PCA/Fitness test

wanadrum

Starting a thread for the physical competency assessment as people quite often bring it up on the other threads and it sometimes leads to a load of posts.

Not sure when they will start calling people for this stage, but it seems like the PCA isn't too tough to be honest.

picture987

Of all the elements of the process I think this would be the one I find easiest. I'm a complete fitness freak however I think this could lead to me underestimating the test. I'd be terrified of making silly mistakes and costing myself time if I made it as far as the fitness test.

I noticed in the other thread people talking about the fitness and medical elements almost as if they were one. Some were concerned for example that they technically are overweight or have a higher BMI than recommended but are physically fit. It's worth noting that the physical test should be prior to the medical therefore you have proved your fitness, so long as your weight isn't jeopardising your health you should also pass the medical

JaneTennison

Don't underestimate the PCA. It's tough enough, even if you are very fit. It's a combination of things, fitness being one, however, you have obstacles to complete and if you kick a cone or knock something down or don't hit a mark then you have to redo that obstacle thus incurring time penalties.

For any ladies out there, and I've said this before, especially those on the petite side, get working on the strength. It's where the females fall down.

If you fail this you will not get in. If you fail this at the end of your course you will not graduate and you will get binned. Harsh but true.

Do plenty of HIIT training and get lifting. Watch the video online and familiarise yourself with the circuit. When you go to do your test you will be walked round the course and have each component explained to you and also what will incur a penalty. You will get 5 mins to practice any element of it you need to.

It's very unlikely that you'll get told your result on the day. So more waiting I'm afraid.

It's 3 laps of the circuit in 3:43 or less and an average of 26kgf over 20 seconds on the push/pull.

3:44 and you fail. 25kgf and you fail.

If you haven't been hitting the gym and plan to wait until you see if you get that far my advice is get your arse to the gym NOW. Be prepared.

ctaylorf

Thanks JaneTennison..Some good advice. If I get through to the PCA, the push/pull is the part I would be most worried about as I guess I'm on the "petite" side. I need to start working on my strength.
Has anyone got a link to a video online of the PCA?

JaneTennison

There was a video on the join PSNI website but it seems to have disappeared and now there's just a diagram.

Your start point is at two cones with laser attached. Once you go through the cones and break the laser, the clock starts ticking.

You have a 10 metre sprint then you turn left round a cone and go into Station 1one which is a crawl. This is a short "tunnel" for want of a better word. It's about a metre wide and the tops made up of loose poles. Keep low through this, if you knock one of the poles down you will have to do it again.

Once through that you come to Station 2, the jump. This is across a standard gym mat. You must must touch the mat, again, if your feet touch it, then you'll have to redo it.

After this you have another short sprint, and onto Station 3 the stairs. This is to replicate getting into the back of a land rover. At the start and end of this obstacle is another loose pole, knock or touch the pole at either end and you will have to redo. This is one you don't want to catch as it's one of the biggest obstacles and to redo will cost you time. Keep low on the entrance and exit.

Once you come down the stairs on the other side you are at Station 4, an L shaped balance beam. There is a black line at either end of the beam and you must touch the black line at either end. There's also a cone in the L, to prevent you cutting the corner. Touch it or miss the black lines here and you'll have to redo.

You come off the beam to Station 5, which is the gate, and you have to climb up and over it and land on the other side.

Once over that you are onto Station 6, the weave. This involves, strangely enough, weaving around cones. Again clip or hit a cone and you'll be redoing this one.

Then another short dash will take you to Station 7, weighted cones. These are basically your bog standard traffic cone, however the bases are filled with sand. The are in a rectangular box, you lift them out of the box carry them around a cone and then you put them back. The cones must be inside the box. If you're outside the box then you can't just push them back in, you will have to pick them up, and do it again.

Then Station 8, the drag. This is a big canvas weighted dummy type thing. I think it's about 5 stone. You drag this forward and back between two white lines marked on the floor. All of the dummy must be over the white line at each end.

After this, you sprint 10 metres. Left round a cone and sprint 20 metres and that brings you back to the start finish point and you do the whole circuit again, twice.

Once you've completed your three laps you keep moving and go directly to the push pull machine. You can't get a drink or take a breather, it's straight onto it.

You don't actually push against a set weight, the machine is designed that it will match the force you exert on it. The examiner will ask you to do one test push forward and back before you start, there are beeps at each end.

The required standard is 26kgf average over 20 seconds. Give it loads of welly. Get a good strong stance and a good grip on the handles.

