I’m pleased today to host Author RJ Beam as my guest blogger. When it comes to public safety, law enforcement and physical fitness, he runs the gamut of “been there.” See if you don’t agree. Please welcome RJ Beam to Help From My Friends Friday ~ Donnell
Police Fitness and Crime Fiction
By: RJ Beam
Author RJ Beam
In high school, an insightful guidance counselor pointed me on the path to police work. My love of photography was something I could get paid for by taking photos of car crashes. Which to a young man such as myself sounded better than being a wedding or child portrait photographer. It also gave me an excuse to hang out in the weight room with my buddies, because my skinny frame would not win any fights on the streets.
Moving along in high school, college and into the police academy, the gym was a hangout. However, it was never a place I took 100% seriously. To be honest, I could spend two hours at the gym, but in reality, only maybe did 30-45 minutes of actual work. My buddies and I would do a few sets. Then jaw jack for a bit. Move over to some other part of the weight room and repeat the process. Eventually, we would saunter to the stationary bikes to pedal out some cardio, focusing more on chatting our lady friends versus pushing our limits.
As a young officer, I slowly stopped going to the gym. Shift work and overtime just got in the way. Social life and starting a family also added to my neglecting personal fitness. Then one day I needed to buy new uniform pants, for the second time in a year. Not because I had ripped or damaged my pants. My waist had expanded too much.
This was about the time several so called “functional fitness” gyms were becoming popular. It was a Groupon deal that got made me check out a functional fitness gym which was a CrossFit franchise. One workout and I was hooked. No matter the brand name, CrossFit, Burn Body, FireFit, Orange Theory or any of a slew of other names, community is a major philosophy of “functional fitness”. Working out as a group. Everyone doing close to the same thing, at the same time. Misery loves company, as they say.
It didn’t take long, and I was down a pants size, and then down again. Eventually I got back to the same pants size I was in high school, college and the police academy. My bosses noticed this transformation.
This overlapped when Wisconsin was revamping our police academy curriculum. Part of the revamp was Wisconsin instituting a state-wide fitness test for all new police officers. Previously, each city had their own fitness standards for police. Now a fitness test would be required for graduation from a police academy. The new standard would require someone with a fitness training certification to administer the test. This person would also be expected to work with recruits in the academy to ensure they could pass the test.
My administration assumed because I had turned my fitness around, I could motivate others to pass the new Wisconsin fitness standard. So off to personal
trainer school I went. Naturally, I wanted to learn more about training, so I sought other certifications, including becoming a CrossFit coach. Which of course helps also in that I coach a few times at the gym I am a member of. Meaning I get paid to hang out at the same gym I used to pay to go to.
Our police academy pulls in people from all walks of life. Age 21 up well into their 40s. Granted, most folks are under 30 but not all. We have people in our academy who have played in the NFL and MLB. Others have been members of elite military units like Rangers and SEALs. But we also have single moms who used to work in banking or education. The vast majority of people are just average folks fresh out of college looking to be cops. A few people come into our academy in peak fitness, however, most need some help to dial it in.
A police department is like a family or a small community. Which, as I pointed out is a strength of programs like CrossFit. Bringing that core community fitness philosophy into police academy fitness has worked. The recruits push each other knowing today they might run in the academy gym, but next month it will be a run down an alley.
They also quickly get what and why we do “functional fitness”. A burpee (the most dreaded movement ever) is not just something to physically exhaust someone. Doing a burpee involves going from standing to laying on the ground then standing up again as fast as possible. Think about some fights or handcuffing situations. An officer will need to drop and/or recover to standing quickly.
To the outside observer a workout can look random. Run 100 yards, jump up on to a 24-inch box and back down five times, run 100 yards again then do 10 pushups. Look at it from the lens of a police foot chase. Sprinting, jumping a fence(s) and then getting down to wrestle a suspect and handcuff them.
Suddenly, it goes from randomness to a functional representation doing real cop work.
So how does this connect to writing? As an avid reader, I always have said I wanted to write a book. Then a few years back I needed a surgery. Not able to work as I was recovering, I started writing what would become my first novel, Fire Cop. That book ended up being the first in a five-book series. Book three released just this week, by the way.
I have always been one to work out at the end of the workday. It clears my head before going home. Now I find my gym sessions not only clear my head, but it opens the creative parts of my mind. Allowing me to end my days getting words on the page. Even to where the more physically taxing the workout, later that night, my writing sessions are more productive. So for me fitness, and the world of CrossFit helped me to get healthy again. It also opened the door for a promotion, to become a trainer at the police academy, and assists in my second career as an author.
About the Book: New release alert: Cops and Hitmen.
Every city has one. An eccentric citizen who talks about being tracked by the likes of the FBI or the CIA. So, when I wrote this book, I asked myself what if that person actually was a fugitive? Literally hiding in plain sight. A person everyone writes off as being harmless yet is hiding a dark secret. Then a car crash reveals his true identity. Knowledge of this secret identity kicks off a race to learn what he has done, and also keep him alive and from people who don’t want his story made public.
About the Author: RJ has worked in public safety all his adult life. He spent a few years as a volunteer firefighter/EMT before starting work as a city cop. During his career, he has held positions as patrol, bike cop, SWAT, and CSI. Investigations and CSI work are his love, which is where he spent most of his time. He is now assigned to academy duty. Outside of work, he is the Vice President of the Public Safety Writers Association. RJ is a competitive CrossFit athlete (older athlete division), who also coaches younger athletes for fitness tournaments.
RJ, as someone who incorporates police procedure into my books, I was fascinated and grateful that you agreed to write a blog for me. I understand the police academy is a multitude of statutes and procedure to learn as well as physical fitness. In one of my citizens academies, a young man was taking the citizens academy because he had failed the police academy and was determined to do better the next time he tried. Is this typical for police academies to allow, for lack of a better word, “do overs?” I admire that your fitness applies to people who run a broad spectrum. Thank you for being my guest today.
Yes we have a few “do overs” almost every year. Sometimes it is due to an injury or family crisis. Other times maybe the recruit was not 100% ready yet.
Great post! Thank you! I’ve always tried to stay in shape, but life does get in the way. Recently I found myself looking up CrossFit for seniors. 🙂 Thanks Donnell and RJ. And congrats, RJ, on your books. They look terrific!
Thank you for the kind words.
Thank you, Barb. I’m thinking, though, if you take up CrossFit, you’ll have to give up mountain climbing! xoxo
I agree, R.J. Hard workouts clear a person’s mind and helps us sleep soundly. A workout is a great time for assembling thoughts for novel scenes. Congrats on your new release.
I love the setup for this novel! Thank you for opening a window into training world.
RJ, you arrived on the scene a few decades late for the likes of me. Your point about writing after a workout being more productive hit me between the eyes. Before covid and my last bout with the Big C, I religiously walked 9,000 steps a day. My writing production was the highest it ever was. I no longer walk, and my writing has suffered.
Thank you, Donnell and RJ. Maybe, I’ll put on a coat and take a short walk.
Sending you a cyber hug, George. Writing and exercise are often at odds with each other. Enjoy your walk, my friend!
Great post on the importance of physical fitness as it relates to police work and writing as well. Looking forward to reading RJ’s new book.