“CrossFit makes you a better cop. My boss always says, ‘Happy cops are good cops.'"
CrossFit 1850 is a non-profit affiliate bringing the CrossFit methodology to law enforcement.
Started by Sergeant Pat Lynch in September 2011, the gym aims to create fitter, healthier officers to serve the Oregon City, Ore., community of 33,000. CrossFit 1850 has operated out of the Oregon City police station since opening. “Our mission was just to get CrossFit into the police department,” Lynch says.
The coaching staff at 1850 consists of Lynch, his wife, parole officer, Danielle Cloyes, and OCPD lieutenant, Jim Band. Lynch had been CrossFitting for three years prior and after talking with Jeff Tucker at a Gymnastics Seminar, Lynch knew what he could do for the officers of his department. Tucker told him CrossFit offers non-profit affiliate status to law enforcement and military. “I’ve been doing it for about three years, and I knew it was the right answer. It was just a matter of getting the bosses to buy (in),” Lynch joked.
Thanks to an introductory seminar hosted by CrossFit Lake Oswego’s Tommy Rudge, the bosses were convinced. After one day with Rudge, Chief Mike Conrad joined up at CrossFit Lake Oswego. “Four turned to 10, turned to 15 — now we’ll have a minimum of 15 athletes a class, and a maximum of 22. We’re at capacity,” Lynch says.
CrossFit 1850 served as a catalyst to unite the police department. “The mental aspect of it has been huge for guys — the team building is just immeasurable,” he says. “You get guys that normally wouldn’t see each other or talk to each other that are now coming together to do the WOD. Our chief is there almost every day. So guys who normally wouldn’t see, or interact or even speak with him, now they’re sweating with him, they’re swinging kettlebells with him, they’re pushing barbells with him and they’re running with him. It’s brought the whole department together.”
Since the beginning, Lynch has shied away from advertising the affiliate to the department. He prefers to let the program’s results and effects speak for itself. “We just had an officer — kind of one of our last holdout smokers on the department — he’s been without a cigarette for 50 days. He just started with us and he’s done two workouts. He said he was skeptical, but that the program just sells itself,” Lynch says. “CrossFit makes you a better cop. My boss always says, ‘Happy cops are good cops. If I can keep my cops happy and healthy, then it reflects in the way they do police work, the way they interact with citizens, the way they interact with their families.'”
Lynch continues: “When you get these guys to realize what they can do in the gym, it totally carries over to their day-to-day job in a positive way. They become more confident, more sure of themselves, more sure in their decisions and they just feel better about themselves.”
CrossFit 1850 has seen other tremendous successes with its members, as well. Lynch says the SWAT officer who was making bi-monthly trips to the chiropractor stopped going after starting CrossFit. Oregon City’s officers are also seeing major benefits in weight loss. “We’ve got guys who have lost 50, 70 pounds. We got a guy who’s lost 80 pounds,” Lynch says. “Guys have had to go to the lieutenant and get new uniforms and get new belts. Shoulders are getting wider and hips are getting narrower. We’ve had a couple guys get off their high blood pressure medications.”
One of the biggest measures of CrossFit 1850’s success may be its ability to produce more functional police officers. In one instance, a CrossFitter and a non-CrossFitter became engaged in the foot pursuit of a suspect. “The CrossFitter got to the guy, put the guy down and handcuffed the guy about the time the second guy got there. The CrossFitter made the comment to me, ‘That was so easy, I was ready for more,’” Lynch says.
CrossFit 1850 is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. For the first two months, Lynch’s programming never went more than a 10-minute time domain. He worked mostly in the shorter range, using classes rep schemes, couplets and triplets, and a heavy emphasis on gymnastics and bodyweight work. After that, he began to add in more complicated movements and barbell work, occasionally going into the 20-minute time domain.
A year in, Lynch is careful not to overwork his officers, never programming more than a single 20-minute workout per week, he says. “That reflects our job. Doing Murph is really cool, however, it doesn’t have huge application to police work,” he explains. “I want these guys to be safe and to be fit for physical confrontations and things they’re going to encounter on the street, and those things usually last in the sub-five minute, sub-10 minute time range, and that’s extreme.”
With that foundation laid, he tested his programming through a max effort week: five-rep max deadlift on Monday, three-rep max press on Wednesday and a five-rep front squat max on Friday. The numbers told the story. Two officers pulled 375-plus on the deadlift maxes without ever performing a heavy deadlift. The officers produced numbers heavier than 250 lb. on the front squat and up to 180 lb. on the press. “I knew CrossFit worked, but this was solid, concrete evidence,” Lynch says.
Lynch says he is proud that not a single member has been injured or missed work from time spent in the gym. “Keeping your officers safe is something any sergeant can hang their hat on.”