A FIRST RESPONDER'S GUIDE TO EXERCISE SELECTION

As a first responder, time is a treasured resource. When you’re on the job, being able to perform efficiently is a requirement of performing effectively, and likewise, when you’re off shift you want to maximise the little downtime you’ve been granted. This involves squeezing in quality time with family and friends, rest and recovery, housework, parenting and – when you find the time – training.

With so many things competing for your downtime, you don’t want to waste any of it in the gym doing exercises that aren’t worthwhile. This eventually leads everyone to ask the same kinds of questions; Are dumbbells better than barbells? Should I front squat or back squat? Are deadlifts a good exercise?

We’re all looking to get the most value from the time we invest in the gym, and thousands of fitness influencers and online ‘experts’ are capitalising on this to steal your attention with their content. They’re arbitrarily claiming certain exercises to be better than others, or marketing one program to an entire population of people without knowing individual needs or goals. The unfortunate truth is that it’s not that simple, but all it takes is a bit of critical thinking and some understanding around what it actually is that you require in the first place.  

"With so many things competing for your downtime, you don’t want to waste any of it in the gym doing exercises that aren’t worthwhile."

Context is Key

The most important thing when it comes to categorising an exercise as good or bad is the context in which it is being used. You would expect an Olympic Sprinter to have a solid S&C program - but if you handed that same program to a paramedic, it would no longer suit their context. That would make it a poor program as it relates to that person’s goals.

The same can be said for individual exercises. Generally speaking, the load capacity of a front squat is going to address the lifting and carrying demands of first responders better than a goblet squat, but if you have a shoulder mobility issue that prevents you from getting to a safe front rack, goblet squats are great! This is why it’s not as simple as saying front squats are better than goblet squats, even though thousands of claims just like this are all over social media.

Likewise, hang cleans are a great way for members of police tactical response teams to develop their rate of force development (how quickly you can generate force) for the explosive demands of their role, but it will have limited occupational transfer for an officer working in forensics. It pays to figure out exactly what your occupational demands are and use your S&C program to address them. For a deep dive into this topic, check out the follow-up article on writing a Needs Analysis for S&C training, but in the short term, you can answer three simple questions to help guide your exercise selection.

Cyber or Kinetic?

Imagine a sliding scale with ‘Cyber’ at one end, and ‘Kinetic’ at the other. Where would you place your role?

At the ‘Cyber’ end will be desk-based jobs that revolve entirely around the use of computer. There is no movement involved, as the entirety of this job is performed online and the level of performance is not dependent on physical capacities. A police officer on foot patrol would be all the way down the ‘Kinetic’ end of the scale, as the entirety of the job is performed on foot and is based around movement, and the ability to perform in this role is dependent on physical capacities.

There aren’t many emergency service positions that don’t involve some level of movement, so chances are you’ll have to decide exactly where your role sits somewhere along this scale. Don’t panic if you’re not entirely sure where you belong – this, in conjunction with other factors, will simply act as a guide for your training plan.

Static or Dynamic?

On face value, this classification is similar to ‘Cyber’ or ‘Kinetic’, however having already defined how much movement is required in your role, we’re now looking at what types of movements are required. For example, the police officer on foot patrol is at the ‘Kinetic’ end of the previous scale, however the majority of her movement is not particularly dynamic (that is, a variety of movement patterns in response to changing stimulus), so when deciding if her role is static or dynamic, she may place herself somewhere in the middle.

Compare that to a member of a police tactical response team. They may not be called on for large portions of the day, but when they are, their movement is going to be highly dynamic with lots of unpredictability, position changes, and explosive or rapid movements. While they may be towards the middle of the ‘Cyber’ or ‘Kinetic’ scale, they will be at the ‘Dynamic’ end of this scale.

Foot Patrol:

Tactical Response Team:

Balance or Counterbalance?

Does your role involve managing your own bodyweight, or are you handling external objects/weights?

Building on our previous example, the officer on foot patrol is wearing around 6kg of additional load and they may have to control a resisting offender. Our tactical response team member is wearing upwards of 10kg of additional load, carrying large weapons, and using heavy tools which requires strength and stability to manipulate safely.

Our officer on foot patrol would be around the middle of the ‘Balance’ and ‘Counterbalance’ scale, while our tactical response team member is up the ‘Counterbalance’ end.

After answering these questions, we have two very different sets of scales:

Foot Patrol:

Tactical Response Team:

Application

At this stage, it’s important to note that this method does not inform whether or not you need to train, but it guides the type of training you should be doing to maximise your occupational performance. Every first responder – even those in sedentary or desk-based positions – should maintain a base-level of strength.  

• Cyber/Kinetic Informs Stability

Those close to the ‘Cyber’ end do not require as much unstable training in their program to maximise their occupational performance, while those closer to the ‘Kinetic’ end should include more unstable exercises the further up the scale they sit.

For example, the officer on foot patrol would benefit from more instability-based movements, so single-limb, free-weight exercises would take precedence over machine-based exercises. The tactical response team member would benefit from a little bit of both, so they may opt for something in between, like a bilateral barbell movement.

• Static/Dynamic Informs Movement Speed  

Dynamic occupations need to apply force quickly, so low-rep, explosive movements such as plyometrics, hang cleans, push presses, sprints and throws will translate to occupational performance. Those closer to the ‘Static’ end of the scale don’t need to address these explosive movement patterns as much and can instead focus on including a variety of exercises across multiple rep ranges.   

• Balance/Counterbalance Informs Load Management and Type of Resistance

Roles high on the ‘Counterbalance’ end will suffer from a decrease in performance if force production or endurance is negatively impacted by the previous day’s training. For that reason, exercises that have limited loading in the eccentric phase are user-friendly because they won’t cause too much tissue damage or soreness, and likewise with low rep but heavier movements. It is important to be aware of Central Nervous System (CNS) fatigue with this style of training, meaning frequent rest days are an important consideration.

Sample Sessions

The following is an example of a lower body strength session for each of our two police officers based on their sliding scales.

Foot Patrol Tactical Response Team

Looking first at the similarities, both sessions include multiple rep ranges, movement planes and muscle groups. Both sessions have some plyometrics to address the dynamic demands of the occupations, as well as movements that can be loaded quite heavily to continue building a general strength base.

In terms of differences, the officer on foot patrol has more kinetic demands, so we’ve introduced instability by opting for a lunge instead of a squat. Similarly, the B-Stance RDL allows for a bit of instability by splitting the feet, but it also introduces an unconventional position which translates well to policing. The rep ranges are a bit higher because movement speed is not such a priority.

The tactical response team member’s training session looks very different, with more focus on plyometric/explosive movements and multiple methods of loading (overcoming isometrics and concentric only) which are chosen specifically to limit tissue damage and increase next-day performance. Opting for a front squat allows for more load capacity compared to the lunge but also has less neural load than a back squat because we’re not directly loading the spine, so CNS fatigue is not so severe. Finally, the Bulgarian Split Squat addresses the requirement for a little bit of instability.

Summary

There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to S&C, so understanding the context of your role is essential when it comes to exercise selection for first responders. What matters more than the value of the exercise itself, is how well it aligns with the physical demands, movement patterns and load requirements of your job. By considering the Cyber/Kinetic, Static/Dynamic and Balance/Counterbalance scales, you can be guided in your exercise selection to build a program that considers performance requirements without adding unnecessary risk or fatigue.

This framework will empower you to train with purpose, maximise your time and prioritise the qualities that will matter most to you in the field. With thoughtful planning and consideration, your training becomes a valuable investment in your safety, resilience and occupational effectiveness.