by Jaime Gamache
An Operational Athlete is like no other athlete on earth. They receive no preparation time before their event. They become aware of the physical requirements of that event as they unfold. They have little information for the ground that event will be played on, the temperature it will be played at or the duration of time it will cover. But what does that mean in terms of how they prepare?
It means that the operational athlete has to prepare for literally everything. All the traditional athletic avenues: strength, power, endurance, flexibility and agility. The difference is the proportion. A marathoner does not have the same physical requirements as a football player, therefore while there may be some crossover in their training methodologies, the proportionate times are relative to the activity of choice.
The Operational Athlete has no such specificity. The Operational Athlete must be agile and powerful, with a high strength-to-mass ratio. He or she must also have good cardiovascular endurance. Both are requirements of the job and both may aid in a life-saving situation (be it someone else’s or their own). They must be concerned with injury prevention and reactivity to ensure career longevity. They must be able to come out of long periods of idle behavior without fear of their body failing them. The Operational Athlete must have the work capacity to perform a variety of tasks successfully in order to do their job well. He or she must be able to cover ground quickly and efficiently, jump, climb, dive, crawl, duck, evade, grapple, pursue and any number of other movement descriptions at any given time.
Training methods commonly learned early on or through traditional mass-media are not as effective for the Operational Athlete. Training for them is not about look or performance (though both are side benefits), but about lifestyle. Excess bulk will only serve to slow them down, but minimal mass will not allow them a level playing field with heavier opponents. The ability to maneuver with equipment and kit must also be a concern, so solid core strength must be included in training. The creation of strength and power can be achieved without the addition of excess mass by improving the body’s ability to overcome force from a variety of angles and overcoming instability in body position or contact points.
The purpose of these articles is to demonstrate how certain training methods make all these goals easier. All that is required is an open mind and the dedication to truly examine one’s weaknesses rather than one’s strengths.
Jaime Gamache has been a strength coach for more than 10 years. He has trained athletes from the NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL and NCAA. He has spent the last 2 years training members of the Warwick (RI) Swat Challenge Team and members of other local Police, Fire and Department of Corrections Officers.