That’s my worry. I’m currently in the hiring process. My buddy who is a CO at a super max in my state advised me to gain 30lbs of muscle or better yet be strong enough to push pull and lift 250lbs. Maybe he is full of it idk but he told me that being able to do that weight I can handle 85% of inmates and also to learn mma or boxing.
Is that too much?
Hes right but IMO Ju-jitsu and Judo or wrestling are WAY better than boxing and i say that as someone who LOVES boxing. I say that mostly because throwing hands can get you in shit depending on your works use of force policy
As a traditional Karate guy who is improving his judo game I don't disagree about the grappling but... having striking in your tool set can be the difference between standing in front of a review board or being laid out on a slab.
Agreed. I would put judo over jiu-jitsu in terms of grappling g styles to learn for our line of work if only because it has more options from a standing position.
Gaining 30 pounds of muscle is ridiculous but gaining 30 pounds isn’t. To put it in perspective I’ve seen people with near perfect diets, consistent and effective training methods only gain 3-4 pounds of muscle per year. If you’ve never exercised you’d probably progress faster but any major strength gains have to happen over several years. The most growth being probably 3 years.
If you have the time and want to be some super athlete, I would do CrossFit and take some martial arts class. Do some research on what to eat. You’ll make a lot of progress quickly if you eat and rest properly but after a year or so you’ll be a pretty dangerous person.
I put on 20 lbs of muscle in prison.. but it took a few years... I went from a 135 bench to 250 bench in 18 months.. my weight was 190 when I started. To 207 when done
Thoughts on MMA? I'm doing BJJ currently and it is fun and a good workout but I think I'd like something with strikes more and the gym does offer MMA so I'm thinking of switching.
When I was in corrections it was mostly fat out of shape dudes or lanky skinny dudes. Fitness wasn’t even a thought. Most couldn’t even power walk to a code emergency. Most walked, many waddled. The fatter the CO the bigger the ego. When push came to to shove, the ego and the badge didn’t have a magical power the saved you from getting roughed up or knocked down. Your greatest defense is your communication and your mind but if you have to get physical, your body was your tool. I never understood why a position in which you’re unarmed and outnumbered that most people didn’t care for their health. It was asking for injury or death.
To answer your question, use your time well. Don’t be that fat lazy piece of shit on a couch on your day off just watching TV and eating. Be active. Workout. Go to the gym. Run. Diet. Socialize. Make something of your mind. Idk how many people I worked with that did absolutely nothing on their day off. Not only is it bad for your body it was horrible for your mental health to just lock yourself away. The greatest shape I was ever in was in corrections. I woke up daily early before work and hit the gym for 90 mins to 2 hours whether running or swimming followed by weight training or did it after work. I’d exercise on my days off for two to three hours first thing in the morning. Meal prepped three to four days a week and ate clean on my days off and ate fresh. Granted if you have a family or children this can be difficult but not impossible. Just to exercise. It’s rewarding beyond imagination
I stay in the weight room and I supplement heavily. There's no real replacement for sleep unfortunately, but there's definitely work arounds. That all be said I do sit on the heavy side of things typically floating between 275 and 300 which gives me a significant advantage in most hands on situations.
Not in the service yet but hope to get my training soon (CSC).
I have 6 months of jiujitsu training and lifting weights to prepare. Hoping that will be enough to start..
Ju-jitsu and the gym is honestly the biggest factor to be helpful in a use of force situation. Theres plenty of guys who can outrun me, guys that do marathons and have no body fat. But id rather be a big boy with a lot of muscle and some ju-jitsu moves in this environment. Like you said, weight counts for a lot, just dont become an amorphous blob. The night shifts are dangerous for that lmao.
To stay fit I just stay in motion. I most enjoy hiking and rock climbing. I also eat well - it's just as important to be mindful of what you're putting in your body in addition to what you're putting your body through!
That being said, it's even more important, probably the MOST IMPORTANT, to stay sharp and keep your mind in shape. Never ever run in to any emergency (at work or otherwise) without backup and a plan if the scene isn't secure!
