CBP officer

[dadarknight06]

A normal workout day for me consists of this:
Treadmill – height setting set to 1, speed 6.5 to 7 (I usually finish my 1.5 in around 11.30 to 12), I usually bumb the speed up at the end to around 8.

Ladder pushups – if you’re not familiar with these it goes something like this. Start with a set of pushups then rest for 60 seconds then continue on. I use an app from rittr labs off the android market called push ups. My sets are usually something like this:
14,rest,13,rest,15,rest,13,rest,13,rest,12 = 80 push ups total.

Ladder sit-ups – same thing here as the push ups except the rest is 90 seconds and the quantity is higher; this is also an app from rittr labs called sit ups. My sets again look something like this:

22, rest, 22, rest, 26, rest, 22, rest, 22, 18 = 132 sit ups

I usually do the workout you see above 3 to 4 times a week.

I also incorporate at least two times a week an Insanity workout, these by far are the best cardio workouts I have ever done I love them and highly recommend them if cardio is something you want to improve.

If I do an insanity workout I usually do it in the morning and then my cardio workout in the evening (we use to call those 2 a day’s back in high school football)

http://www.beachbody.com/product/fit...ms/insanity.do

For my other days I lift weights with light cardio; on these days my cardio is usually a 45 min jog or elliptical machine. I usually only take 1 day off a week from all my workouts but sometimes due to life happening I might miss two days a week in the gym.

Thanks for the detailed information. Sounds like a good workout! I do have the insanity videos and they are intense but I want something different. Recently I have just consentrated on running, and I will try your pushup and sit-up method to see how it works for me. Thanks again

[Locke03]

Thanks for the detailed information. Sounds like a good workout! I do have the insanity videos and they are intense but I want something different. Recently I have just consentrated on running, and I will try your pushup and sit-up method to see how it works for me. Thanks again

I’ve never been a fast runner, the fastest I ever did 1.5 miles was 10:30, but I have found that for improving speed treadmills are the way to go. They force you to run at paces you may not be comfortable with and that will make you run faster, on the other hand though if you’re looking for improved endurance get off the treadmill and head outside. Just my thoughts.

[lang2]

I'm a CBPO, been in for 10 years and love my job. Take it from me, CBP has some really great opportunities. Yes, we have issues, but I would not jump to another agency, even for a gs13. I've been recruited by BIS and ICE and I'm not leaving. I love my job and not alot of people can say that.

Thanks for sharing this! It's great to hear from current CBPOs about their experiences and that you all enjoy your work! I can't wait to have the same sense of pride one day! For now, Border Wars re-runs will have to do :-)

[javy03]

I’ve never been a fast runner, the fastest I ever did 1.5 miles was 10:30, but I have found that for improving speed treadmills are the way to go. They force you to run at paces you may not be comfortable with and that will make you run faster, on the other hand though if you’re looking for improved endurance get off the treadmill and head outside. Just my thoughts.

if you are looking to knock down a couple of seconds or minutes, need to do sprints, i get ready for my PT Test (Army) like that, usually do 1/4 miles sprints i try to do a 1/4 mile in at least 1:30, then i will walk for 1/4 mile and do the samething for 2 miles.

do that Monday, Weds, and Fri, and tue and thurs do jogs stopping every 1/4 to do at least 25 push ups and 25 sit ups or crunches if youare by ur self. do that for a month straigh resting in the weekends and you will be good

[Locke03]

if you are looking to knock down a couple of seconds or minutes, need to do sprints, i get ready for my PT Test (Army) like that, usually do 1/4 miles sprints i try to do a 1/4 mile in at least 1:30, then i will walk for 1/4 mile and do the samething for 2 miles.

do that Monday, Weds, and Fri, and tue and thurs do jogs stopping every 1/4 to do at least 25 push ups and 25 sit ups or crunches if youare by ur self. do that for a month straigh resting in the weekends and you will be good

Yeh, I really need to get sprints in there somewhere I'm just such a gym rat I don't usually train outside. Thanks for the info.

[dadarknight06]

I’ve never been a fast runner, the fastest I ever did 1.5 miles was 10:30, but I have found that for improving speed treadmills are the way to go. They force you to run at paces you may not be comfortable with and that will make you run faster, on the other hand though if you’re looking for improved endurance get off the treadmill and head outside. Just my thoughts.

