For the full RCMP fitness hub, see our guide to RCMP physical readiness.
Many applicants train one capacity in isolation (running only, or lifting only). The PFA and Depot retests reward combined output under fatigue. Stack cardio before strength work in practice sessions when you can.
TL;DR: Your RCMP fitness training schedule can fit a full-time job. Level 1 Phase B requires 3 days per week. Each session runs 45-60 minutes. Monday, Wednesday, Friday works for most working schedules. Phase A requires 4 days, the fourth session can slot on Saturday.
Most RCMP applicants have jobs. The conditioning program was designed for that reality. Level 1 Phase B runs 3 training days per week, which fits a standard Mon-Wed-Fri pattern without training on back-to-back days. Phase A requires 4 days, but one of those days is a circuit session that takes under 45 minutes. Building your RCMP fitness training schedule around the program’s own structure, rather than trying to compress or expand it, is what keeps the progression on track over 16 weeks.
How Long Each Session Actually Takes
Before mapping days to a calendar, you need to know what each session type demands in time. The source documents confirm two formats: strength pair/triset sessions and circuit sessions.
| Session Type | Components | Estimated Time |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Day (Phase A Day 1 or Day 3) | 20-30 min cardio + 3 exercise pairs at 1-3 sets each, 30-90 sec rest | 55-70 min |
| Circuit Day (Phase A Day 2 / Phase B Day 2) | 5-10 min warm-up + 8 stations with cardio bursts, 1-3 circuits | 35-50 min |
| Strength Day (Phase B Day 1 or Day 3) | 20-30 min cardio + 3-4 exercise trisets at 1-3 sets each, 30-90 sec rest | 60-75 min |
The cardio portion at the start of each strength day, 20-30 minutes at 6-7 out of 10 effort, is not optional. It is programmed before the resistance work. If you cut it to save time, you are no longer following the program. Budget for it in your schedule.
The 3-Day Schedule: Phase B (Weeks 9-16)
Phase B is the easier half of the program to schedule. Three training days per week with at least one rest day between each session fits Monday, Wednesday, and Friday cleanly. Here is how the three sessions map:
| Day | Session | Time Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Phase B Day 1, Strength trisets (Free Squat, Push-up, Bird Dog, Kneeling Reverse Chop, Cable One Arm Row) | 60-75 min |
| Wednesday | Phase B Day 2, Circuit (8 stations with cardio bursts, 1-3 circuits) | 35-50 min |
| Friday | Phase B Day 3, Strength pairs (Hip Elevation, Dumbbell Press, Side Plank, Lat Pulldown) | 55-70 min |
| Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun | Rest or light walk | , |
Wednesday is deliberately the circuit day. It is the shortest session, which helps if Wednesday is consistently your hardest work day. If your schedule flips that, if Fridays are brutal and Wednesdays are light, swap the days. The program does not require Monday to be Day 1. It requires 48 hours of recovery between sessions.
The 4-Day Schedule: Phase A (Weeks 1-8)
Phase A adds a fourth training day. For most working schedules, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday works. The fourth day is a circuit session, under 45 minutes, which makes Saturday realistic even if you work long hours Monday through Friday.
| Day | Session | Time Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Phase A Day 1, Strength pairs (Free Squat with Support, Front Plank on Knees, Push-up on Knees, Cable Row) | 55-70 min |
| Wednesday | Phase A Day 2, Circuit (Lunge, 45° Push-Up, Ab Crunch, Wall Squat, 45° Inverted Row) | 35-50 min |
| Friday | Phase A Day 3, Strength pairs (Hip Elevation, Dumbbell Press, Side Plank, Lat Pull Down) | 55-70 min |
| Saturday | Phase A Day 4, Circuit (second circuit session) | 35-50 min |
| Tue/Thu/Sun | Rest or light walk | , |
If Saturday is not available, the fourth session can move to Tuesday, giving you Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat. You lose the 48-hour gap between Monday and Tuesday, but the Tuesday session is a circuit (lower total load), so the recovery risk is lower than stacking two strength days back to back.
Morning vs Evening: What the Data Shows
The program does not specify a time of day for sessions. Both morning and evening training produce the same physical adaptation when effort and recovery are equal. The practical difference is consistency. If your work schedule runs late unpredictably, evening sessions get skipped more often than morning sessions. If you have a long commute, morning sessions may require a 5:30 AM start that is not sustainable across 16 weeks.
Pick the time slot you can protect across the full 16 weeks, not the one that feels ideal on Week 1. A skipped session breaks the weekly structure. The program builds week over week, a gap in Week 4 shows up as a stall in Week 6.
Recovery: What the Program Requires Between Sessions
The source documents do not specify a minimum recovery window explicitly, but the design makes it clear. Strength days are never scheduled on consecutive days in any phase. Circuit days can follow a strength day, but the structure still places them between strength sessions.
Practically, this means: do not train two strength days back to back. Sleep is the primary recovery tool, the program’s cardio at 6-7 RPE and 30-90 second rest periods assume you are sleeping enough to clear accumulated fatigue. If you are working shifts, nights, or rotating schedules, recovery quality drops significantly. Adjust training load down, fewer sets, not fewer sessions, before you start skipping days.
The One Rule That Matters Most
The circuit progression in the source document is explicit: Weeks 1-2 = 1 circuit, Weeks 3-4 = 2, Weeks 5-6 = 2-3, Weeks 7-8 = 3. This weekly escalation only works if you show up consistently. Miss two circuit sessions in a 4-week block and your circuit capacity does not progress, it stalls or regresses. Your RCMP fitness training schedule needs to protect the circuit days as much as the strength days. They are shorter, but they drive the conditioning base the program is building.
For the full 16-week layout of what each phase trains week by week, see the RCMP depot fitness plan article. For the fitness standards you are building toward, see the article on how fit you should be before arriving at Depot. The conditioning program overview covers all four levels and how Level 1 connects to Levels 2, 3, and 4.
Frequently Asked Questions
Phase A needs 4 days. Phase B drops to 3. Both fit a standard working week without back-to-back sessions.
Strength days run 55-75 minutes including cardio. Circuit days run 35-50 minutes.
Yes, but budget 70-80 minutes total including changing and travel. The cardio warm-up alone is 20-30 minutes.
Do not double up. Skip it and continue on the next scheduled day. Missing one session is recoverable; doubling up.
Sources rcmp fitness training schedule
Poirier, L., & Lemelin, S. (2014). RCMP Conditioning Program Level 1, Phase A Day 1, 2, 3 session structures and Phase B Day 1, 2, 3 session structures. RCMP Health Services.
Poirier, L., & Lemelin, S. (2014). RCMP Conditioning Program Level 1, Phase A Day 2 Circuit progression note (WK 1&2 through WK 7&8). RCMP Health Services.
Sources:
Physical standards to become an RCMP officer
RCMP Gazette
This article reflects current RCMP policy based on official government documentation. Eligibility and suitability decisions are assessed on a case-by-case basis during the application process.
By Alex Morgan, Certified Personal Trainer, https://joinrcmp.ca/author/alex-morgan/
Last Updated: May 31, 2026
