Being a bouncer, you experience a world that most people cannot imagine. You spend your nights and weekends in smoky bars, quietly and politely observing bar patrons purposefully filling their bodies with alcohol as a means of impairing their own judgment and finding opportunities with the fairer sex. You also have to break up fights, protect the door, and at times restrain individuals so they don’t hurt themselves or others. It is a job that can change from boring to deadly at the drop of a hat. It is the responsibility of even bouncer to train intelligently and responsibly to ensure he can do the best job possible. Here are some training tips you can employ to ensure you are in the best possible strength, cardiovascular, and skill set positions for the tasks that your job as a bouncer may entail.
Weight Training
Being big and strong is the first way you are going to be an effective bouncer. If you’re big enough, your presence alone will be enough to prevent most confrontations. However, there are going to be times when actual strength will be required to subdue people and control situations. Your lifting regimen should consist of the heavy compound movements of bench press, squats, deadlifts, rows, shoulder presses, skull crushers, and barbell biceps curls. Keep your repetition range in the 5 to 10 area to build functional strength.
Cardiovascular Training
Nothing is worse than gassing out while grappling with an angry, 300 pound drunken bar patron on the concrete floor. Brief yet intense confrontations can be a major drain on your body’s resources. For this reason, you should complete 20 to 30 minutes of cardiovascular training at the conclusion of each workout. You don’t need to worry about using some great level of intensity – simply walking 3 miles per hour at a 2% incline grade is more than adequate. In addition to building up your lung capacity to help in stressful situations, you will also be improving your own cardiovascular fitness and overall health levels.
Proper Training
Safety is always one issue of being a bouncer that is never overlooked – when it comes to the bouncer himself. However it is important that bouncer also consider a quick 2 to 4 week training session on proper take-down and restraint methods to ensure rowdy bar patrons are subdued quickly, without causing the person to sustain serious physical harm. If your bar is being sued, you’re losing money and will probably be the first man laid off. Enroll in a self-defense course with an emphasis in safe and secure take-downs which will protect both you and the inebriated bar patron.
The old rule of bounce is, “if there isn’t a fight for three weeks – start one!” and it stands true that many in the field will instigate confrontations in order to present to management a sustained need for their presence. Tactics like this aside – if you present a strong, fit and well-trained package, you will always have work in the entertainment industry.