mile run, and the 300-meter sprint with a minimum passing score of 190. HPD does not have sit-ups as a requirement, but training for sit-ups applies to more than one police department.

The sit-up test is performed by placing the hands behind the head, interlacing the fingers, and then bringing the torso upward from a lying position to a sitting position. For a sit-up to count, applicants must slowly bend forward until the elbows touch the knees in the upright position and ensure the back touches the floor in the reclining position.

Strengthening the abdominal muscles over time is essential for improving your sit-up technique and increasing the number of sit-ups you can do. The strength of abdominal muscles can be improved throughexercises focusing on the stomach or by including core stability work, such as reverse crunches, planks, andRussian twists.

Other Academy Test Requirements

The HPD exam includes some additional tests, such as making a vertical jump of 16.5 inches over your original height. To prepare for the vertical jump test and build elastic energy (the compression and stretching of the muscles), practice jump exercises such as:

  • Jumping on and off a box
  • Jump squats for explosive movements
  • Hip flexor stretches
  • Deadlifts
  • Bulgarianbench split squats

Finally, the police academy fitness test involves pulling a firearm trigger with both hands. The trigger pull is considered one of the easier aspects of the test. To improve hand strength, use a handgrip device, squeeze a ball, or hold a dumbbell in each hand.

Start Your Training Early

In the police academy's fitness test, all performance standards must be met to pass the test – there are no exceptions. The key is to start training early for each part of the test.

If it is hard to meet the requirement for one or more parts of the test, tailor your workouts to gradually increase in difficulty until you can meet and exceed police department standards. Success at the police academy requires working out, gradually expanding the difficulty of your workouts so that you put in maximum effort, and eating a healthy diet to improve your overall physical fitness.

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About the Author

Dr. Matthew Loux

Dr. Matthew Loux is an assistant professor at American Public University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and law enforcement administration and a master’s degree in criminal justice administration from the University of Central Missouri State. In addition, Matt has a doctoral degree in management from Colorado Technical University and is pursuing a Ph.D. in educational leadership and administration at Aspen University. He is a Certified Financial Crimes Investigator, a Certified Fraud Specialist, and a Certified Fraud Examiner.

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Police Academy Fitness Test Preparation | American Military University (2)

Police Academy Fitness Test Preparation | American Military University (2024)

FAQs

How to pass a fitness test? ›

Regular runs are a great way to build up your heart lung capacity and your leg muscles. Try a mix of: Steady running (warm up 5 mins, followed by 15-20 mins of running at a steady pace, then a cool down). Interval training (warm up 5 mins, 30 secs hard sprint + 30 secs walking x 10, cool down).

How many pushups does it take to pass the police test? ›

Push-ups are another part of the police fitness test. The HPD test requires 25 continuous pushups. In order for a push-up to count during the test, the candidate must use proper form and the chest must briefly touch the floor.

How fast should a cop run 1.5 miles? ›

1.5 Mile run (15 minutes)

Which military fitness test is hardest? ›

Marines have it the hardest, running three miles, doing pull-ups and crunches within the span of a two-hour evaluation period. The Army has its troops run two miles, plus two minutes of pushups and situps. There are similar requirements for the Navy, the Air Force, and the Coast Guard.

Which military branch has the easiest physical fitness test? ›

For those who are not particularly athletic, the U.S. Air Force generally has the least physically strenuous requirements compared to the other branches. The Air Force's Physical Fitness Test consists of a 1.5-mile run, push-ups, and sit-ups.

Is it difficult to pass the police academy? ›

Academy tests are varied and challenging. They will push you mentally and physically and have been known to be quite stressful. Police academy exams will be different depending on where you are training.

Do you run in the police academy? ›

1.5 Mile Run: Complete a 1.5 mile run in 18:00 minutes or less. Push-ups: Men - complete at least 15 push-ups in one minute. Women - complete at least 10 push-ups in one minute. Sit-ups: Men - complete at least 25 sit-ups in one minute.

How to pass the military fitness test? ›

Focus on what your pace is every 30 seconds. If your goal is to do 80 sit-ups in two minutes, your pace is 20 sit-ups in 30 seconds for a two-minute test. If maxing the test requires 100 sit-ups in two minutes, shoot for 25 reps every 30 seconds. And practice at that pace.

What not to do before a fitness test? ›

Do not workout the day before the test. You mostly need to let your muscles rest from your training the day before to avoid overexertion or muscle fatigue. However, you should do some light exercising, such as biking or walking for about 20 minutes.

What are the 5 basic physical fitness test? ›

Fitness assessments are a series of tests that measures and monitors students' physical fitness level. The series of tests assess the five components of physical fitness that make up total fitness: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.

What to eat before a police physical test? ›

If you test in the afternoon, have a normal dinner, normal breakfast, and then bring some light snacks such as fruit or juices, or perhaps some type of sport drink to have a few hours before you run the POPAT.

How long is a 500 yard run? ›

500-Yard Run

Run 500 yards (equivalent to one lap plus 60 yards of a standard running track).

How much should a police officer be able to lift? ›

USCP data suggest that participants who are capable of performing one (1) repetition of the bench press using a barbell and weights that are 80% of their body weight or more are likely to be able to meet the required test completion time than those who cannot lift this percentage of their body weight.

How many miles do you run in the police academy? ›

ACADEMY PHYSICAL TRAINING

Candidates should use this Pre-Academy Fitness Guide to be prepared for the physical demands of the academy. After the warm up, recruits participate in a 2-5 mile run that starts at 10 minutes per mile and increases to 8 minutes per mile (end of academy).

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