Effective Weight Vest Training for First Responders
Every police officer, firefighter, and soldier knows that carrying heavy stuff around all day is part of the job. Police have their belts and vests, firefighters have their breathing apparatus and various equipment, and soldiers can have over 100 pounds of weapons and equipment to carry through unforgiving terrain.
Carrying this much stuff around is no joke. Add the physical exertion of the actual job tasks and it can be a recipe for disaster. Carrying gear alters your movement, impedes your mobility, and causes simple tasks to require much more perceived effort.
Training with a weight vest or rucksack is a great way to prepare for your job duties. Here are a few tips for conditioning yourself to perform optimally:
Don’t train in your full kit
Training is preparation. It’s designed to build you up. If you’re always training hard in full kit, more than likely your body will break down at some point. It’s just not sustainable. You don’t train for a powerlifting meet by taking a max squat, bench, and deadlift every week. Similarly, you don’t train for a 15 mile ruck with 100lbs of gear by just repeating the test over and over.
Instead, train in a modified version of your kit most of the time. Reduce the weight or remove pieces of gear that impede your movement. If you’re training in a weight vest or carrying a rucksack, increase the weight you use slowly. Gradually build toward your specific task, but save your energy for when it counts.
Train in Kit Frequently
Although you shouldn’t train in all your gear, all the time, make time once per week to practice carrying something. This is especially important for soldiers, who must be able to ruck long distances carrying a ton of equipment. Rucking once per week is optimal. Gradually increase distance and intensity to avoid injury, and DO NOT run in full kit. Spend the rest of your time building muscle and running to build your endurance.
For police and firefighters, once per week in gear or in a weight vest is reasonable. Both groups should train specific job tasks. Firefighters can strength train using their actual firefighting equipment. Stair climbing in modified kit is especially useful for structural firefighters, as are sled and hose drags.
Police officers can practice defensive tactics and weapon retention in their vest and duty belt, or while wearing a weight vest. You’ll be surprised how much wearing a duty belt affects your mobility, especially on the ground. Some limited interval running in a light weight vest (5% of bodyweight) is fine, as long as you already have a history of intense running and don’t have excess body fat.
A weight vest can be added to pretty much any strength exercise, any time. Pay attention to your back position - any rounding or hyperextension and the weight in the vest needs to be reduced.
Gain Muscle, especially in the upper body
The more muscle mass you have, the stronger you’ll be, and the easier it will feel to carry your gear. Upper body muscle mass is especially important, and if you’re a female, it’s even MORE important. Strength train at least twice per week using a variety of rep ranges. Early in your training cycle, emphasize sets of 8-12 reps to maximize the muscle-building response you can get in a short period of time. Use compound barbell lifts, like bench presses, squats, and rows, and odd objects like sandbags. Later, multiple sets of 3-6 reps can build strength while still giving enough volume to build muscle.
Here’s a sample training schedule for an advanced athlete who is a police officer:
Monday – Strength Training + interval running
Tuesday – Martial Arts + easy run
Wednesday – Strength Training (1-2 exercises in heavy weight vest)
Thursday – Easy run
Friday – Strength Training
Saturday – Martial Arts in full gear
If you’re looking for a fitness trainer in the Mt Juliet/Hermitage/Nashville TN area, online fitness training, or just need some advice to get your fitness program started, contact me