PMP’s August Challenge

AUGUST
Here are the exercises I will be doing for August.

Each one has a YouTube video to show you how to do them, but before we get into that I wanted to give you some guidance on how I have been able to keep doing them for just over two years (since staring on a group on another social media platform – I am not creating anything new here):

1. Do them where, when and how you like.

It doesn’t matter if you are a morning person or a night owl; just workout when it suits. Use the office floor, at home, at the gym or wherever you are comfortable. I am self-conscious, so do them at home on a camping mat in form of the TV. 

2. Be sensible and listen to how your body is.

If you need to, check with a medically qualified person and approach them exercises how you want; you don’t have to do every rep in one set and you don’t have to make it hard for yourself. If you do 5 reps and rest, but keep going until you do the total for that day you are still a hero and doing more than you otherwise would.

3. Ignore anyone negative.

There are loads of experts who will say your technique could be better, but apart from things that stop injury (like keeping your knees from going too far forward over your feet when doing squats) forget what anyone says – unless they are being positive and encouraging you.

If you need to modify an exercise for a while until you feel stronger and more confident that is completely fine. Doing a press up on your knees is doing a press up – and you are doing it.

Do the exercises in any order you like. Do all the crunches first, last or break them down with all the other exercises like circuit training. It is your choice.

4. Keep going.

You may have a setback, miss a day, feel unwell, be busy at work or any number of things can knock you off course, but here are some options to keep you going: move the rest days (they are important to help your body recover and get stronger, but you can shift them about); skip a day, or two, or seven! Better you start again and do two weeks than give up. It makes no difference if you start again at day one or start on the actual day of the month, as long as you start again.

5. Help each other.

Every time you tweet and use the hashtags, you will help others to keep at it. It is ok to say you find a certain exercise tough, as long as you say you have got there and others can too.

If you swap an exercise for another, that is fine too, because you will still be exercising and making others realise it is ok to change things to protect an injury or target another part of your body you want to work on more.

6. Have fun!

Listen to music, sing, watch TV or whatever helps to keep you going!

The exercises for August:

CRUNCHES- http://youtu.be/Xyd_fa5zoEU

A PLANK CORRECTLY (planks are done in SECONDS, for example Day 1 is a 10 second plank) http://youtu.be/3vgG_Zemg88

PLIE SQUATS ( GREAT FOR INNER THIGHS)-http://youtu.be/yNKVK2axeNI

HEEL TOUCHES (AWESOME FOR ELIMINATING LOVE HANDLES)- http://youtu.be/MQX6-xd7eo0

PRESS UPS (a modified version is included) http://youtu.be/Q7cPaJZoOng

BUTT BRIDGES- http://youtu.be/URhjZLFfKMs

LEG LIFTS- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB2oyawG9KI

Remember to tweet using #Day1 (or the actual day you are on) complete with #30DayChallenge

Good luck and I’ll be on it with you!

PMP 

Slimming Blue Line intro

Hello! 

I am “The slimming blue line” or SBL for short! I’m a 31 year old PC in a very large inner city police service.

As my name suggests I have been losing a bit of weight recently. I served in the British Army for 6 years full time and a further 4 as a reservist and so fitness was never really an issue for me. We trained 5 times a week in work time, had free gyms and there was always someone to train with. Once I left the army I went into an office job and the pounds started to pile on. After work beers, take away lunches and no motivation to keep fit were a deadly combination. 

After nearly 3 years working in offices I joined the police, missing the uniformed lifestyle – and I love it. Yes yes TJF, but I don’t care I love my job. 

However I now found I had even less free time and a lifestyle of night duty kebabs, early turn red bulls and full English breakfasts was not great for my waist line. I reached my heaviest 105kg and a 38inch waist after my first couple of years in the job. 

Then I got a new guv’nor. Ex Army, Ex TSG. Knowing that I fancied joining the TSG, he sent me an email saying that I had a place on selection to become an EG and not to let him down. Suddenly I had to get 10.2 on the bleep test, pass a shield run, a kit up circuit and be back at the fitness level I maintained in my army days. That same day I decided to change, I took responsibility for the choices I was making in regards to my diet and lack of training and I went for a run. 