It's worth noting the push pull machine is fixed and not height adjustable.

Then that's it over!

The PTI will go round it with you but he/she will only be giving you instructions, and letting you know if you need to redo any part. It's normally "back!" if you make a mistake.
You will not get any indication of your time nor your score on the push pull.

Good luck!

Dekkers

Cheers JaneTennison! Great to have a resource such as yourself on here. Tried a few of the elements of the course on one of the info days and found it alright. The PT that was there wouldn't (couldn't?) give me an indication of how I did on the push/pull but said I had the technique right. Think you are right regarding the drag as it represents the exertion required when dragging an average sized person. Is it fair to say that the PCA isn't just measuring fitness but composure? As you mentioned if you make a mistake you incur a time penalty so nerves could play a huge part. 'The 'landrover simulation' is a particularly tight space for some I'd say.

JaneTennison

Absolutely Dekkers. You will also be tiring by the time you hit lap 3 and more likely to slip up.
The PCA will challenge most people at different points, like you say, some spaces are tight for the big lads, whereas they'll be strong - those more slight will will able to get through the crawl and weave easier but may struggle with the drag and the push pull.

It's fair to say that all assessments you will face both in the recruitment process and once you're in training are designed to see how you are under pressure, it's just the nature of the business.

Dekkers

JaneTennison wrote: »

Absolutely Dekkers. You will also be tiring by the time you hit lap 3 and more likely to slip up.
The PCA will challenge most people at different points, like you say, some spaces are tight for the big lads, whereas they'll be strong - those more slight will will able to get through the crawl and weave easier but may struggle with the drag and the push pull.

It's fair to say that all assessments you will face both in the recruitment process and once you're in training are designed to see how you are under pressure, it's just the nature of the business.

Yeah that's my thoughts exactly (regarding the whole process). Certainly true for IST. I'd say many an intelligent person failed it due to loss of composure or feeling overwhelmed. Hopefully I'll get as far as the PCA and keep the head cool

notbrazil

PCA is nothing to worry about unless you are grossly unfit or have negligible upper body strength. I have seen people pass it who you'd think couldn't run the length of themselves. 3:40 is not stretch - in my experience, most people come in around the 3:10 mark. Just relax and don't rush - the only way to fail is to keep getting bits wrong and having to redo them.

Clare1304

notbrazil wrote: »

PCA is nothing to worry about unless you are grossly unfit or have negligible upper body strength. I have seen people pass it who you'd think couldn't run the length of themselves. 3:40 is not stretch - in my experience, most people come in around the 3:10 mark. Just relax and don't rush - the only way to fail is to keep getting bits wrong and having to redo them.

I think it's the push pull that's worrying more people, I tried it on one of those nights and found it really hard

notbrazil

Yes, the push/pull is difficult for people of a certain body type.

VES86

notbrazil wrote: »

Yes, the push/pull is difficult for people of a certain body type.

we keep hearing how those on the shorter size struggle with the push/pull, can you give us a rough idea of the height that people struggle from? as a 5'8 female who is pretty strong due to the heavy nature of my current job i dont feel to worried about the push pull, if i get there, but im wondering if i should be lol

DesertCreat_15

I got the highest score that the PT has seen on the P/P since she started the familiarisation days! Mind you it was only the third session! :pac:

If i get that far it won't be that i will be worried about, it's the crawl thing i can see there being issues with, thanks to these long legs ! :P

Clare1304

Raging, they didn't give us a score at my session

DesertCreat_15

She didn't! I kind of cheekily asked was my score much above the pass rate and she told me the above! :P

VES86

VES86 wrote: »

we keep hearing how those on the shorter size struggle with the push/pull, can you give us a rough idea of the height that people struggle from? as a 5'8 female who is pretty strong due to the heavy nature of my current job i dont feel to worried about the push pull, if i get there, but im wondering if i should be lol

5'8 is well above the height you should be worried at. I'd say roughly 5'4 and below and the ones who struggle, or a couple of inches taller with a very slight frame.

But the biggest problem with the PP is that many girls step up to it believing they've already failed - they can't can't muster the aggression that would give them those extra couple of kilos because they already have a sinking feeling in their stomach.

VES86

[Deleted User] wrote: »

5'8 is well above the height you should be worried at. I'd say roughly 5'4 and below and the ones who struggle, or a couple of inches taller with a very slight frame.

But the biggest problem with the PP is that many girls step up to it believing they've already failed - they can't can't muster the aggression that would give them those extra couple of kilos because they already have a sinking feeling in their stomach.