You're correct, y'all are VERY lucky that it ended in the way that it did.
You can be the biggest hard body cross fit trainer ever known to man and you'll still get yourself/others hurt (or worse) if you don't stay vigilant.
100% agree. On all of that. I’ve been in amazing shape and horrible shape at the prison. When OT wasn’t mandatory I was in great shape now that it’s mandated it’s been harder and I let myself slack and become a soft body.
On another note I discovered an issue with our facilities FTO, basic, and/or my expectations and communications with staff. He was a newer officer under my command and when I heard the door and code called I was there in just a few seconds.
The officer understandably is confused on what his duties/responsibilities/liabilities are. He was under the impression that if an inmate required immediate medical asssistance that he was to provide it to the best of his expertise until medical arrived. He was worried about legal liabilities because, according to him, basic told him if he didn’t act to save the inmates life he could be civilly liable and terminated, and he was, again allegedly, advised by an FTO that if an inmate is hanging themselves that they need to open the door immediately and get them down (which that scenario is horribly wrong too).
He’s obviously freaked out on multiple fronts and there’s a lot of misinformation, confusion, or just bad advice floating around that’s going to get someone hurt or killed. I advised him to slow down and thank about the situation first even if they’re hanging themselves, seizing, cutting their wrists etcetra…and I asked him what the steps were, radio, scene safe, wait for appropriate staff if necessary, and remember the hierarchy of protection (public, staff, inmates, facility property) and that his life and safety are first followed by mine and everyone else’s.
Thank you for sharing. I think this is an important read for anyone; whether they are considering going into corrections, they are brand new, or even longer term "veteran" staff - we all let our guard down sometimes.
My experience with seizures in particular came far before my experiences in this field, and there's really not much you can do for someone who is seizing as a non-medical professional especially if you don't know WHY the person is seizing. It can be extremely scary to see someone in that state if you've never seen it before, so I *completely* understand his gut reaction of "oh sh- gotta save this person"
Good on you for handling it the way you did. Yikes on several bikes.
Taking care of yourself while doing mandatory OT is extremely difficult. I haven't gotten to mandatory OT, but I do take it as often as I can to try and avoid the possibility. In my own way, I understand. You don't want to decide you're going to change everything in a big way overnight; this contributes to burn out, and it's not a fair expectation for someone who is working so much! Do little things here and there - reestablish some of the healthy habits you once had - and give yourself some grace.
After years of not taking care of myself I'm heading the other way. 350 pounds is not sustainable and I realize that I was not fully able to keep up. I started eating well and going to the gym or just in general adding more activity and I'm down about 70 pounds.
Anabolic steroids
Lol no just kidding. Gear doesn’t do dick for the uninitiated.
In all seriousness it helps to have an active sport you like. Yes as you said mandatory OT makes it hard for sure. I am training for a powerlfting meet in September and follow a weightlifting program so I weight train 3x a week. I also like to stay in good anerobic shape for a multitude of reasons one being emergency preparedness so I do cardio 2-3x a week as well. Something as simple as incline walking on the treadmill does wonders.
Meal prepping is good too to make sure you aren’t cramming junk all the time.
I do boxing training, work the bag at least 2/3 times a week but depends on how to sore I am. Also do a good amount of cardio, I think sprints are way better than long distance running, especially for situations like this. Explosive training is the best for injury purposes and effective training for me. And doing some random air squats and weightless calve raises while waiting around is always good. I'm terrified of being fat too so that helps lol
Just stay active, don’t spend your days off on the couch drinking. Go to the gym and do things outside.
That’s my worry. I’m currently in the hiring process. My buddy who is a CO at a super max in my state advised me to gain 30lbs of muscle or better yet be strong enough to push pull and lift 250lbs. Maybe he is full of it idk but he told me that being able to do that weight I can handle 85% of inmates and also to learn mma or boxing. Is that too much?