I dont know why and it might be because of what you said that on a treadmill, you are forced to keep running even if you are tired VS outside . I normally run the 1.5 at the gym at 10 mins and change but when I am outside I do 13 or 14 min ... So I think it has to do with what you said. Good luck on the PFT2

[dadarknight06]

Fellas I'm new to this thread. I was wondering how hard this test is. I applied today and it gave me a schedule test date three weeks from now. This is kind of scary. Is it all basic questions? Is it harder then Border Patrol? Thanks for your time.

I like many of us took the Border patrol exam and I thought the BP one was much easier. I would review the entire study guide and go over it until you completely understand the material . I also saw a book at barns and nobles (book store) that was very informative and it had a practice cbp test with similar questions and the same amount of questions in the exam. Good luck !

[lang2]

Got a letter in the mail today saying I qualified GS-7!! WOO HOO! Now just waiting on that background investigator to call! Let's get this show on the road!!

[Locke03]

I dont know why and it might be because of what you said that on a treadmill, you are forced to keep running even if you are tired VS outside . I normally run the 1.5 at the gym at 10 mins and change but when I am outside I do 13 or 14 min ... So I think it has to do with what you said. Good luck on the PFT2

Strangely my run times always seem to be a little faster outside but I think it has to do with my strides being a little longer when I run outside, thanks for the encouragement

[dadarknight06]

Got a letter in the mail today saying I qualified GS-7!! WOO HOO! Now just waiting on that background investigator to call! Let's get this show on the road!!

Lang2. I think we are on the same boat. I submitted my eqip 02/22/12 and I still havent received the call from the BI . Let us know if you hear anything from the investigator.

[afftont]

I've sent an email and left a message to the hiring center to attempt to change my Geo pref. Are they pretty good about responding to this sort of things or should I continue to call until I have spoken with someone?

[sandwichman]

Thanks for the detailed information. Sounds like a good workout! I do have the insanity videos and they are intense but I want something different. Recently I have just consentrated on running, and I will try your pushup and sit-up method to see how it works for me. Thanks again

Instead of push ups, I work chest/triceps/shoulders twice a week. Four sets of flat bench, four sets of incline, four sets of decline (number of reps in each is usually 12, 10, 8, 6 doing the most weight with the least reps). After the bench, I'll do 3 sets of seated flies on one of those nautilus type machines (the one in which you form a 90 degree angle with each of your arms against the pads, and bring our elbows in front of you). For shoulders, I'm kinda lazy and just work the front ones. I'll use one of the smith machines that has the pulleys in it and whose frame is tilted a little. I'll put a flat bench in the middle of it, sit on the bench, put 25 lbs on each side, and try to do 3 sets with 10-12 reps, in each, bringing the bar down to the base of my neck or upper chest. For triceps, I'll just do pull downs with the rope on one of the cables, arms parallel with ground. Weight 1st rep, 60, 70, 80, 90 lbs with no set number of reps, basically til exhaustion with about a minute rest between each (with chest/shoulders I like to wait 2 min between sets).

I used to do crunches wedging my feet/toes under the bottom of one of the preacher curl machines, or whatever has enough clearance to do that with. Since about November, I've been doing my old ab routine of 4-5 sets of 25 reps on the ab bench 3x a week. (similar bench as the one on the decline chest bench without the part that holds the bar and the angle is adjustable on the ab one). Sometimes I'll get lazy with my reps and do 25, 25, 30, 20, or whatever way I get an outcome of 100, other times, when I have more energy and do whatever number equals 110, 120 reps (sometimes 30, 30, 30, 20 or 30, 30, 30, 30). With abs, same thing about a 1-2 minute rest between sets. I try not to use upper legs at all and try to do all the work with my actual abs.

Between the stuff listed above, that ends up translating roughly to PFT2 for me.

Running.. eh. Yeah. Need to start again. Finally got my road bike's chain cleaned, so I'll start riding again for extra cardio between running days. Was doing 14 miles in 45 minutes on the bicycle, and the 1.5 mile run in 13:00 something with my dog beside me. During runs, I like to whistle/hum the beginning of Eye of the Tiger and found that it helps tremendously.

[OchoTres]

Does anyone know how long the medical fitness s good for? when do they expire?

Anyone know when BI expires?

thanks

[Rms16]

Got my Monday night optimism, hopefully not followed by Tuesday morning disappointment haha. Let's see if my BI gets the green check mañana. All to often though do I find the Tuesday morning disappointment. Haha

[davidB.]

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