3 Step Process for Cops to Make Working Out a Routine

Mar 22, 2021
 

 

Starting a workout routine can be challenging.

 

Habit formation requires 18 to 254 days for a person to form a new habit and an average of 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic.

Starting a workout routine takes time, energy, focus, and determination.

We created this article with 3 simple steps for you to implement and get started training consistently today.

 

The 3 Steps: Crawl… Walk… Run

 

The Crawl, Walk, Run (CWR) training methodology is used in the US Military to train soldiers for combat, but it can be a highly effective concept to apply anywhere in your life, and is especially beneficial for beginning your fitness training journey.

 

 

Step 1: Crawl

The crawl portion of this method is creating a goal and a plan to achieve that goal.

 
Goal Setting

Everything starts with a goal.

Start by writing down this goal in a journal, on a social media platform, in your phone, or wherever you want to get it out of your brain and start to bring this goal to reality.

 

"The difference between a dream and a goal is that a goal is written down" - Mark England

 

Make your goal specific, measurable, and timely.

Anyone should be able to answer the following questions when they read your written down goal:

  • What do you want to achieve?
  • How will you know when the goal has been achieved?
  • By when will this goal be achieved?

We recommend writing goals using this formula:

"By April 2022, I have ________"

Time + past tense verb + goal

 

Find a Plan

Once the goal has been set, it's time to find a plan to help you reach that goal. Find a plan that has been proven to work with people like yourself and invest in it.

We recommend investing and buying a program or getting a coach instead of creating your own plan.

The financial investment increases accountability and ensures you are getting the right amount of workouts for where you are at.

Look... we are saying this not because we want you to buy our programs but because we believe in this principle.

The coaches of Effective Fitness have coaches!

We want to be held accountable and be told exactly what to do when we go to the gym so we don't have to think about it.

This leads us to the next step...

 

 

Step 2: Walk

The Walk portion of this method is where the ball really starts rolling. This is where you begin to implement your plan that you purchased to get you to your fitness and health goals.

An example of the Walk phase would be getting through x amount of workouts in a week (whatever that number may be for you, which is different than it is for others).

This could also be mastering the technique of the basic movement patterns - squatting, hinging at the hip (deadlift), pressing, pulling, and maybe even preparing your body to run.

The key to this step is starting out slow.

Let's say you set the goal of "By April 2022, I worked out on average of 5x a week in the past month"

In the Walk step, you are making it to the gym 3-4x a week consistently. You are slowly building up to your goal in a sustainable manner.

And the final step...

 

 

Step 3: Run

The Run step of the CWR Method would be where it all comes together. A consistent and sustainable training program that you can adhere to week after week after week.

One that you ENJOY!

This is where you will truly begin measuring progress by how much weight is lifted, the amount of sets and reps done, the possible decrease in rest time, the decrease in time it takes you to recover, etc.

By this point, your plan and all your basics should be mastered.

You are achieving the goals you get in the crawl phase and it is time to make new goals!

Note: It is important to remember that this is a process that does not happen overnight. You do not walk until you crawl for quite some time! And you do not run until you master walking.

All of these steps take time, patience, and consistency.

Plan for it to take 3-6 months before your workouts are a habit and part of your daily routine. You will get there, stick with it and remind yourself WHY you are training.

It is very helpful to look back at the goals you set and revisit them multiple times per week as motivation to continue even when you don't feel like it.

 

Training Recommendations

Our advice to you is to start slow.

Find a training schedule and routine that works for you right now, with what’s currently present in your life (work schedule, family time, hobby time, etc.)

If this is committing to training 1 day each week, perfect! Start there.

Train consistently 1x per week until your goals require more; then adjust as needed. The training program that WORKS is the one that is SUSTAINABLE, the one that you can stick to, and the one that is enjoyable.

You do not need to train 5+ times per week to achieve your goals; this is why we use the Minimal Effective Dose Method. Our sessions last 45-60 minutes max, and the majority of our members train 2-4x per week with consistent, measurable results.

 

(COMING SOON) The Intro to Effective Fitness Program

Our team is designing a 12-week fitness program for law enforcement officers who want to start working out and master the basics.

By the end of this program, you will be excited to workout every day.

This program is focused on mastering bodyweight exercises and movement patterns including squatting, hip hinging, horizontal and vertical pressing, horizontal and vertical pulling, and running.

The first 4 weeks are focused on developing the basics. We will be learning to move in a safe and efficient manner before adding an external load to your movements.

This will:

  1. Build good training habits to making working out part of your daily routine by the end of the program
  2. Improve your technique so you start working out with the best technique
  3. Prep your body for adding weight to your movements and reducing the risk for injury from progressing too quickly

The second 4 weeks of this program introduces adding weight to these movement patterns with minimal equipment such as a set of dumbbells, kettlebells or a sandbag. 

The final 4 weeks introduces the barbell. This block is going to be focused on learning and mastering the:

  • Back Squat
  • Bench Press
  • Strict (Military) Press
  • Bent-Over Row
  • Deadlift

This program is perfect for officers who have started programs in the past and fell off due to "life" or other things that prevented you from making exercise a habit.

 

When will the program be available?

We are releasing this program on April 1st.

On that date, we will give you even more specifics on what to expect inside the program.

In the meantime, join a gym or start getting some gym equipment ready at home to start this journey.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions about implementing these steps or want help with goal-setting, reach out to us at [email protected]. We are here to support you and make law enforcement officers more effective.