Cheers!!

VES86

[Deleted User] wrote: »

5'8 is well above the height you should be worried at. I'd say roughly 5'4 and below and the ones who struggle, or a couple of inches taller with a very slight frame.

But the biggest problem with the PP is that many girls step up to it believing they've already failed - they can't can't muster the aggression that would give them those extra couple of kilos because they already have a sinking feeling in their stomach.

Cheers!!

picture987

How's everyone's training going? I'm up to twice a day four days a week, once a day the other three. Just invested in a foam roller too, it's agonising but should keep me injury free

gigity gigity

Havent started any yet, will need to get the finger out and quit the fegs!

19087

I've been running several times a week for a few months and recently joined the gym to work on strength and 'explosive power'

DesertCreat_15

gigity gigity wrote: »

Havent started any yet, will need to get the finger out and quit the fegs!

Get on them vaporisers, i've a mate off the fegs thanks to them, message TDA2 there on the other thread, he uses a vaporiser too !

19087 wrote: »

I've been running several times a week for a few months and recently joined the gym to work on strength and 'explosive power'

I was off for a month of Dec with doc thinks may be shin splints so he advised me to take a rest for a while, that while lasted a month and thanks to Xmas, I am the proud owner of a wee set of love handles! Back in the rhythm now though!

student15

If anyone would like some help or tips for improving their fitness id be more than happy to help.
Its my current line of work and it'd just be a few good pointers that could help! Or even question them on this thread!

One thing I throughly recommend is crossfit as it is great for improving all around fitness and stops tedium setring in as it is constantly varied!!

DesertCreat_15

student15 wrote: »

If anyone would like some help or tips for improving their fitness id be more than happy to help.
Its my current line of work and it'd just be a few good pointers that could help! Or even question them on this thread!

One thing I throughly recommend is crossfit as it is great for improving all around fitness and stops tedium setring in as it is constantly varied!!

do u even lift mate :pac:

Just kidding, though thanks for that, im sure some of us will be take you up on your offer over the next 2 months! :P

student15

DesertCreat_15 wrote: »

do u even lift mate :pac:

Just kidding, though thanks for that, im sure some of us will be take you up on your offer over the next 2 months! :P

Text speak haha
Maybe I do maybe I dont!

Anything I do give out of course is free and just could be tailored towards someone who has a gym membership and those who don't!
Need to start the training now rather than later!


Remember yesterday you said you'd start tomorrow......
Good luck guys

DesertCreat_15

I've been training for nearly a year, just that month off in Dec felt like i was starting from scratch again !

student15

DesertCreat_15 wrote: »

I've been training for nearly a year, just that month off in Dec felt like i was starting from scratch again !

I know the feeling!
I'm a former fatty so ive tried lots of different things
Just happy to pool ideas!

DesertCreat_15

student15 wrote: »

I know the feeling!
I'm a former fatty so ive tried lots of different things
Just happy to pool ideas!

Fair play mucker, delighted that you've done great so far! Onwards and upwards !

Dekkers

I'm afraid I've slacked off over the past couple months too. IST sort of knocked the motivation out of me and then I started making the usual excuses...

Be clean living from now on though. Promise.

student15

Dekkers wrote: »

I'm afraid I've slacked off over the past couple months too. IST sort of knocked the motivation out of me and then I started making the usual excuses...

Be clean living from now on though. Promise.

Portion control and consistent exercise!
Honestly get onto weights
They burn more fat than cardio
Also try make your workouts at least 45mins long and by 45mins I mean 45mins work! Not tweeting or boarding etc
Your body normally runs dry of glycogen( main source of energy) stores by around 30mins so afyer that it looks to pull energy from other areas. Hello fat burning! High energy weild but also requires a lot of oxygen to mobilise and use!
Hence why sweat is your fat crying

Dekkers

student15 wrote: »

Portion control and consistent exercise!
Honestly get onto weights
They burn more fat than cardio
Also try make your workouts at least 45mins long and by 45mins I mean 45mins work! Not tweeting or boarding etc
Your body normally runs dry of glycogen( main source of energy) stores by around 30mins so afyer that it looks to pull energy from other areas. Hello fat burning! High energy weild but also requires a lot of oxygen to mobilise and use!
Hence why sweat is your fat crying

I actually don't have any fat to burn so was more into the weights. Not a fan of the bench though so was just doing dead lifts. Any good?

Was also doing a chin up technique where you raise your knees to chest level after you do the chin up. My God, the core was sore the next day!