From Flab to Badge

Struggling with push ups?

A lot of agencies tend to include push ups in their PAT. Both before you get into academy while you’re in the hiring process and after you get in. One of the agencies I’m applying for has a requirement of 20.

I essentially had to go from being able to do ZERO push ups to 20 in a fairly short timeframe.

First, I started at incline/bar push ups. I had some chest and core strength already. I’d place the bar about belly button height and just bust them out in a controlled manner, after I was able to do 12 of them over multiple sets without struggling, I lowered the bar one notch, so on and so forth.

The programming helped, but being consistent with them was the key. I actively work on push ups at minimum 5 days a week, no matter what day it is and what I am working. Eventually, bar push ups became easier and I graduated onto the floor.

Now I’ve managed to get 8 decent reps in push up position within two months of consistently training them.

Tie these in with regular chest workouts such as presses/benching, make sure you’re working your stabilizers and keeping up with your mobility to prevent injuries, and DO NOT ignore core workouts. I know a plank minute is the longest minute of our workouts, but they’re necessary.

A lot of women psyche themselves out with things like push ups because we’re naturally not as talented as men in upper body strength, but with CONSISTENCY… push ups become easier.

PROGRESS.

In the time between these two screenshots, I’ve:

Gotten a tattoo
Quit a job
Gained 20lbs (and lost 20lbs)
Went through periods of… well, consistency being hard.
Went through periods of doing literally the bare minimum to maintain.

And a whole bunch of other “life be life-n” moments.

But, the one constant variable was that I never quit. So….this 1.5 mile time might still be slow to some, but I’m pretty proud of it.

My next goal is 15:00. Aiming for summer.

Some days, it feels unattainable. Sometimes, it feels uncomfortable, hard, your wheels feel like they’re spinning, but you’re not anywhere near your destination.

Keep going, keep reaching for and striving for it. Sometimes you’ll need to switch up your routine and try something different, because it is true when they say “if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got”.

It doesn’t matter if your plan looks absolutely insane to everyone. Be obsessed and insane about your goals, because obsession and insanity are the only two factors that will help you survive in a world that thrives on being just average.

I made it a requirement to get some movement in today, regardless of how “meh” I felt. Today was my last run, last interval session of 2025!

2026 will be a huge year in terms of winning.
It can be that way for you as well. If you’re part of the New Year’s resolution crowd, make sure you’re setting your goals with INTENTION, make sure you know your internal reason(s) WHY, and most importantly….. and I wish I could say this louder, make your goals realistic. Yes, one big goal is amazing, but don’t forget to set a few small goals along the way as well, mainly to keep yourself engaged and for accountability. Remember that your larger goals can, and often do, change. You might start off with wanting to lose 50lbs by the end of summer and get into running, but you may find out that you love the gym and want to start chasing muscle gains even more (i know this from experience). The great thing about fitness and movement is that there are multiple ways of getting intentional movement in, you don’t need to spend hours in a gym. You don’t need to spend hours and miles running outside if you prefer not to.

Develop a plan, and stick to it to the best of your ability. I’m always here for those who need the push.

I have my goals locked in sight for 2026, do you? And if so, what are your goals?

Happy 2026 fam, see you next year 💙🚔

Holiday leg day burner:

10 calories on echobike
10/10 lunges (can be any type; reverse, forward, walking, split squat)

For 10 rounds

If you don’t hate life, you’re not doing it right 🥰

My opinion on “junk volume”:

There’s been a LOT of use of the word “junk volume” in the gym world today. It’s misused quite frequently by those who utilize the lower rep, higher weight programs.

They spread misinformation by saying junk volume is anything over 12 reps. It doesnt matter if you feel the burn at that point, it is still junk. This is SO FAR from the truth. “Junk reps” are literally if you hit rep 15 and feel absolutely nothing and can easily plug away at another 15 reps.

Not everybody wants to develop massive amounts of power or train like a powerlifter/maximal strength. While those are important for some clients, keyword being some, they’re not necessary for all.

Often, you’d benefit from a well rounded program that had both a mix of deload, hypertrophy, and strength/power blocks. Deload weeks are great, you’ll see a lot of lighter zone 2 cardio in there as well as stretching, mobility, and some use of lighter weights. Muscular endurance and hypertrophy are both vital aspects of overall wellness and body composition, these blocks THRIVE on high volume/high reps.

Make sure you do your own research before relying on TikTok influencers 💓 only training low reps and heavy weight is a sure fire way to end up burnt out and injured.

Training tips with Nikki:

If you’re training for a law enforcement physical exam, I highly recommend doing a majority of your running outside… but, if you’re like me and get burned out by running the same route for weeks on end for every type of run, or you prefer intervals on a treadmill vs outside, a treadmill does come in handy.

We invested in a manual treadmill earlker this year that has been seeing a lot of love from me recently. There’s no amount of Christmas inflatables and lights that’ll make outdoor running easier at this point… a treadmill is better than nothing, just don’t become too reliant on it. Your 9:50 mi pace can turn into a 10:30 mi pace on test day if you don’t consistently expose yourself to the elements.

I was following a plan for 11 weeks, last week was the last week of the plan; so I took most of the week off last week mainly due to traveling and recovery reasons. That week did me well, my pace is faster and my mind stays engaged longer.

Don’t forget that recovery weeks are crucial to your success, especially when you have to shave 6 minutes off of your mile time. There is a thin line between being an overachieving (maybe slightly overtraining) queen, and being a dipsh*t. Don’t be a dipsh*t. Take a week off every so often- I usually recommend once every 4-6 weeks depending on your training load and your current fitness level.