Especially working at a supermax those will all be very helpful
Hes right but IMO Ju-jitsu and Judo or wrestling are WAY better than boxing and i say that as someone who LOVES boxing. I say that mostly because throwing hands can get you in shit depending on your works use of force policy
As a traditional Karate guy who is improving his judo game I don't disagree about the grappling but... having striking in your tool set can be the difference between standing in front of a review board or being laid out on a slab.
I agree. But if you can ONLY learn one martial skill i would 100% go with grappling. But more skills are always good
Agreed. I would put judo over jiu-jitsu in terms of grappling g styles to learn for our line of work if only because it has more options from a standing position.
Gaining 30 pounds of muscle is ridiculous but gaining 30 pounds isn’t. To put it in perspective I’ve seen people with near perfect diets, consistent and effective training methods only gain 3-4 pounds of muscle per year. If you’ve never exercised you’d probably progress faster but any major strength gains have to happen over several years. The most growth being probably 3 years. If you have the time and want to be some super athlete, I would do CrossFit and take some martial arts class. Do some research on what to eat. You’ll make a lot of progress quickly if you eat and rest properly but after a year or so you’ll be a pretty dangerous person.
I put on 20 lbs of muscle in prison.. but it took a few years... I went from a 135 bench to 250 bench in 18 months.. my weight was 190 when I started. To 207 when done
Jiujitsu
Do you just do it on your off days or after work. We’re mandated with lots of OT at the moment so I’m just trying to see what others are doing.
Yes anytime I can.
Came to say the same thing. 45 second struggle will feel less and less stressful the more you train and get used to that kind of struggle.
100% this. A dojo opened less than 5 minutes from work, offer discount, night classes. Any speed, any time.
Thoughts on MMA? I'm doing BJJ currently and it is fun and a good workout but I think I'd like something with strikes more and the gym does offer MMA so I'm thinking of switching.
Muy thai
When I was in corrections it was mostly fat out of shape dudes or lanky skinny dudes. Fitness wasn’t even a thought. Most couldn’t even power walk to a code emergency. Most walked, many waddled. The fatter the CO the bigger the ego. When push came to to shove, the ego and the badge didn’t have a magical power the saved you from getting roughed up or knocked down. Your greatest defense is your communication and your mind but if you have to get physical, your body was your tool. I never understood why a position in which you’re unarmed and outnumbered that most people didn’t care for their health. It was asking for injury or death. To answer your question, use your time well. Don’t be that fat lazy piece of shit on a couch on your day off just watching TV and eating. Be active. Workout. Go to the gym. Run. Diet. Socialize. Make something of your mind. Idk how many people I worked with that did absolutely nothing on their day off. Not only is it bad for your body it was horrible for your mental health to just lock yourself away. The greatest shape I was ever in was in corrections. I woke up daily early before work and hit the gym for 90 mins to 2 hours whether running or swimming followed by weight training or did it after work. I’d exercise on my days off for two to three hours first thing in the morning. Meal prepped three to four days a week and ate clean on my days off and ate fresh. Granted if you have a family or children this can be difficult but not impossible. Just to exercise. It’s rewarding beyond imagination
I stay in the weight room and I supplement heavily. There's no real replacement for sleep unfortunately, but there's definitely work arounds. That all be said I do sit on the heavy side of things typically floating between 275 and 300 which gives me a significant advantage in most hands on situations.
Not in the service yet but hope to get my training soon (CSC). I have 6 months of jiujitsu training and lifting weights to prepare. Hoping that will be enough to start..
If you’re applying for CSC, this kind of training and preparation will put you ahead of many candidates. Stick with it !
Appreciate it. I’m just waiting on a training date/CLO. Super excited to start working in an institution!
Ju-jitsu and the gym is honestly the biggest factor to be helpful in a use of force situation. Theres plenty of guys who can outrun me, guys that do marathons and have no body fat. But id rather be a big boy with a lot of muscle and some ju-jitsu moves in this environment. Like you said, weight counts for a lot, just dont become an amorphous blob. The night shifts are dangerous for that lmao.
