PCA/Fitness test

Catdog33 · 04-07-2015 1:07pm

I think I got my PCA about three weeks after my betting forms arrived. About 6 weeks notice then to pca

B999B · 06-07-2015 8:54am

Did I hear the push-pull is no longer part of the PCA or did I get the wrong end of the stick? Could've swore that's what they said at the familiarisation session.

jaylu · 06-07-2015 10:35am

No it's definitely still part of it.........did my PCA last week and had to do it.

Razer33 · 06-07-2015 10:49am

B999B wrote: »

Did I hear the push-pull is no longer part of the PCA or did I get the wrong end of the stick? Could've swore that's what they said at the familiarisation session.

Was told at my familiarisation on Friday that it was no longer part of the PCA

jaylu · 06-07-2015 10:55am

Fair enough, wish they'd said that at mine! hah.

KevBo2015 · 06-07-2015 11:00am

Heard this too from a friend of mine who was at a session last week. I'd assume it's to increase the female success rate?

Red_bull · 06-07-2015 11:13am

Though I think that'll hinder the overall quality of officers going out. If you aren't strong enough to pass that then if you do have a tussle it mightn't end well.

captain truth · 06-07-2015 11:16am

I hope it is still in as it's a vital reflection on physical ability and whether a potential recruit has enough strength to "brawl" with a suspect if it comes down to it. It is currently set at 26kg, which is unfortunately not nearly adequate. The average male is over 80kg and can bench press about 70kg. Therefore the push/pull should be much closer to these numbers. But that's just my opinion!

820sox · 06-07-2015 11:24am

Red_bull wrote: »

Though I think that'll hinder the overall quality of officers going out. If you aren't strong enough to pass that then if you do have a tussle it mightn't end well.

Not sure what the thinking behind it was, but might have to do it once you get into g'ville after you've had some specific training.

I'm pretty small and I know I'd really have struggled with the push pull, solely because of the height the machine. And I was training hard for that aspect of the test.

If it was height adjustable I think it would have been a different case.

The keyboard warrior · 06-07-2015 11:26am

Yes, I believe we are the first group not to have to do the push pull.

Personally, having spent 8months weight training I was a bit surprised. However I know a number of females who passed last year's push pull and failed the course.

Just because the push pull element is removed, doesn't mean that everyone will go through

HighburyLad · 06-07-2015 11:48am

So what's next we don't get a certain quota again so let's take the whole pca away as we had before, genuinely don't know the thinking behind this, I had heard the pca is still catching folks out so I'm assuming this is the answer. If someone is after an assailant and they get into a physical altercation which will happen, I doubt they will step aside and say I'm sorry constable lock me up, no matter the size of the person or the physicality. Also people before us have done the physical and passed and with only one shot, now it's changing again, I'm not sure what to think.

KevBo2015 · 06-07-2015 11:54am

captain truth wrote: »

The average male is over 80kg and can bench press about 70kg. Therefore the push/pull should be much closer to these numbers. But that's just my opinion!

I can tell you now as the only one at my PCA who pushed over 70kg, among 30 males. If that was the standard then they would all fail. I think its meant to stimulate a struggle yes, but there will always be 'back up' as such on its way so your not expected to wrestle a 80kg male. Few could.

loblaw83 · 06-07-2015 1:07pm

KevBo2015 wrote: »

I can tell you now as the only one at my PCA who pushed over 70kg, among 30 males. If that was the standard then they would all fail. I think its meant to stimulate a struggle yes, but there will always be 'back up' as such on its way so your not expected to wrestle a 80kg male. Few could.

Surely they don't tell you your score or ranking among others at the PCA?

LovelyHorse · 06-07-2015 1:08pm

I agree with Kev. I don't think you could push/pull the same weight as you could bench. I stuck with the 5 day training program that they gave me at the end of the Assessment Centre. It worked for me, as it's specifically designed for the PCA.

I followed the program and once i got into the flow, i began to do some weights at the end while i felt completely drained. My thought was i wanted to know i could tackle the push pull after the course. I would alternately do pull ups/chin ups in place of weights - anything that would replicate the motion of the push/pull.

Also, i got a few injuries from all the running, so when i had to rest my leg for a recovery period, i tried to maintain the same level of cardio, but with alternate exercises; rowing at a hard intensity is useful as you are replicating the push pull motion.

The PCA requires short, intense, explosive energy release. It is anaerobic, not aerobic. Alternately sprinting and jogging, or doing short sprints with very short intervals in between is very useful trainjng. Be careful to stretch and avoid injuries. If you do feel one coming on, see a good sports physio and find a way to maintain your fitness with alternate exercises.

On the day try to keep your cool, do things as clean as possible and don't worry if you make a mistake (i made one or two) but was fine. Repeat the obstacle and just keep going. You're more likely to become clumsy as you tire, so just try to be aware of that and take the obstacles one at a time. You don't need to memorise it all; the fitness instructor will talk you through each one.

KevBo2015 · 06-07-2015 1:34pm

No they don't tell you the score or ranking, on thee day of the fam visit everyone lines up and you all have a go at the push/pull and chatting to everyone else, normally asking what they got on the push pull etc.