I lasted half an hour at a slow jog. But I did it. I lapped the old the me sat on the sofa with a dominos. I then started training 6 times a week, at first just jogging and insanity. I downloaded apps to keep track of my progress, and most importantly I sorted out my diet. I went Paleo, I’ve barely eaten a bad meal since although I do still have my cheat meals. The weight melted off me, I lost 3lbs a week minimum. 3 months in I had to reorder my uniform as my trousers were falling down!

I lost a total of 16kgs (35lbs) and then I started hitting the gym. I still train 5 times a week, but now it’s a mixture of weights, HIIT cardio, runs and insanity and I can smash 10.2 on a bleep test. 

The reason I wanted to start this blog was that I found that I got the most support from people I followed on Twitter. I saw other cops that followed fitness programmes and shared their results and it motivated me. The other contributors to this blog and several others were my silent gym partners. Whilst the banter machine at work turned to a bit of jealousy from the overweight members of the team I always found fellow cops on Twitter to support me in progress and I wanted to share that with you. I wanted to start a small community of police officers supporting each other in getting fit, losing weight or training for events.

So get involved, regardless of your goal be it losing weight, gaining muscle or improving overall fitness give us a follow!

Policey McPoliceface intro

Hi, 

I’m Policey McPoliceface or PMP for short. You can find me on Twitter @HQCInsp, but I’m happy to be writing for @FitBlueLine in case I can help police colleagues, 999 partners or anyone else get a bit fitter and feel healthier. I write anonymously to keep my personal and professional lives separate. I’m sure you can appreciate why.
I am 48 and work as a chief inspector in the police somewhere in the UK.

I have always been skinny and never really enjoyed exercise, but a couple of years ago I took on a 30-day abs challenge. It was on Facebook and the person running it was also using it to market something. I won’t be doing that!!!
I don’t like mornings and feel self-conscious in a gym, so these challenges work for me. I like the variety and that you can do them at home, or work and whenever suits you.
When the originator of the group I was in stopped posting, I just kept making up challenges for myself. I will be posting one for August and I’d love you to join me, so we can encourage each other. They are as easy or difficult as you want them to be and exercising on your own, but as part of a group certainly helps me on the ‘can’t be bothered days’.
I have found I do other exercise more willingly since the challenges made me a little fitter and I sometimes choose better food than I used to, but I also worry less because the exercise helps anyway.
You can either do my challenge with me or set one of your own that targets bits of you that you’d like to change. I put 7 exercises in each month. They start easy and give progress as you add a tiny bit each day.
I’m no expert and you’ll need to check with your doctor or physio, if you are unsure about anything, but I like feeling fitter than I used to and hope you will too.
For me, I find it easier not to think about the other potential goals that sometimes get linked to exercise or working out and I just focus on completing the challenge. I am a coach/mentor, so I can help with the motivation if you wish and I’ll blog about that too. Basically, if you set yourself too high a goal and don’t see quick results you can be disheartened.
So, if your goal is to complete Day 1, it is easy and as time passes you may see the other goals you have getting closer.
Sound like something you fancy? Come on, give it a try!
PMP
PS, I’m a keen supporter of Anthony Nolan the Blood Cancer Charity https://twitter.com/AnthonyNolan if they get to 35,000 followers I’ll post a shirtless progress picture, but for now please follow them and register!
Anthony Nolan (@AnthonyNolan) | Twitter

twitter.com

Anthony Nolan Verified account @ AnthonyNolan. Anthony Nolan saves the lives of people with blood cancer who need a blood stem cell transplant.

Welcome to the Fit Blue Line Blog

Hello and welcome!

We all know the thin blue line is not always that thin. It can be hard to stay in shape and fit whilst working shifts, rarely getting a chance for refs or at least healthy refs and not having the time or energy to workout. 

We started this blog with one simple aim, to create a community of cops that support and challenge each other to keep fit. 

There will be posts about our successes, our challenges, recipes and reviews and detailing what we do to keep fit. We are not nutritionist or personal trainers so everything we post is what we have found works for us and is not meant as professional advice. 

Please feel free to contact us and share your successes, join in with our challenges and help support your colleagues in reaching their goals!

#ThisCopCan