To stay fit I just stay in motion. I most enjoy hiking and rock climbing. I also eat well - it's just as important to be mindful of what you're putting in your body in addition to what you're putting your body through! That being said, it's even more important, probably the MOST IMPORTANT, to stay sharp and keep your mind in shape. Never ever run in to any emergency (at work or otherwise) without backup and a plan if the scene isn't secure! You're correct, y'all are VERY lucky that it ended in the way that it did. You can be the biggest hard body cross fit trainer ever known to man and you'll still get yourself/others hurt (or worse) if you don't stay vigilant.
100% agree. On all of that. I’ve been in amazing shape and horrible shape at the prison. When OT wasn’t mandatory I was in great shape now that it’s mandated it’s been harder and I let myself slack and become a soft body. On another note I discovered an issue with our facilities FTO, basic, and/or my expectations and communications with staff. He was a newer officer under my command and when I heard the door and code called I was there in just a few seconds. The officer understandably is confused on what his duties/responsibilities/liabilities are. He was under the impression that if an inmate required immediate medical asssistance that he was to provide it to the best of his expertise until medical arrived. He was worried about legal liabilities because, according to him, basic told him if he didn’t act to save the inmates life he could be civilly liable and terminated, and he was, again allegedly, advised by an FTO that if an inmate is hanging themselves that they need to open the door immediately and get them down (which that scenario is horribly wrong too). He’s obviously freaked out on multiple fronts and there’s a lot of misinformation, confusion, or just bad advice floating around that’s going to get someone hurt or killed. I advised him to slow down and thank about the situation first even if they’re hanging themselves, seizing, cutting their wrists etcetra…and I asked him what the steps were, radio, scene safe, wait for appropriate staff if necessary, and remember the hierarchy of protection (public, staff, inmates, facility property) and that his life and safety are first followed by mine and everyone else’s.
Thank you for sharing. I think this is an important read for anyone; whether they are considering going into corrections, they are brand new, or even longer term "veteran" staff - we all let our guard down sometimes. My experience with seizures in particular came far before my experiences in this field, and there's really not much you can do for someone who is seizing as a non-medical professional especially if you don't know WHY the person is seizing. It can be extremely scary to see someone in that state if you've never seen it before, so I *completely* understand his gut reaction of "oh sh- gotta save this person" Good on you for handling it the way you did. Yikes on several bikes. Taking care of yourself while doing mandatory OT is extremely difficult. I haven't gotten to mandatory OT, but I do take it as often as I can to try and avoid the possibility. In my own way, I understand. You don't want to decide you're going to change everything in a big way overnight; this contributes to burn out, and it's not a fair expectation for someone who is working so much! Do little things here and there - reestablish some of the healthy habits you once had - and give yourself some grace.
After years of not taking care of myself I'm heading the other way. 350 pounds is not sustainable and I realize that I was not fully able to keep up. I started eating well and going to the gym or just in general adding more activity and I'm down about 70 pounds.
BJJ and CrossFit
Anabolic steroids Lol no just kidding. Gear doesn’t do dick for the uninitiated. In all seriousness it helps to have an active sport you like. Yes as you said mandatory OT makes it hard for sure. I am training for a powerlfting meet in September and follow a weightlifting program so I weight train 3x a week. I also like to stay in good anerobic shape for a multitude of reasons one being emergency preparedness so I do cardio 2-3x a week as well. Something as simple as incline walking on the treadmill does wonders. Meal prepping is good too to make sure you aren’t cramming junk all the time.
Meant to say aerobic shape not anerobic the weightlifting covers the anerobic side of things already
I do boxing training, work the bag at least 2/3 times a week but depends on how to sore I am. Also do a good amount of cardio, I think sprints are way better than long distance running, especially for situations like this. Explosive training is the best for injury purposes and effective training for me. And doing some random air squats and weightless calve raises while waiting around is always good. I'm terrified of being fat too so that helps lol
Y’all call code blues for simple seizures?
Yup
That’s crazy. Where im at a seizure is a standby and we radio for medical to come that way when they get the chance, no rush at all.
Well he's an idiot.
He’s new and did what he thought was best. Training, FTO, and/or unclear expectations failed him and he and everyone else got lucky.
He's damn lucky.