Practical Training for the Civil Servant
By
Tom Kemble
Let me just put it out there that I love max effort days. Testing your
physical wit, pushing yourself to the very limits all to move the biggest
numbers—awesome! Now don’t get me wrong—I can put up with being beat up every
now and then. But the amount of stress you put yourself under week after week,
especially in a team environment, can be grueling. I’m proud to say that I don’t
have one of those jobs where I come to work and sit at a desk for a shift. I’m
up on my feet all day with a 10-lb gun belt and ballistic vest to weigh me down,
a situation which many EliteFTS.com readers can relate. What I’m getting to is
that I can’t train the same as the guy who has the luxury of recovery unless I
want to get myself hurt. So I’m going to lay down the principals of what I’ve
been doing. It’s been working for me, and hopefully it can work for you, too.
I’ve been a powerlifter for seven years, and I’ve done a few Strongman
competitions for fun, but all in all, I train to be strong, athletic, and
healthy, as should most law enforcement professionals. I got out of the Police
Academy last year, and all of you who have been through an academy of some sort
know what that means—lean, mean, fighting machines (but weak as a 12-year-old
girl)! Due to my seven-month hiatus from the iron, I wanted to hit the ground
running right away. So like all good iron warriors would do, I began traditional
Westside, as everyone knows and loves, only to realize by week three that I was
on a crash course for disaster. So after two weeks of rest, adjustment to the
new job, and rotating shifts, I decided to start again…
Enter 5/3/1. I frequent EliteFTS.com and love reading about the troll and how
to tweak the little things to make the big difference. But then I came across
the 5/3/1 and instantly it clicked—military press, deadlift, bench, and squat
all worked out to the percentage with a deload built in along with assistance
work plus how to structure training and get in your cardio! Now we’re talking!
My two ‘cycles’ were broken down with the ‘boring but big’ assistance work
just to get some basic mass back on my bones. The beauty of this program is that
it’s very simple and to the point, no fluff (or foam pads) involved. The
workouts were simple and fun. Here’s a sample from my cycle in the second month:
Week 2: Deadlift day
Warm up: Static stretching, jump rope for 300 reps using assorted jumps,
Versiclimber for 1 minute.
Deadlift: Bar X 5, 135 X 5, 200 X 5, 255 X 5, work sets 315 (70%) X 3, 365
(80%) X 3, 405 (90%) X 6 (max)
Assistance:
Deadlift, 315 for 5 X 10
Hanging leg raise, 3 X 20
Prowler, 10 X 25 yard push with one plate
Workout completed in 58 minutes.
Over the next two months, I switched the accessory work and covered all the
basics—dips, pull-ups, good mornings, dumbbell bench presses, barbell shrugs,
leg presses, and glute ham raises. Workouts were getting faster and faster, and
I was gaining muscle and staying lean.
When you chart your workouts down to the very rep, it’s easier to evaluate
your strong and weak points. One point I needed to address with my training (a
suggestion from my chiropractor) was the implementation of more cardio, low back
training, and abdominal training. All of that was added accordingly. The gun
belt and the awkward angle your vest pushes you into can really wreck havoc to
your spine. Another point I’m proud to make is that all of my workouts end with
some sort of cardio. Now I’m not going to lie to you. Some days I come in and
hit my main lift and I’m gone like the wind. But lately I’ve been enjoying the
Prowler. I plan on switching over to the Versiclimber and the treadmill when it
gets too cold.
Being a law enforcement professional and staying fit and strong really isn’t
rocket science. Many guys will try to sell you some BS like, “Oh squatting will
give you back trouble when you’re older,” and, “Oh…I follow the Ronnie Coleman
workout.” My absolute favorite is, “My tap out t-shirt is in the washer.” Well,
forget that crap. In the six months since I’ve been using 5/3/1, my lifts have
progressed, I’ve gained 16 lbs of muscle, and I’ve dropped body fat. So much for
coffee and doughnuts, huh?
Tom Kemble is a police officer with the Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey. He holds a bachelor’s degree in American studies from Rider University
in Lawrenceville, New Jersey and competes in the IPA, APF, and WNPF in
powerlifting. He trains at Skiba’s Barbell Club in Carteret, New Jersey.
Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength
training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products
and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the
industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit
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