From 5:16 to a pass

“My first practice test was 5:16,” one Google reviewer wrote about the POPAT, the timed obstacle course that police applicants in B.C. have to pass. The reviewer went on to say that “because of redline I passed my POPAT with only 3-4 weeks of training!”

Reviews like that fill Redline Conditioning's Google page. Another applicant cut a POPAT time “from 4:18 to 3:25” within a month. A third passed the COPAT for a Vancouver Police Department special municipal constable job in “2 minutes and 8 seconds.”

'Family man first, coach second, athlete third'

The gym belongs to Marc Locquiao, whose bio on the site carries the line “Founder Circa 2010”. He introduces himself this way: “Family man first, coach second, athlete third. I'm Marc, coach and owner of Redline Conditioning.” He does triathlons, likes lifting heavy, and is “a Habs fan (GO HABS GO!)”.

Police fitness wasn't the plan. “How I got into police fitness training was, what I like to call, a happy accident,” Marc writes. “I saw a glaring need that was being under served, and I stepped up to fill the gap. I may not be an officer myself, but I love helping and being a part of people's journey to policing.”

The site makes a big claim about the results: “Hundreds of Redliners can attest to achieving their dream job.”

A test of skill, not just fitness

Redline's coaching approach is laid out in a blog post called Police Tests Are Not Fitness Tests. It tells the story of an applicant the gym calls Jane, who did CrossFit three times a week, ran and played soccer. Her first POPAT “went miserably for her, running a time of 4:34 (under 4:15 is needed to pass).”

The post's argument is in its opening line: “The tests are not measurements of fitness, they are measurements of performance.” The push machine, the front falls, the vault, the hurdles and the stairs all take technique, and pacing matters most. After a month of training, Jane ran her official POPAT in 3:31.

Redline preps applicants for a long list of tests, including the POPAT, COPAT, PARE, SOPAT and PFA, with LEO Fit classes, punch passes and several membership levels. Applicants who don't need coaching can book Saturday practice sessions as non-members.

Book online, and know where to park

Redline doesn't take walk-ins. “We are an appointment based gym. Sign up for sessions are done online,” the FAQ says. Members describe the crowd as people chasing the same goal: “It's a great environment where everyone has the same goal in mind and being able to talk to other applicants is invaluable.”

One reviewer added a note for everyone else: “(Hell even if your not planning a career with the police this is a good place for a workout)”.

The gym sits on Fraser Highway in Murrayville, and its lot fills up. The FAQ has a plan for that: “If parking is full, please park at the Big Box Outlet that is 100m west of the gym.”

Photos: Redline Conditioning.