Emergency beep test training

If you are applying to join the armed forces, police or fire brigade then chances are that you’ll have a fairly lengthy selection process to go through.  This should give you plenty of time to prepare for your beep test so that you can follow a structured 8 – 10 week program then taper for the test and turn up on the day well rested and prepared to smash the test.

However sometimes you may be called on to do your fitness test at much shorter notice or, human nature being what it is you may have just procrastinated until a few weeks before the test and then realised that you’ve got some work to do!

In this case trying to train using part of longer program is unlikely to work because these programs rely on building volume and intensity over time and they incorporate more rest and recovery to keep the program sustainable.  This means that they are not as effective in the short term as a harder program and with only a few weeks to go they may not get you over the line.

Enter what I like to call the “Crash” program.  A crash program is a short (no more than 4 weeks) program designed to optimise your fitness and before a test but not designed for long term use because of its high volume and intensity which is carried over for an extended time would certainly lead to overtraining and possible overuse injuries.

A crash program focuses on changing the things that can be changed in a short period  of time but may sacrifice longer term goals.  In the case of a beep test crash program the focus is on the following.

Familiarity with the test – Practice beep tests are run often to gauge progress, to familiarise the trainee with the test and to allow lots of practice at the technique of running the test.

High intensity workouts – these include running levels of the beep test combined with other high intensity exercises such as kettlebell drills.  This provides overload and the opportunity to strengthen muscles and movements that may benefit beep test performance.

A very limited amount of long distance work – Often in a crash program we’ll perform zero long runs because we want to optimise for shorter intervals and spending a session running 5km is taking away from our limited training time.

Frequent workouts – On a crash program it’s not unusual to train on 6 days of the week with a possibility of 2 a day workouts.  One full day of rest is prescribed per week and a couple of days of rest mid cycle.  Leading into the test there is a brief taper but it’s not unusual for the trainee to experience some residual fatigue from the cycle.

Sample crash program schedule

Monday – Run full beep test – record result.  Finish with 4 x 400m with 1:00 rests

Tuesday – Run timed intervals with kettlebell work run 1:00 + 20 swings x 10 rounds

Wednesday – Run full beep test, rest 5min, run full beep test

Thursday – run 4 x 400 – 800m with 3:00 rests

Friday – Beep test circuit incorporating beep test levels, bodyweight exercises and kettlebells

Saturday – Run 2 x 1.6 – 2.4km intervals

Sunday – rest

For details of two complete Crash programs for beginner and intermediate levels check out  “Beat the Beep Test” 2nd edition with over 20 pages of new programs and information.

www.beatthebeeptest.com

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