Police Academy Fitness Test Preparation: Helpful Exercises

By Dr. Matthew Loux  |  06/28/2024

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 the Houston 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 an elevation training mask can help you when you’re training. The mask strengthens the diaphragm and allows for more forceful breathing, which increases lung capacity. The purpose of the training mask is to increase lung capacity by forcing deeper breaths to increase blood and oxygen flow.

Wearing a weighted training vest during 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 the San 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 through exercises focusing on the stomach or by including core stability work, such as reverse crunches, planks, and Russian 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
• Bulgarian bench 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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