Police & Military Fitness Test Preparation

Police and military fitness test preparation is a specific challenge, and it rewards a specific kind of training. Over the years I have helped people in Vogošća and Sarajevo prepare for entrance tests, and the pattern is always the same: those who train with a clear plan pass comfortably, while those who just show up and hope tend to struggle. A fitness test is not a mystery. It is a set of known standards you can prepare for methodically, and that is exactly what we do.

In this guide I will break down how to train the common test components, how to structure your weeks, and how to peak so you perform on the day.

Police and military fitness test preparation starts with the standards

The first step is simple: find out exactly what your test involves and what the passing standards are. These vary by force and country, but most tests combine a few classic elements. Knowing your targets turns a vague goal into a concrete plan with numbers to hit.

• A timed run or shuttle run to test endurance.
• Push-ups, often for a set count or within a time limit.
• Pull-ups or a hanging test for upper-body strength.
• Sit-ups or a core test.
• Sometimes a strength or agility component.

Once we know the exact standards, we work backwards. If you need to run a certain distance in a certain time and do a certain number of push-ups, those become the measurable goals we build the whole program around.

Training the run

Running is where most people either pass or fail, and it responds beautifully to structured training. The mistake is running the same steady pace every time and expecting to get faster. You need variety.

Build the base

Steady, easy-paced runs build the aerobic engine that everything else sits on. Early in your preparation, most of your running should be at a comfortable, conversational pace to build endurance without burning you out.

Add intervals

To get faster, you need to train faster. Intervals, such as repeated efforts at your target pace with recovery between them, teach your body to sustain the speed the test demands. This is the work that drops your run time.

Practise the test distance

As the test approaches, regularly run the exact distance at the exact pace you need, so it becomes familiar and you know precisely where you stand. Nothing builds confidence like hitting your target in training.

Training push-ups and upper-body pushing

Push-ups improve with a smart mix of practice and strength work. Grinding out sloppy reps every day is not the answer.

• Practise the movement several times a week with good form, stopping a rep or two short of failure to build volume without burning out.
• Build pushing strength with bench press, dumbbell press and dips, which raise your ceiling so test reps feel easier.
• Use rep targets and progress them week to week, adding reps or sets gradually.

Quality reps that match the test standard matter more than a huge number of half reps that would not count on the day.

Training pull-ups

Pull-ups are the component people find hardest, especially if they are starting from zero. The path up is well established and it works.

• If you cannot do one yet: use band-assisted pull-ups and slow lowering from the top to build the strength.
• Add rows to build the back and arm strength that pull-ups demand.
• Practise regularly with quality reps, gradually reducing assistance as you get stronger.

Progress on pull-ups can feel slow, but it is very trainable with consistency. Watching a client go from zero to a solid set is one of the more satisfying parts of this work, and it is exactly the kind of specific goal a coach helps you reach. You can see how I work if you want that structure.

Putting it into a weekly plan

The art of test prep is fitting running, strength and skill practice into a week without overtraining. A balanced week for someone with a few months to prepare might look like this.

• Two to three runs: one easy base run, one interval session, and later a test-pace run.
• Two strength sessions: full-body work covering pushing, pulling, squats and core.
• Skill practice: push-up and pull-up practice woven through the week, kept short of failure.
• At least one rest day so you recover and actually adapt to the work.

The exact balance depends on your starting point and which components you are weakest in, and that is where an individual plan pays off. Good general conditioning underpins all of it, and the fat-loss principles in my guide on how to lose weight and keep it off help too, since carrying less excess weight makes running and bodyweight tests easier.

Peaking for test day

In the final week or two, the goal shifts from building fitness to arriving fresh. This means reducing training volume while keeping some intensity, so you turn up rested rather than fatigued. Cramming hard sessions right before the test is a classic mistake that leaves people flat on the day. Trust the work you have banked, sleep well, and let your body sharpen.

The mental side

Fitness tests carry pressure, and nerves can undo good preparation. The best antidote is having rehearsed the test conditions so many times that the real thing feels familiar. When you have already hit your run time and rep targets in training, you step up to the test knowing you can do it. Preparation builds confidence, and confidence carries you through the day.

Don't neglect strength and durability

It is easy to focus entirely on the test movements and forget the general strength that supports them and keeps you healthy through months of training. Squats, deadlifts, lunges and core work build the robust body that handles high running volume without breaking down. Many people preparing for a test pick up overuse injuries precisely because they run and do push-ups constantly but never build the underlying strength to tolerate that load.

Two focused strength sessions a week are a wise investment even when the test itself is mostly running and bodyweight work. Strong legs and hips make you a more efficient runner, a solid core stabilises you in every movement, and balanced strength protects your knees, ankles and lower back from the repetitive stress of preparation. Think of strength work as the insurance that keeps your training on track all the way to test day.

Fuelling your preparation

Training this hard puts real demands on your body, and how you eat and recover determines whether you adapt or break down. Make sure you are eating enough to support the workload, with plenty of protein to repair muscle and enough carbohydrate to fuel your runs and conditioning. Hydration matters too, especially around longer sessions. And as always, sleep is where the adaptation actually happens, so protecting seven to nine hours a night is not optional if you want to arrive at the test sharp and healthy.

Getting started

If you have a police or military test on the horizon, start by learning the exact standards, then build a plan that targets each component while leaving room to recover. Give yourself enough time, ideally a few months, and train with intent. This is a goal with a clear finish line, and with the right preparation it is very achievable. If you want a plan built around your test and your current level, that is exactly the kind of focused work I do with clients.

The best results come from training built around your body and your goals, whether that is fat loss, coming back from an injury, or preparing for a test. I coach people in Vogošća and Sarajevo, and online across Bosnia. If you want a plan made specifically for you, see how I work and get in touch.