I didn’t have a good title for this. I still don’t, and the one above this line kind of sucks. Sorry folks. I say this because I am not sure how there could ever be a debate. I regularly talk with guys who are weak, overweight, lazy, or make lifestyle choices that limit their lifestyle and performance. These guys don’t work at Best Buy, they’re not executives in an office, they’re Military and Law Enforcement “professionals.” I always get the same line at some point in the conversation, “I see a bunch of skinny guys that can’t do their job” or “You’re telling me you’d rather have an unmotivated stud that a motivated fat guy?” Well, I don’t know about that. Yeah, some fit guys suck at work. That dude can probably summon up some effort on demand if he had to. You can’t summon up a 6-month fitness program on demand though. Plus, I have to assume if a guy has a job protecting the public, his buddies on his flanks, our Nation and it’s way of life he should take that seriously. I’m not really sure what a motivated fat guy is, unless he’s injured. An otherwise capable guy with those responsibilities wouldn’t let him self be a poor physical performer if he had all that heart and motivation he speaks of. That logic bomb is pretty much a JDAM on the argument in most cases.

Why is physical performance important? Well, we (Military and LE) work jobs that at their fundamental level are physical. When the dispatch calls up that shots have been fired, or some dirtbag starts lobbing indirect fire on your platoon, it’s time to do your job. All the mandatory Equal Opportunity training or additional details you picked up probably won’t be at the forefront of your mind at that point. All those things used as excuses to not work out, or train combatives, or eat a decent meal that didn’t come in a bag, won’t seem that important. You’ll remember that you are a cop, or an infantryman, or whatever got you on the middle of this shit show. You’ll begin to move, and do what you know what you need to do. For the first few steps everyone will most likely feel like a world-class sprinter. And then, something magical will happen. All that hard work you put in at the gym, on the trail, on the bike, will allow you to stick to the plan and perform your job to the maximum of your potential. Or conversely, all those skipped training days, missed opportunities, and upsized value meals will come up and assist you in snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Which one are you?

I know guys with legitimate reasons (not excuses) to be out of shape. Guys get injured, it’s common in these fields of endeavor. In my day job all of the 5 guys I work closest with have had on the job injuries while they were still in the military that took over 6 months to recover from. That was just to get functional again, and most aren’t 100% and may never be. Broken backs, shattered knees, gunshots, dislocated hips, all kinds of gnarly stuff. I know guys that get stuck in truly austere locations that don’t have access to equipment or proper nutrition, or work a schedule where they literally don’t have time to work out often. Guys attend schools or training programs that literally run 20-24 hours a day for 8-12 weeks. This stuff is legitimate, it takes away the opportunity to stay fit, and it’s not a reflection of an individual decision to let yourself go.

There are limitations during everyday life that can make this a difficult task. There aren’t a lot of 9-5 jobs in the military or law enforcement. It’s a tough sell to work 12-16 hour days in the rear or on shift and then take 2 more away from the family to go run or go to the gym. It helps me out to just plan on that being a part of my work day, to mentally accept that I don’t exercise before or after work, I work out as a part of work. I don’t go to the gym after work, because work isn’t over until my workout is complete. There are also a number of good programs that aren’t as time consuming. I’m not a huge Crossfit fan because I think Olympic lifts for time are a recipe for disaster, and that their benefit is in proper execution rather than rapid execution. That said, the concept of group workouts, competing against yourself and others, and a culture of striving to gain higher levels of performance is pretty motivational and it warms my heart to see all the formerly fat people outside my local Crossfit gyms. Most of these workouts from Crossfit, Gym Jones, or similar programs aren’t that time consuming and there is usually a facility and good coaches to support them in every town. It’s fun, like going to the bar with your friends, only instead of Miller Lite you get kettlebells and pull-ups. My buddy Pat McNamara at TMACS, Inc. offers a great functional fitness class in addition to his firearms and tactics classes. For a military or LE guy wondering what direction to go to improve, that’s a great place to start or refine you current routine. He’s a beast, and is proof that after destroying your body for over two decades, getting older, and getting opened up by ortho surgeons a bunch of times that you can still crush 20 year-olds in the gym daily if you understand the importance of physical performance and apply yourself accordingly.

Try eating right also. I live on the road now, and that’s the hardest thing of all for me. Sometimes, it’s just easier to eat a cheeseburger and go to bed and I fall victim to that more than I’d like. All calories are not created equally. Get yours from the foods your body needs for function, not what it needs to get rid of to function. Fortunately, most restaurants are good about offering healthier choices now. If they don’t advertise them, just ask and they can usually help you out. If they can’t, go somewhere else. Check out the Paleo diet, or the Eat This, Not That books for some easy ways to improve your diet. You’re giving up performance in your diet that no amount of exercise can replace. Take some time to do the research and eat healthy. You’re buying food anyways, you might as well buy good food.

I know starting a plan to workout and sticking to it is pretty demoralizing initially. Get over that initial discomfort and check the ego of not being the baddest dude in the gym. The improvement happens so rapidly that after a couple of weeks you’ll be recovered by the next day and ready to shoot for that next goal, max rep, 5K time, or target body weight. Utilize a coach or partner as your honest broker, sanity check, and motivator. Most importantly, get out there an do it so you can be ready when it’s time to perform on the job. It’s something we can all do, and it improves your quality of life in every aspect.

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Jon Canipe served on Active Duty with the US Army as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant at 5th SFG(A) and was a Senior Instructor at the JFKSWCS, training SFQC students in planning, unconventional warfare, small unit tactics, CQB, and advanced marksmanship. He is a veteran of multiple combat tours, and still serves in the Army National Guard’s 20th SFG(A) in addition to working as an industry consultant and small arms instructor.