EP 19: SWAT Sergeant and CrossFit Games Athlete Freddy Camacho on Night Shifts, and the Importance of Beer and Kool-Aid

Freddy Camacho is a couple things:   A complete badass A laid back guy with zero ego. That's a hard combination to come by, even in law enforcement Freddy is a newly-promoted sergeant for Union City PD, a good-sized city in the Bay Area and it's a hoping area. He's also a sergeant on their sniper team and has been on the SWAT team for quite some time. Freddy came to law enforcement later than most, and almost on a whim which is kind of funny. But he had a history of fitness long before law enforcement that he brought into the career. So here's a guy who is 50, working nights and that's only half the story… Freddy is also a co-owner of CrossFit Freemont, and was a previous owner of CrossFit One World, one of the first 100 affiliates in the world. Freddy is also married to Chyna Cho, the fittest American in this year's CrossFit Games where she came in 6th. With a wife that's performing at the elite levels, it's easy to see where he gets his motivation. But he also makes time for a nightly Sierra Nevada because he has his priorities straight. A cop, working to stay fit, who loves IPA's? We're going to get along juuuuuuust fine. In this episode: How Freddy found CrossFit after a successful career as a ring fighter and boxer. The random conversation that turned him into a cop. How police work has changed his outlook on fitness. How he manages 2-3 hour training sessions with shift work and nights. Bedtime routines Why nutrition was never a big deal for him, but what he's doing now to get it dialed-in. His one major force multiplier for his fitness (hint: it's his wife). Links and Resources: RP Strength – Renaissance Periodization Strength is the nutrition performance coaching service that Freddy talks about. They're giving away a free auto-template to a listener of The Squad Room. See the rules below. Freddy's Twitter: @freddycamacho65  His gym: CrossFit of Freemont   This episode is sponsored by SB Tactical and the iCombat Active Shooter Training System.  The iCombat Training System is an active-shooter and firearms qualification system. Each officer is outfitted with a molle-style tac vest, headband and receiver that all have sensors on them. You're also given a replica AR-15 and a replica Glock pistol. Now, replica isn't really a good word here because the AR-15 and Glock both cycle like real guns, emit gunshot sounds and muzzle flashes. They each have ammo accountability too, meaning that you have to keep track of your shots like a real firefight. What I really like is there's even a mag release and it's weighted like a Glock. You don't feel like you're holding a water gun. The AR also has a functioning safety and can be used in single shot, or burst modes. This is not a simulation system, it's a replication system. Because of this, you can take it anywhere. There's no site preparation, no ammo costs, and none of the safety issues that come with live-fire or SIMS training. I hate SIMS training and to me, this system has all the benefits and none of the liabilities. To prove that point, watch the video at sbtactical.com where they used a functioning terminal at the Burbank Airport for active shooter training. They used a functioning terminal, with real as you can get concealment and cover and multiple agencies went through the training scenarios. As I said in the past, I've used this equipment in my own department's training and I think it's fantastic. If you're part of your department's training cadre or are just bored of standing on a static line and shooting 5 rounds into a paper target as part of your firearms quals, check out the system at sbtactical.com. They're American made, and veteran-owned. Check out this video of two SWAT Teams reviewing the iCombat system. And here's a good video to walk you through how it all works.