1. Power Curl
Hips plus biceps equals the Power Curl. This movement develops explosive hip extension with bicep pulling power, both essential movements for a law enforcement officer who must explosively exit a patrol car and wrestle a suspect to the ground while controlling them. It’s simple, hard, and targeted for areas where LEOs need to be strong.
2. Sandbag Get-ups
Not much needs to be said here if you’ve ever done a Sandbag Get-up. These things train your core in a way nothing else will, sure, but they also train – how to say this – the “between” muscles. The muscles in your body that are (often) neglected like those toys on the Island of Misfit Toys in that Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer movie that comes on every Christmas. Additionally, each rep requires a lunge, so don’t think I’ve left out lunging – an essential movement to be sure. What is a Sandbag Get-up? It’s a flexion, rotation, isometric brace, and extension for your midsection. If you do them regularly, you’ll have one jacked island of toys, no longer neglected like misfits. In all seriousness, though, SBGUs build a strong midsection, which protects vulnerable limbs by allowing greater control over them, leading to career longevity and operational readiness throughout.
3. Bench
Whether it’s keeping a suspect at arms length or pushing them away from you to create distance, you need a strong chest and shoulders to overpower them. Bench trains pushing power better than almost anything, focusing on the big muscles of the chest and tricep to do the work. Plus, an LEO with a barrel chest under body armor is downright scary – fear is a great form of crime prevention or resistance suppression when you’re the one who’s on the ground level with your life on the line.
4. Craig Special
This great combination movement (Hang Squat Clean plus Front Squat) trains power and strength for every rep. LEOs need strong hips, not for lifting more weight, but rather for explosive sprints to chase down bad guys. It also teaches great bracing and extension strength for the midsection to keep you durable, injury-free, and in control of vulnerable limbs. A strong midsection is the transmission for a big engine.
5. 300m Shuttle Sprints
Not only is this a great test of fitness, but it’s also one of the best ways to train anaerobic endurance, speed, multidirectional agility, acceleration, and to develop plyometric ability in your lower body. It doesn’t require a lot of space, so it’s practical. Perhaps most importantly, 300m Shuttle Sprints never get easier, you just get faster. There a good compliment to Craig Specials since they translate the strength and power gained with that lift to useable strength in the field. If you can do 4 in a row as fast as you can with 1:15 rest between efforts, you’re well on your way.
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