Some of the education and training sessions that the TRU offer include:

i.e. on load carriage [ANZCTC] and optimal recruit conditioning [USARIEM, Australian Army, Singapore Army]

i.e. for general tactical populations strength and conditioning coaches

i.e. optimised operational conditioning [Australian Army Infantry Battalions, the LA Sheriff’s Department]
i.e. for general tactical populations run in the US, China and Singapore

i.e. the Australian Defence Force Physical Training School

The Tactical Conditioning Optimisation Program (TACOPS) is designed to provide those in tactical occupations as well as those who support these personnel with a detailed understanding of the health and fitness needs of tactical personnel.
Course details
This course is designed to introduce the tactical facilitator to the basics of strength and conditioning through hands-on repetitions and scientific principles of strength and conditioning to help decrease injuries and worker compensation claims as well as increase performance, readiness, and longevity of the tactical athlete’s career. The tactical facilitator will spend time in lecture settings learning about strength and conditioning concepts before receiving hands-on training in execution and correction of movement and exercise.
The course will deliver topics ranging from physical assessment requirements, to the occupation lifespan (i.e. special ops, fireman) and to considering occupational specific requirements (e.g. load carriage). Using an approach focused on translating research evidence to practice, the course considers the latest scientific literature as well as a pragmatic approach to implementation.
This course is suitable for SAF, SCDF, HomeTeam, private special operations providers, sports coaches and fitness instructors.
Screening and assessment for tactical professions
- Validity and reliability
- The different purposes of screening and assessment for tactical populations
- Types of assessments
- Selecting assessments
Revising the science of conditioning
- Optimised resistance training
- Optimised metabolic conditioning
- Overload, specificity and SAID principles
Movement orientated training
- Understanding movement and 'functional' training
- The real 'core' training
- Synergy in action, balance profiles and potential for movement
Designing conditioning programs for trainees
- Influential & risk factors
- Periodisation types and application
- Factors influencing the conditioning process
- Injuries common to new trainees
- Short term injuries & Long term rehabilitation considerations
Designing conditioning programs for qualified and specialist personnel
- Kinetic versus cyber personnel
- Influential & risk factors
- Factors influencing the conditioning process
- Periodisation types and application
- Injuries common to qualified personnel
- Short term injuries & Long term rehabilitation considerations
- Environmental considerations and conditioning for extreme conditions
Specific topics
- Part time versus full time force
- Gender differences
- Older personnel
- Training the tactical athlete versus training the person
- Health and Wellbeing: From shift work to sedentary behaviour
Tactical load carriage: impacts and conditioning
- Historical basis
- Scientific basis
- Injuries associated with load carriage
- Performance impacts associated with load carriage
- Conditioning for load carriage
Conditioning groups
- Applying the exercise science
- Ability based training
- MOT - Base exercises and movement
Upcoming events
TACOPS Bond University Microcredential courses
The Tactical Conditioning Optimisation Program (TACOPS) is designed to provide those in tactical occupations (such as military, law enforcement and corrective services, firefighters and first responders) as well as those who support these personnel (including strength and conditioning coaches, personal trainers, fitness instructors, physiotherapists and occupational therapists) with a detailed understanding of the health and fitness needs of tactical personnel.
Designed as a series of eight professional development courses, the program spans topics ranging from physical assessment requirements, to the physical strength and conditioning requirements of tactical personnel across their occupational lifespan (i.e. trainee, general duties, specialists). Using an approach focused on translating research evidence to practice, the course considers the latest scientific literature as well as a pragmatic approach to implementation.
You will learn from Dr Rob Orr, the Director of the Bond University Tactical Research Unit, a multidisciplinary, international team of researchers providing research, consultancy, and education services to tactical professions around the globe.
All courses are available online at any time via our high-quality learner platform. The self-paced delivery gives you the flexibility to work around your other commitments. Upon successful completion of each course, you will receive a digital Certificate of Achievement in recognition of your new competencies. Upon successful completion of the full program, you will gain a program digital Certificate of Completion. This certificate will provide recognition of prior learning for those wishing to complete the CERT IV in Sports Coaching (Physical Conditioning In the Specialist Workplace), delivered by the Optimal Performance Solutions.
For further course information, please visit the Bond University Tactical Conditioning Optimisation Program page.