Good advice from above, its 5 mins. Train for it. Hard as you can for 5 mins.

WannabePC · 07-07-2015 12:29am

The keyboard warrior wrote: »

Yes, I believe we are the first group not to have to do the push pull.

Personally, having spent 8months weight training I was a bit surprised. However I know a number of females who passed last year's push pull and failed the course.

Just because the push pull element is removed, doesn't mean that everyone will go through

Can I ask what the guys you know did fail for if you know?

Jalapeno peppers · 07-07-2015 8:12am

Have they taken the push pull out?
The actual course itself is the hard part in my opinion!

Catdog33 · 07-07-2015 8:57am

Jalapeno peppers wrote: »

Have they taken the push pull out?
The actual course itself is the hard part in my opinion!

Seems like it jalapeño! I think the course is the hardest part too! Don't understand the logic!

Jalapeno peppers · 07-07-2015 9:15am

I am still glad I did it with the push pull involved it will prepare me for doing it again down the line

Derob · 07-07-2015 10:11am

Catdog33 wrote: »

Seems like it jalapeño! I think the course is the hardest part too! Don't understand the logic!

What bit do you think is the hardest, every time I watch the video it doesn't look too challenging! Only main thing I can see for women is getting up over the wall but if trained hard that shouldn't really be an issue until maybe the third lap when out of steam!

Jalapeno peppers · 07-07-2015 10:14am

The wall is fine I'm a tall female and had no issues- its the cardio of doing it all together I think especially because you don't know the lap times you can't pace yourself so you just have to literally do it as fast as possible you can't conserve energy or catch your breath!

820sox · 07-07-2015 10:14am

Derob wrote: »

What bit do you think is the hardest, every time I watch the video it doesn't look too challenging! Only main thing I can see for women is getting up over the wall but if trained hard that shouldn't really be an issue until maybe the third lap when out of steam!

The course itself is easy if you go at the pace the girl in the video does.

I trained hard, and no amount of sprints prepared me for that. I was close to boking from pushing as hard as I could.

Derob · 07-07-2015 10:17am

Hopefully luck is on my side on the day, battling nerves I reckon will be the main thing but with amount of training I'm hoping I'll push through even if it means boking lol

jackrabbit09 · 07-07-2015 10:18am

820sox wrote: »

The course itself is easy if you go at the pace the girl in the video does.

I trained hard, and no amount of sprints prepared me for that. I was close to boking from pushing as hard as I could.

I underestimated it too. Girl in video makes it look easy. Looking back I should have organised my training more around the stop start idea. That's what caught me out. Pace yourself for lap one and two and go for it lap three.
I guarantee you at lap three you will feel your lungs rip out of you for air

820sox · 07-07-2015 10:21am

Derob wrote: »

Hopefully luck is on my side on the day, battling nerves I reckon will be the main thing but with amount of training I'm hoping I'll push through even if it means boking lol

Honestly, I was horrendously nervous, having nightmares of everything that could have possibly went wrong.

I would say just go as hard as you can, max 4 mins of work, but try and do it all as cleanly as you can.
I felt pretty grim after it, but I knew there was nothing more I could have done because I push as hard as I could. Wish I could have wore my HR monitor to see how bad it was haha.

The keyboard warrior · 07-07-2015 10:24am

Don't underestimate the difficulty. The course is high intensity so your muscles fatigue very quickly, by lap two my legs had turned to jelly.

820sox · 07-07-2015 10:26am

The keyboard warrior wrote: »

Don't underestimate the difficulty. The course is high intensity so your muscles fatigue very quickly, by lap two my legs had turned to jelly.

Agreed with this!! I got to the second wall and it was both, get over the physical wall and hitting the metaphorical wall!!

I've never felt my legs go like that before haha.

KevBo2015 · 07-07-2015 10:35am

The video is definitely misleading, the girl in it must be fit as a fiddle as they say! She was there on the day of my PCA and definitely looks fit!!

Its just about leaving it all on the gym floor on the day, don't got for 10 mile runs, train specific. HIIT is a good way to train for it, you are all out for 4 min.

fish2690 · 07-07-2015 12:02pm

Who uses the 'Basic PCA Training Programme' that the PSNI provide?

07-07-2015 11:43pm

captain truth wrote: »

I hope it is still in as it's a vital reflection on physical ability and whether a potential recruit has enough strength to "brawl" with a suspect if it comes down to it. It is currently set at 26kg, which is unfortunately not nearly adequate. The average male is over 80kg and can bench press about 70kg. Therefore the push/pull should be much closer to these numbers. But that's just my opinion!

Mate, the average male cannot bench press 70kg. Not sure where you're getting that from? It's closer to 40-50 for someone who doesn't train.

And push pull isn't about pressing someone over your chest. It is about dynamic movement, and it simulates literally a situation where you either have to push someone away from you, or pull yourself away from someone trying to drag you towards them.

I do believe the limit is too low, by a few kilograms. But the numbers you're mentioning are ridiculous.

PCA/Fitness test

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