One cop’s fitness and nutrition principles

When I entered the law enforcement academy as a recruit, I weighed 120 pounds. The only thing I was good at was running fast. However, he was not good at general fitness. I didn’t know how to exercise. What I have discovered in the years since is that this is not a unique problem.

After the academy, like many law enforcement officers, I lost my exercise routine and lost my health. I wasn’t alone 2014 Wall Street Journal analysis of data from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine showed that nearly half, 40.7%, of all law enforcement officers in the United States are obese.

Together we have to change. We have to be prepared for anything. We need stamina for a foot chase and enough energy to win a fight on the ground. We need the strength to get a victim or partner out of a dangerous situation.

Studies have shown, regardless of race or gender, that developing a physical exercise routine can protect officers from being victimized. From interviews conducted by the FBI, they revealed that criminals often assess an officer’s physical ability when planning to flee, take aggressive action, or surrender to arrest.

A new beginning

After working as a proactive police officer in high-stress units for more than 15 years, I knew some changes needed to be made. I was suffering from PTSI and symptoms of acute stress and had been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. As I thought about my fitness routine and nutritional plan, I knew I wasn’t ready to develop a program on my own.

I didn’t know where to start so in March 2022 I decided to hire a professional to help me create a program and get on track. After several conversations, Nick Falke got me and understood the need to incorporate these elements to help me be successful as a law enforcement officer.

1. Muscular strength and power
2. Flexibility
3. Endurance
4. Balance
5. Cardio workout.
6. Agility

My nutrition principles and routine.

When I met Nick, he emphasized: “Staying physically fit is much more beneficial than people realize. Sure, it helps you look and feel better, but by practicing the discipline in your diet and training, you’ll notice that it carries over to almost every aspect of your life. Greater discipline will grow your relationships, strengthen your work ethic, and help you achieve other goals in life.”

Nick explained some basics of fitness and nutrition to me. He simplified my day by providing me with the amount of calories I should be consuming daily from protein, fat, and carbohydrates. I found this plan easy to follow and reached my daily goal with a little discipline. This was not a fad diet and it allowed me to easily modify my daily food intake to fit my hectic and unpredictable law enforcement schedule. I was able to eat what I wanted if I stayed within the prescribed limits.

When thinking about nutrition, Nick encouraged me to remember these five things:

1. Calories are king. If you want to lose body fat, your calories should be below what you burn in a day.
2. If you go out to eat, there are almost always healthy options on the menu, even at fast food places. For example, Chick-fil-A sells grilled chicken nuggets.
3. Carbohydrates are not the devil and neither are dietary fats. Both are good for you and don’t directly lead to fat gain. Don’t completely limit yourself to any of these, as it’s unhealthy and could lead to binge eating.
4. Make sure each meal is based on a lean protein base with carbs and fat on the side. An example would be grilled chicken with pasta and broccoli.
5. No food will kill your progress; everyone eats unhealthy food sometimes. Just get back on track as soon as possible and don’t undereat the next day to make up for the drift. This could lead to unhealthy eating habits.

My principles and fitness routine

I exercise seven days a week. I know some fitness experts would recommend rest days. The CDC and leading doctors recommend 150 minutes a week, about 22 minutes a day, of moderate-intensity physical activity and two days of activity to strengthen muscles. However, I spend five days a week focusing on muscular strength, power, endurance, agility, and cardiovascular health.

• Monday: Pull-up exercises (chin-ups, bicep curls, incline bench rows) and an abdominal workout
• Wednesday: Pushing exercises (bench press, dumbbell lateral raises, skull crushers) and an abdominal workout
• Friday: Pulling exercises or legs and arms (barbell hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts, box jumps)
• Saturday: Pulling or upper body exercises (overhead barbell press, incline dumbbell rows)
• Sunday: Legs (barbell back squat, stationary lunge, calf raise)

I incorporate daily routines of indoor cycling, outdoor distance running, or sprints/agility.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I spend my fitness time practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which also allows me to focus on my agility, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness during this workout.

When thinking about physical fitness, Nick encouraged me to remember these five things:

1. You don’t need to spend hours in the gym to be in amazing shape. In fact, you don’t even need a gym. Exercising at home without equipment can often be very effective.
2. Muscle growth happens when you are sleeping. Make sure you get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. Muscle growth will slow dramatically as sleep decreases.
3. Train hard, but don’t take every set to failure. Finishing each set 1-2 reps from failure will ensure adequate stimulation and help you gain more overall volume per muscle due to a significant decrease in fatigue.
4. Progressively overload each move. At the gym, record the weights you’re doing for each exercise and try to add weight to them each week. If you’re doing workouts at home, keep track of how many reps you can do and try to increase them each week. This is the most effective way to gain muscle mass.
5. Listen to your body! If you have pain everywhere, then you probably need a rest day.

My results and ongoing journey

Over the past few months, I’ve built a routine around fitness and nutrition. I have lost weight and gained muscle, my blood pressure is lower, and my kidney function has stabilized. Emotionally, I am more relaxed and less stressed after my workouts. In general, I know that I am building resilience and ready for what each day as a law enforcement officer will bring.

Still think fitness isn’t for you? Studies have shown that not incorporating a fitness regimen into your life could lead to more injuries, hospitalizations, increased risk of disease, and more medications for various illnesses.

As I have discussed, with my colleague Dr. Lee, in previous articles, physical fitness helps build resilience, which is essential for all law enforcement officers to survive their 30-year career. Studies have shown that regular exercise and physical activity induce positive physiological and psychological benefits, protect against the consequences of stressful/traumatic events, and prevent many chronic diseases.

Nick and I joined forces to create Dose of Ethos Fitness to help law enforcement officers develop a resilient lifestyle through wellness, exercise, nutrition, discipline, and a positive mindset, with the goal of helping police officers become better spouses, parents, and law enforcement officers. Our trainings are customized for active law enforcement officers and led by culturally competent trainers. Know more here.

NEXT: Why it’s time to go to battle for the welfare of officers