I work for a bigger department (600+) in a decent sized city (400,000). I think my experience would be different if I worked in a small town or every fit the Sheriff Department. In hindsight, I probably should’ve stayed with the Highway Patrol. My main reason for switching was the work schedule. Here’s an example of that nonsense. I worked eight hours and these are the days and start times.
Tuesday - Friday - 0700
Saturday - 0900 (only on occasion, other weeks it’d be 0700)
Sunday - 0700
Monday - 0700
Tuesday - off
Wednesday - off
Thursday - off
Friday - 1800
Saturday - 1800
Sunday - Thursday - 1500
Friday - 1300
Saturday, Sunday, Monday - off
Tuesday - Monday - 0600 or 0700 all week
Tuesday, Wednesday - off
Thursday - 1600
Friday - 1900
Saturday - 1900
Sunday - Thursday - 1600
Friday - Monday - off
Tuesday - start the cycle over
I now work the same four days and same hours every week. If I can get on the Community Policing unit then it’ll be the closest job we have to being a Trooper. Being a Trooper was like being a self employed cop. I did whatever I wanted and most of my work was self initiated.
You obviously have more experience than me (who has zero experience) but it’s been my observation that some (NOT ALL) tend to enjoy being in a place of power. Some of my peers who have gone on to become law enforcement, or plan to, all seem to have the same opinions on stuff. They hate immigrants and don’t think anything questionable done towards them is wrong, they have a history of questionable (sometimes downright disgusting) conduct towards women, they were/are bullies to classmates/coworkers, etc.
I know not all cops are bad - you certainly seem like an awesome dude, and I disagree with hating all cops and thinking they’re all bad guys, but I myself have had hands on interactions with some, and like the peers of mine I mentioned, some just kinda suck and want to be in charge of people and carry a gun. I think this speaks more towards their indiviudal character, rather than the job they chose. They’d act like this no matter where they worked; it’s just easier when they’re a cop.
Moving on. I could be completely forgetting something, but from what I remember I don’t think I’ve seen you mention dips or pushups very often in your training. I know you’ve mentioned a shoulder surgery - are these movements that hurt, or do you just decide not to do them? (That is if I’m right at all and not just missing something.)
That’s why I chose the word “most” instead of all. It seems to be more of a problem in small towns. Some cops also just like to fight and it’s not hard to pick a fight at work.
Dips are painful and I sprinkle in push ups on occasion. Lately I just haven’t been getting the MMC I want from push ups. My triceps crap out before my pecs so I reach failure but get very little fatigue in my pecs.
Ditto. I have yet to find the best way for my pecs to grow. Pushups and dips are triceps and shoulders, dumbbell work is shoulders, flyes are biceps, etc. Really struggle to develop that MMC. I think CT wrote an article once about what to do when you feel certain movements in certain muscles and how to improve it, but I’ve never been able to find it again.
I’m doing well with Incline 1.5 reps. I go down, halfway up, down, all the way up. The double stretch helps.
Low Incline DB Press works well too. Fly’s are hit and miss. I feel my pecs best when I really stretch them. I guess that’s the best way to make sure the only thing working at that point is the pecs.
I used to feel my pecs with max effort push ups. I don’t know what has changed. Well, maybe I do. I used to do more direct arm work. Perhaps I need to up my arm training game again. Even with this new bodybuilding split I’m only doing one exercise twice a week.
Sometimes I’ll do a set of 10, move hands 6,inches farther apart, repeat until I can’t go any wider. Then reverse the process and step them back in. This way I feel like I can get an equal pump in both triceps and pecs
One thing that helps me get a little pec MMC is going with a wide grip bench press. Paused, slow eccentric, slow concentric. Think about squeezing your hands together, so that your thumbs are touching–don’t ACTUALLY let your hands move, but that’s the cue I use. Like you’re trying to bear hug a tree that’s way too wide for you to get your arms around.
Sorry, I’m not great at describing these things. Lol
Well, this is why I have a hard time actually venturing down another career path.
The project management part of Project Management I enjoy. Dealing with stakeholders, discussing issues, optimizing the project, discovering inefficiencies, etc.
There are often months between these types of tasks where I end up just doing what I would consider to be “homework” from College/University. Retrieving background data, completing work orders, filling out MANY forms for each and every step from needs assessment to detail design. This work does not require much user input and is simply “going through the motions”.
Whenever I seem to have a few months away from the parts that I actually enjoy, then add any sort of additional life stress (currently finalizing our contractor/finances for building a new house, baby due July 3, moving back in with my parents for a few months while our home is built), the pain of my job gets exaggerated and I begin looking for an alternative.
Maybe I just require a shift in my mindset, I don’t enjoy being negative towards my job. I really like and respect most of the people I work with, which I hear isn’t very common!
I’ve been over my calories every day for the past four days and I’m still hanging in there with my weight and physique. My goal calories is 2700 but I think maintenance is between 2900-3100.
Last night I had a shot of Crown Royal Vanilla and then three Busch Lights. Busch Light bottles officially taste better than our other cheap domestic beers. After that, I got hungry so I had a casein shake and a banana.
Well, I couldn’t sleep. I don’t think I slept for even an hour at a time. Awful. I remembered this morning that I had two consecutive bad nights of sleep a few weeks ago and I suspected the bananas I was eating about an hour before bed. Last night confirms it. Weird, but it’s real.
Leg day today. I might try some new things since I’m with a new PT who isn’t giving me blanket restrictions. I’ll still try to follow the “if it hurts then don’t do it” approach but I’m not going to be a pansy. I can train through a little pain.
I’m thinking about doing Tabata RFESS with four rounds per leg. I’m sure I’ll regret it as soon as I start.
I think it’s easy to get confused. Do we dislike our job and is it time for a change or is it just a phase?
There are days where I only have to go to a few calls and they’re pretty mundane. I like those days. I was talking with a co-worker last summer while working at a baseball game and said “Some days are great. I don’t have to do jack shit.”
He cut me off right there and said “That’s how you know it’s time to do something different.” He’s right (for my circumstances). He’s on the Community Policing unit.
There’s still a chance that I could find myself in a position that I enjoy and continue working here for 25 more years. The only thing of which I’m certain right now is that I have to get off Patrol (that’s our entry level position and is the standard beat cop position).
It’s nice that you’re able to maintain with a little excess. Oh, and supposedly bananas have a very high glycemic index, so you’re spiking your blood sugar right before bed. I normally eat bananas or other fruit in the morning, and my dinner (usually) and bedtime shake are fairly low carb.
Listen to, or read “unf*ck yourself” . It was very helpful for me with not liking my work and realizing that taking action is the best therapy. I have tried reading a bunch of happier mindset books, they didn’t click. It’s basically stoicism with more profanity and more directly applied.
That “going through the motion” feeling is what happens when you outgrow what you’re doing. You’re so adept at what you do that it bores you. Maybe take on more work or get transferred.
Crossovers before your pushups! Or you could do Hany Rambod FST-7 style, finish chest day with 7 sets of 12 crossovers, supersetting with max pushups immediately after every set, and squeezing the ever loving shit out of your pecs for the 30 seconds of rest between supersets. I did that for a while and your chest almost goes numb after it.
Also, dude, as former infantry, and a former corrections officer, if you are thinking of leaving a project management job for law enforcement, you are just bored. Unless it is a die hard passion of yours, in which case go for it, you don’t want to get paid like 1/3 of what you do now to start over and be a rookie.