Fitness Tips for Assessment Preparation
Sit-Ups
Performance sit-ups are not crunches. Applicants lie on a mat with knees bent approximately 90 degrees with hands on head and fingers behind ears. Another applicant holds down the feet during the test.
The applicant will come up and touch elbows to their knees or break the plane. Applicants then go back down and touch shoulders to the ground. Applicants can only rest in the up position. The applicants need to complete as many sit-ups as possible in one minute. Proper form is monitored closely.
Starting Position
Hands on head with fingers behind ears
Elbows to knees
Fitness Tip: 11-Minute O'Brien Ab Workout
Warm-up (30 repetitions)- Feet flat on the ground, hands clasped behind the neck.
- Raise the scapula (shoulder blades) off of the floor about three inches.
- Remember to raise the chin towards the ceiling, not to the knees.
90 Degrees (30 repetitions)
- Back flat on the floor, 90 degrees of flexion in the hips and 90 degrees of flexion at the knee.
- Raise the scapula (shoulder blades) off of the floor about three inches.
- Remember to raise the chin towards the ceiling, not to the knees.
180 Degrees (30 repetitions)
- Back flat on the floor, 90 degrees of flexion in the hips and 180 degrees of flexion at the knee.
- Raise the scapula (shoulder blades) off of the floor about three inches.
- Remember to raise the chin towards the ceiling, not to the knees.
Reverse Crunches (30 repetitions)
- Back flat on the floor, 90 degrees of flexion in the hips and 90 degrees of flexion at the knee.
- Raise the hips off of the floor about two inches. It is as though you are curling from the lower body into the upper body, knees should almost touch the chest.
- Remember to raise the chin towards the ceiling, not to the knees.
Repeat this cycle (super set) three times, and then cool down with warm-ups for ten. Try these side to side as well, for some oblique action.
Push Ups
The applicant assumes a push-up position with feet together or up to twelve inches apart. Hands are placed approximately shoulder-width apart with fingers facing forward. Another applicant is in a position to extend a fist on the floor directly underneath the testing applicants sternum.
A proper push-up is when the testing recruit lowers the body and touches the fist with the sternum then returns up to the starting position with the elbows in a soft lock. Resting is allowed in the up position only. When any part of the body other than the feet and hands touch the ground the applicant is done. Proper form is monitored closely.
Starting Position
Touching sternum to fist
Fitness Tips: Push-up Improvement Plan
This schedule should be adhered to due to time constraints. The longest amount of time spent on the program should be 19 minutes, which is the total time for week one.
Note section two on the bottom: If you are unable to do the time that is set, do not make it shorter. The correct thing to do is to adjust the type of push-up. Do them from your knees or raise your upper body higher. This is meant to reduce the angle and make the push-ups easier.
Monday - Wednesday - Friday |
||
Week One |
||
| Type | Time (in seconds) | Rest (in seconds) |
| Regular with reg hands | 30 | 60 |
| Regular with wide hands | 30 | 60 |
| Regular with close hands | 30 | 60 |
| Regular with reg hands | 20 | 60 |
| Regular from knees | 30 | End |
| Total Time: 6:20 | ||
Week Two |
||
| Type | Time (in seconds) | Rest (in seconds) |
| Feet elevated with reg hands | 30 | 45 |
| Regular with wide hands | 30 | 45 |
| Regular with close hands | 30 | 45 |
| Regular with reg hands | 30 | 45 |
| Regular with reg hands | 20 | End |
| Total Time: 5:20 | ||
Week Three |
||
| Type | Time (in seconds) | Rest (in seconds) |
| Feet elevated with reg hands | 30 | 30 |
| Regular with close hands | 30 | 30 |
| Regular with wide hands | 30 | 30 |
| Regular with reg hands | 30 | 30 |
| Regular with close hands | 20 | 30 |
| Regular from knees | 20 | End |
| Total Time: 5:10 | ||
Week Four |
||
| Type | Time (in seconds) | Rest (in seconds) |
| Partner resisted with reg hands | 20 | 20 |
| Partner resisted with wide hands | 20 | 20 |
| Partner resisted with close hands | 20 | 20 |
| Regular with reg hands | 30 | 20 |
| Regular from reg hands | 25 | 20 |
| Regular from reg hands | 20 | End |
| Total Time: 3:55 | ||
Week Five |
||
| Type | Time (in seconds) | Rest (in seconds) |
| Partner resisted with reg hands | 30 | 15 |
| Feet elevated with wide hands | 30 | 15 |
| Feet elevated with reg hands | 30 | 15 |
| Regular with reg hands | 15 | 10 |
| Regular with close hands | 15 | 10 |
| Regular from knees | 15 | End |
| Total Time: 3:20 | ||
Week Six |
||
| Type | Time (in seconds) | Rest (in seconds) |
| Partner resisted with reg hands | 40 | 15 |
| Regular with reg hands | 30 | 15 |
| Regular with close hands | 30 | 15 |
| Regular with wide hands | 30 | 15 |
| Regular from knees | 30 | 15 |
| Regular from knees | 30 | End |
| Total Time: 4:25 | ||
Notes:
- The program includes resistance exercises involving the pectorals, anterior deltoids, and the triceps. One set each; 8-12 repetitions to muscle failure.
