For aspiring cadets selected to attend the Basic Police Officer Training at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy, health and fitness is not just a requirement it is a commitment for life.
These local, state and tribal law enforcement selectees in New Mexico both female and male must meet the academy fitness entrance standards of 15 push-ups and 27 sit-ups in a minute and run a1.5 mile in 15 minutes and 54 seconds or less along with a 300-meter sprint in 71 seconds or less two weeks before the training commences.
“This is a commitment to fitness, just like the commitment to the overall profession to be a law enforcement officer,” said Ronaldo Ulibarri, lead instructor at the academy which falls under the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. “Once someone has made the decision to enter the profession of law enforcement, things need to change. You need to train and prepare specifically to be in the best physical condition you can be to enter.
“It has been my experience since I’ve been an instructor that the cadets who enter performing the bare minimum tend to struggle to meet fitness milestones throughout the entire training cycle. Just because you meet the minimum fitness requirements doesn’t mean they are not going to intensify as the training program progresses.”
A leg-lift demonstration, part of the fitness program for entrance to the Basic Police Officer Training at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy.
And it does progress – from the minimum aforementioned numbers to the mid-point where cadets must do 20 push-ups and 32 sit-ups in a minute and run a1.5 mile in 15 minutes and four seconds or less, along with a 300-meter sprint in 67.5 seconds or less.
The exit requirements for graduation from the academy are 25 push-ups and 37 sit-ups in a minute and run a1.5 mile in 14 minutes and 15 seconds or less, along with a 300-meter sprint in 64 seconds or less.
“If you come at a level of fitness much better than the minimum standard you don’t tend to struggle fitness-wise, and you can focus on other things like academics and practical exercises,” said Ulibarri. “We get cadets in various age groups, some with very little life experience and some with plenty of life experience. Some think, ‘if I can just get in, the rest will figure itself out’ – sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t.
“Something to consider is changing your diet, eating healthier so that your body performs the way you should because you’re now increasing the physical demands and stress on your body and if you don’t have the right fuel, it could become counterproductive.”
Does Ulibarri provide any counseling to cadets upon selection and meeting the minimum requirements?
“Yes, I do give them a pep talk upon successful entry into the academy,” said Ulibarri. “I tell them just because you met the minimum standard doesn’t mean you get to slack on your fitness. Continue eating healthy and continue your PT that got you to this point because once you get in the training, you participate in physical fitness training every single day at 5 a.m. for the full 17 weeks.”
Push-ups – part of fitness requirements for entrance to the Basic Police Officer Training at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy.
Once in the academy and fully emersed in the training cycle, other robust physical fitness training can include kettle bell and cross-fit, zone runs, target specific upper/core and lower body exercises that not only build strength but promote injury prevention and overall longevity.
“Aside from overall fitness, the program here also helps cadets establish a healthy lifestyle outside the academy,” said Ulibarri. “Some of these fitness regimens we put them through for the training, they are easy enough to remember to establish that foundation, so they know how to continue physical fitness upon graduation and entering into their career.”
Warms-ups prior to the start of the fitness requirements for entrance to the Basic Police Officer Training at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy.
One area Ulibarri has seen cadets struggle with is sit-ups or building core strength. He thinks it is because cadets take that for granted in their training.
“It’s an area that is tricky to train,” he said. “Of course, the only way you get better at sit-ups is by doing sit-ups. It is generally disregarded as an area of concern – ‘sit-ups, that’s no problem,’ well when you are under time constraints sit-ups can be more challenging. It’s something that you need to prepare and train for just like anything else. I don’t think folks put as much effort or preparation as they should prior to coming here.
“You’ve got to prepare yourself and put some thought into entering a profession you’re trying to navigate and a commitment to health and wellness for the rest of your life.”
Story by New Mexico Department of Public Safety Public Information Officer John Heil. Photos courtesy of the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy.