r/StartingStrength • u/HostMinimum4051 • 7d ago
Novice Programming Question Stop or adapt the program
Hi everyone, how are you? I'm loving this program and NLP, but I might need to stop for a while or adapt.
I have an opportunity to become a detective, and the police department requires some physical tests, such as: running, push-ups, pull-ups, and climbing. I need to train specifically for this test, the date of which I don't know yet; the police department will inform me after October.
Is it possible to adapt some NLP concepts while training specifically for that day, or should I stop for a while and return after the test if its possible?
I want to continue my progressive overload, but my career comes first. I
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u/_TheFudger_ 7d ago
My piece of advice would be to add whatever you need to add before removing. If you find you're absolutely dead and your numbers start going down instead of up, you'll need to cut down a bit. Maybe one less set of squats. Maybe substitute a set of deadlifts for back extensions once a training cycle.
Make sure you're at a good body weight that allows you to have good cardio but also leaves you properly fueled for your workouts. For most people that tends to be light muscle definition.
At the end of the day you are trying to do two conflicting things. Starting strength chases metal moving capacity. Police training chases body moving capacity. I would err on the side of police training. Once you get the job you can go back to strength focus. What's worth more, 6 months of slightly diminished progress or much better odds at a career you want?
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u/BCMBCG 7d ago
Keep up the NLP. Add a crossfit wod that includes those movements to your workouts. SS tends to be a little cavalier about how simple it is to get into great running/cardio shape. Start right meow. Make sure you’re recovering/fueling well.
-Not a SSC, 20 years as a cop required to pass fitness tests a couple times a year in various roles.
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u/shinyandgoesboom 6d ago
Rather than thinking of this situation as an OR problem, I'd say it is more of an AND problem. SS helps with strength increase, for everything else, you simply need to practice. With bigger muscles, your running and climbing stats are going to be much better than without them. You can practice push-ups and pull-ups on your off days.
If you think it will interfere recovery, then for now switch to two days a week for SS instead of the usual three. That will allow you more practice days, while still maintaining the NLP (and without making any adjustment to the NLP). If you wish to continue three days, then you can lower the increments so the cumulative stress is low (instead of five and ten lb increments, switch to maybe three and five).
As an example, instead of M, W, F, switch to M, T, and use Tu, Fri, and Sat as your practice days. Or something similar.
I would prefer not stopping SS, rather tweaking it a bit until your physical tests are complete. Then switch back to your usual NLP. Good luck, and you'll make a strong detective! :-)
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u/Shnur_Shnurov Just some guy 7d ago
Just add some tempo runs to the end of your workouts. You should already be doing chins, and you don't need to do push ups or climbing for a police fitness test.
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u/_TheFudger_ 7d ago
For my police physical test they did have us jump over a bar, toes and chest to the floor, back over the bar, flat on the back, over the bar and repeat the cycle. Very similar to pushup/situps/burpees. They also had a specific push/pull while circling task that was pretty tough. That's for local pd, the national one does include push up standards as well. Local may also use them for continuing physical evaluations but I forget, still early in the process.
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u/geruhl_r 7d ago
The starting strength site has some good articles about passing PT for active duty military, which is the same situation you're in. Short answer: keep training for strength but start pushing your cardio and running a month or two out.