Academy - Physical Conditioning Program

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Recruit fighting man in padded suit. Academy - Physical Conditioning Program

Attending the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Academy requires participation in a strenuous comprehensive physical conditioning program. The conditioning program addresses the following components of physical fitness: muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, nutrition. The intensity of the conditioning program gradually increases throughout the academy and is designed to encourage each recruit to perform at his or her personal best. Each conditioning session lasts from approximately 30-90 minutes. Each session is preceded by a warm up and cool down (each lasting approximately 10 minutes).

Listed below is a description of the training objectives and methods used:

Conditioning Objective	Formats	Type of Activities
Flexibility	Stretching	Performed preceding and/or following the conditioning portion of the exercise session.
Muscular Strength	Weight Lifting	Conventional athletic based weight lifting exercises focusing on muscular strength (heavier weight, lower repetitions).
Muscular Endurance/ Cardiovascular Endurance	Circuit with weights, calisthenics, cardiovascular endurance exercises	Exercise circuits consisting of combinations of lighter weighted exercises, body weight exercises and cardio vascular exercises (running, rowing, jumping rope) performed with little or no rest for a given time period or work load.
Cardiovascular Endurance	Continuous cardiovascular exercise	Running, either for distance and pace or speed intervals

Prior to graduation from the academy, each recruit will be required to successfully complete the P.O.S.T. mandated Work Sample Test Battery, which consists of a 99-yard obstacle course, a 165 lb. dummy drag, a solid wall climb, a chain link fence climb and a 500 yard run.

It is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED that potential recruits begin exercising before the academy begins. If you are not already on an exercise program, focus on running, push ups and sit ups. While the academy physical conditioning program focuses on improving overall levels of physical fitness, it will be extremely difficult for those who come to the academy without any physical preparation. Such failure to prepare will also increase the recruit’s risk of overuse injuries during the academy do to poor physical condition.

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