- Participants should try to follow the program on a week-week basis. Participants performance is monitored to try to get them to do as much as possible for each set of push-ups. If participants cannot finish the work period with the type of push-up they are performing, they should try an easier type of push-up (knees, hands on bench, negatives, wall push-ups) to complete the work period. It is imperative that participants continue to perform the push up movement, including the easier type of push-ups, throughout the entire work period to ensure maximum results.
- If a participant misses a workout, they should be able to make it up as soon as possible before the next training session to ensure adequate rest and recovery.
- This training program can be altered as necessary. The key elements are providing a certain amount of work each session and increasing the intensity or duration (or both) from week to week.
1.0 Mile Run
Complete the 1.0 mile run in under 10:00 minutes without stopping or walking any portion.
Fitness Tips: Running Improvement Plan
Aerobic Training Phase
Week One |
|||||
| Day | Distance
(Miles) |
Reps
(# of Times) |
Relief Walk
(Minutes) |
Total Distance
(Miles) |
Goal Time
|
| 1 | .5 | 2 | 4 | 1.5 | n/a |
| .25 | 2 | 2 | |||
| 2 | .75 | 2 | 4 | 2 | n/a |
| 3 | 1.5 | 1 | none | 1.5 | n/a |
Week Two |
|||||
| 1 | .75 | 2 | 4 | 2 | n/a |
| .25 | 2 | 2 | |||
| 2 | .75 | 2 | 4 | 2 | n/a |
| .5 | 1 | none | |||
| 3 | 1 | 1 | none | 2 | n/a |
Week Three |
|||||
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2.5 | n/a |
| .5 | 1 | none | |||
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2.5 | n/a |
| .75 | 2 | 4 | |||
| 3 | 2.5 | 1 | none | 2.5 | n/a |
Week Four |
|||||
| 1 | 1.5 | 1 | 5 | 3 | n/a |
| 1 | 1 | 4 | |||
| .5 | 1 | none | |||
| 2 | 1.5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | n/a |
| 3 | 3 | 1 | none | 3 | n/a |
Speed Training Phase
Week One |
|||||
| Day | Distance
(Yards) |
Reps
(# of Times) |
Rest Ratio
(Minutes) |
Total Distance
(Miles) |
Goal Time
|
| 1 | 880 | 3 | 2 | 1.5 | 3:00 |
| 2 | 220 | 6 | 3 | .75 | :35 |
| 3 | 440 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1:15 |
Week Two |
|||||
| Day | Distance
(Yards) |
Reps
(# of Times) |
Rest Ratio
(Minutes) |
Total Distance
(Miles) |
Goal Time
|
| 1 | 880 | 2 | 2 | 1.5 | 2:55 |
| 220 | 4 | 3 | :35 | ||
| 2 | 330 | 4 | 3 | .75 | :55 |
| 3 | 220 | 6 | 3 | .75 | :35 |
Week Three |
|||||
| Day | Distance
(Yards) |
Reps
(# of Times) |
Rest Ratio
(Minutes) |
Total Distance
(Miles) |
Goal Time
|
| 1 | 660 | 2 | 2 | 1.25 | 2:00 |
| 440 | 2 | 3 | 1:15 | ||
| 2 | 220 | 6 | 3 | .75 | :34 |
| 3 | 110 | 10 | 3 | .65 | :15 |
Week Four |
|||||
| Day | Distance
(Yards) |
Reps
(# of Times) |
Rest Ratio
(Minutes) |
Total Distance
(Miles) |
Goal Time
|
| 1 | 880 | 1 | 2 | 1.5 | 2:50 |
| 660 | 1 | 2 | 1:55 | ||
| 440 | 1 | 3 | 1:10 | ||
| 2 | 330 | 5 | 3 | .95 | :55 |
| 3 | 110 | 12 | 3 | .75 | :15 |
Contact Information
P: 480-312-HIRE (4473)
For Scottsdale P.D. employment inquiries, email spdpersonnel@ScottsdaleAZ.gov
The City of Scottsdale is an Equal Opportunity Employer