I have 24 hours in a day. Anyone have anything different? Any secret advantage?
Nope, didn’t think so.
Here are all the things that Bryan Wadkins and I have in common:
- We’re both fathers
- We’re both sergeants, and veteran police officers (deputy sheriff in my case)
- We both live in California
That’s about it.
Well…we both “do” CrossFit for our exercise but….um, yeah…
Bryan Wadkins is a sergeant for the Costa Mesa Police Department, currently assigned to the motor unit.
Oddly, for a podcast for and about law enforcement officers, that might be the least interesting thing about a pretty interesting guy. He’s also a two-time CrossFit Games athlete in the Masters 40-45 division, finishing on the podium in 2014 and #7 in his division in 2013; he’s a parent; and an entrepreneur as the co-owner of CrossFit RXD in Anaheim, California.
Oh and he’s a 3-time CrossFit Regionals athlete in the Team Division. But…NBD.
He even placed 4th in the 2015 Open in his division but eventually pulled out of the competition due to a family emergency.
I was curious how a full-time police officer was capable of juggling so much.
How does he do it?
I mean, seriously!
We actually have so much in common that I wanted to spend time with him and find out how he succeeds in managing so much.
We have the same 24 hrs in the day. He’s got the same family obligations, a stressful job, and a second job owning his own box! So…WTF?
What am I missing?
As it turns out, Bryan’s regimen was pretty relaxed. Like, shockingly so. It was actually a relief and as a result, super motivating to hear from him how he does it. He makes it seem attainable.
To be fair, when he does get to the gym, he’s there for 2-3 hours at a time so he devotes some serious time but he freely admits to missing days.
His diet? Eh…not strict, not ridiculous, just sensible and clean. But does he indulge? Yup.
So here are my takeaways from our conversation:
- First, Bryan is a ridiculously gracious and all-around good guy.
- Though active in high-school sports, Bryan was not a life-long athlete dedicated to 4am wake-ups and two-a-days into his 20s. He was and is, by all accounts, a normal guy.
- Like many of us, Bryan enjoyed the physical results of his academy experience for a few years. But, weight started to come on as he got longer into the job. He decided to get back into the gym to stave off the weight gain.
- That desire to just stay in shape lead him to CrossFit, where he found that he excelled.
- He allows himself to be human. He’s diet is so consistently…consistent that when he chooses to indulge, it’s not a cheat because he allows himself to enjoy the normal things we all enjoy.
- He has the support of his wife, who is also active in CrossFit and running their gym. Bryan readily admits that without her support he wouldn’t be able to achieve the results he has.
- His meal prep is seemingly non-existent, as he subsists during his shift on leftovers. The key here, is that his leftovers aren’t pizza or pasta. He and his wife both cook clean together and as a result, leftovers are naturally clean as well.
It’s a great conversation with a fantastic role model for everyone in law enforcement looking to make a change. Guys like Rich Froning or even Jon Pera, though amazing and inspirational, often seem out of reach or unrealistic for our own lives. Bryan will show you that it’s still very possible.
After talking to Bryan, it was encouraging to see a guy 6 years older than me, in better shape than I have ever been in. I’ve still got time…we all do. It’s a matter of how we spend those 24 hours.
Stay Safe,
Garrett
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