By Daniel J. Borowick, MS, CSCS
Success in law enforcement requires more than just skill — it demands peak physical preparedness. Tactical fitness helps officers develop the strength, endurance and mobility needed to perform at their best in high-pressure situations. By training like tactical athletes, officers can improve their strength and conditioning while also focusing on flexibility exercises to enhance mobility and injury prevention.
Incorporating strength and flexibility tips into a regular fitness routine ensures better movement efficiency, greater resilience, and long-term career longevity. A well-rounded tactical fitness approach prepares officers to react with confidence and precision in any scenario.
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What does tactical fitness for cops training involve?
How does an individual train like a tactical athlete? It entails a program utilizing the three anatomical planes of human movement. All tactical athletes must be able to efficiently move their bodies in the sagittal, frontal and transverse planes. This helps prevent musculoskeletal injuries.
The sagittal plane separates the left and right sides of the body, the frontal plane the anterior and posterior, and the transverse plane the upper (superior) and lower (inferior) halves.
The following is a brief list of how a tactical athlete should center their training to account for all three planes. This is not an inclusive list but rather a representative sample of movement patterns to elicit optimal physical performance.
- Resistance training exercise techniques: Bench press, dead lift, squat, Romanian dead lift, front squat, goblet squat, farmer’s walk, push press, landmine presses and twists, bicep curls, tricep extensions and Olympic lifts (hang clean, power clean, power snatch).
- Bodyweight exercises: Pull-ups/chin-ups, straight-arm dead bar hangs, push-ups, planks, TRX bands, plyometrics, running, swimming and unconventional methods such as sandbags, heavy bags and rucksacks.
- Flexibility and mobility techniques and programming: Mobility is one’s ability to move freely, with coordination and without restriction. Flexibility refers to the range of motion for one’s muscles, ligaments and tendons. Stability is the ability to maintain control of joint movement around its axis. Types of stretching include static, ballistic and dynamic. “Dynamic stretching” is considered one of the premium forms of stretching before exercise, as it raises the body’s core temperature.
Sample tactical fitness workouts
The following is a program of two basic sample workouts, for the upper and lower body, to be conducted for anaerobic conditioning through resistance training. The goal here is building muscle, or “hypertrophy.” For the body to make the physiological adaptations desired in a hypertrophy program, the repetition count and rest periods must be followed closely.
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Aerobic endurance exercise techniques and programming
The following is a sample basic weekly workout with the goal of aerobic conditioning. The methods used will be either running, rucking or swimming. The aerobic portion can be divided into the following segments: long, slow distance (LSD) with a frequency of 1–2 times a week; pace/tempo 1–2 times a week; and interval/fartlek runs (where faster running is mixed with periods of easy- or moderate-paced running) 1–2 times a week.
A sample weekly aerobic program could look like the following:
- Day 1: Fartlek run
- Day 2: LSD run
- Day 3: Interval run or rest
- Day 4: Race pace including flats and hills
- Day 5: Rest day or 400-meter repeats
- Day 6: 60-minute LSD run
- Day 7: Rest
By incorporating a tactical fitness training program, law enforcement providers can prevent musculoskeletal injuries and realize benefits that contribute to career longevity.
Complete the “Access this Police1 resource” box on this page to download printable functional fitness exercises.
About the author
Daniel J. Borowick, MS, CSCS, is a former DEA special agent and physical task test administrator who has over 27 years of tactical experience in state (New Jersey State Police) and federal law enforcement. Currently, he is a strength and conditioning specialist serving the U.S. Army’s 1st Armored Division’s H2F (health and fitness) program. Reach him at Dmexfit@gmail.com.
This article was originally posted March 17, 2023. It has been updated to include additional resources.
Police1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.