Ask the Tactical Trio addresses the questions faced by tactical professionals, athletic trainers, physical therapists, and strength coaches. Each episode provides practical guidance on subjects such as injury management, performance, recovery, and return to duty, based on real-world experience. Submit questions to askthetacticaltrio@gmail.com
Breasts and Vests: Finding The Right Bra For Duty - Part 2
Send us Fan Mail Does your bra leave you counting down the minutes until you can take off your vest? Underwire digging into your ribs, straps cutting into your shoulders, upper back pain, chafing, and constantly adjusting your bra throughout a shift shouldn't have to be part of the job. In Part 2 of our Breasts and Vests series, the Tactical Trio gets into a conversation that doesn't happen often enough in public safety: finding the right bra for duty. We explore bra fitting, sports bras vers...
17 Oct 2026
Breasts and Vests: Getting Tactical Vest Fit Right - Part 1
In Part 1 of our two-part Breasts and Vests series, the Tactical Trio tackles tactical vest fitting, body armor ergonomics, and the unique challenges female police officers can face when wearing duty gear for long shifts. We’re three athletic therapists and strength coaches with more than 45 years of combined experience working with first responders. We’re sharing practical, real-world advice to help officers, athletic trainers, strength coaches, and police leaders understand why proper vest ...
3 Oct 2026
EMDR After Trauma - Two Firsthand Experiences
What is EMDR really like when you’re the person sitting in the chair? In this episode of Ask the Tactical Trio, we’re talking about EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) from a perspective you don’t always hear: lived experience. Rather than giving you a clinical lecture on how EMDR works, Becky and Traci share what it was actually like to experience EMDR themselves—and their experiences were very different. Becky sought EMDR after a traumatic first-responder incident and descr...
19 Sept 2026
Strong, Fit… and Still Peeing Yourself? Returning to Duty After Pregnancy
What does it really mean to be “cleared” to return to work after pregnancy? In this episode of Ask the Tactical Trio, we tackle a question from a firefighter and new mom of twins who was medically cleared to return to work just six weeks after giving birth—but didn’t feel physically or mentally ready to perform the demands of the job. We talk about the often-overlooked gap between medical clearance and true return-to-work readiness for female first responders. Tracy shares her own postpartum ...
5 Sept 2026
Grant Me an AT! How to Fund Tactical Athletic Training & Wellness Programs
How do you actually pay for an athletic training, fitness, or wellness program in a police or fire department? In this episode of Ask The Tactical Trio, we tackle a question from a self-employed athletic trainer in Michigan who is looking to bring an on-site athletic training program to a police department and needs to figure out how to fund it. We break down grant funding for law enforcement and public safety wellness programs, where to look for funding, and why grants are definitely not “fr...
22 Aug 2026
When the Call Comes Home (Part 3): Practical Tools for Stress, Recovery & Nervous System Regulation
What can first responders do after a critical incident when the call is over but their body is still in high alert? In the final episode of our three-part When the Call Comes Home series, the Tactical Trio gets practical. Becky, Traci, and Anna explore first responder stress, nervous system regulation, recovery after critical incidents, and the transition from work back to home. We talk about simple techniques that can help the body shift out of a heightened stress response, including: Ground...
9 Aug 2026
When the Call Comes home (Part 2): Making Sense of Your Stress Response
Why do some critical incidents stay with us long after the scene is over? Why can you think clearly during a call, yet find yourself struggling days or even weeks later? In Part 2 of our When the Call Comes Home series, we move beyond the story to explore what's happening inside the brain and body after a critical incident. Using Becky’s personal experience as a starting point, the Tactical Trio breaks down the neuroscience behind stress and trauma in a practical, easy-to-understand way. Toge...
25 Jul 2026
When the Call Comes Home (Part 1): When the Critical Incident Finds You Off Duty
In this powerful episode of Ask the Tactical Trio, Becky shares the deeply personal story of responding to her first fatality, one that is quite recent and that happened completely unexpectedly when she wasn't working. Without hesitation, she shifted into first responder mode, performing CPR until emergency crews arrived. What followed, however, was a very different experience: processing the emotional and physiological impact without the preparation or structure that often exists when on dut...
11 Jul 2026
Old Dude in the Outfield: Back to Work ≠ Back to Play
Back to work doesn't always mean you're ready to get back in the game. In this episode of Ask the Tactical Trio, we answer a question from "Old Dude in the Outfield," a firefighter who returned to work successfully after shoulder surgery, only to discover that his first recreational softball game left his shoulder "very, very angry." Why does this happen? Because rebuilding strength for your job isn't always the same as preparing your body for the unique demands of throwing. Join Becky, Anna,...
27 Jun 2026
Minimum Effective Dose: Fitness for Busy First Responders
Most first responders believe fitness requires more time, energy, motivation, and discipline than they actually have. Five-day programs. Long workouts. Complex training plans. Perfect consistency. The result? Many police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and dispatchers feel overwhelmed before they even start. In this episode, we break down the latest resistance training guidance from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41843416/ which reviewed 1...
13 Jun 2026
Sole Searching: Choosing Tactical Footwear
A patrol officer writes in with a problem almost every first responder recognizes: Boots that feel great at the start of shift… Feet that are cooked by mid-shift… Low back and knees that start complaining before the day is done. And the worst part? Everyone at work has an opinion: “Go heavier.” “Go minimalist.” “Just get insoles.” “Just toughen up.” In this episode, the Tactical Trio cuts through the noise and explains how first responders should actually choose tactical footwear based on wha...
30 May 2026
Still Showing Up: Ankle Pain, Divorce & Recovery
A 47-year-old firefighter and military veteran writes in with a question so many first responders silently live through: A nagging ankle that won’t settle down. A divorce that’s draining everything mentally. Trying to exercise more to cope with stress… and wondering if it’s actually making things worse. In this episode, the Tactical Trio unpacks how emotional stress, sleep disruption, cortisol, and chronic pain are deeply connected — and why this firefighter’s ankle may not just be an ankle p...
16 May 2026
Why Shift Work Breaks Traditional Training Plans Part 2: Aerobic Base, Zone Training, the Glycolytic Trap & Power for First Responders
In Part 2 of this conversation, the Tactical Trio goes deep into the how of training for first responders working rotating shifts, nights, court days, call-outs, and chronic fatigue. This episode moves beyond general advice and breaks down the specific strength and conditioning principles that must be adjusted for police officers, firefighters, paramedics, corrections, and tactical athletes living in a world of disrupted sleep, hyper-vigilance, and unpredictable stress. You’ll hear why aerobi...
2 May 2026
Why Shift Work Breaks Traditional Training Plans (Part 1)
A canine officer walks into a coffee shop and asks a simple question: “How am I supposed to follow a strength program when my shifts are all over the place?” This episode tackles a problem almost every first responder, police officer, firefighter, paramedic, and shift worker faces and almost every strength and conditioning program ignores. Shift work doesn’t change the need to be strong. It changes the nervous system, sleep, hormones, recovery, and readiness to train. And if your program does...
18 Apr 2026
When First Responders Open Up: Staying in Scope While Treating Stress-Driven Pain
In tactical settings, something powerful happens in the treatment room. The table becomes more than a place for rehab and manual therapy — it becomes a place where first responders feel safe enough to talk. And sometimes, you realize you might be the only person they’re opening up to about what they’ve seen, what they’re carrying, and how much it’s affecting them. So what do you do next? In this episode of Ask the Tactical Trio, we tackle a question sent in by an athletic therapist working fu...
4 Apr 2026
What’s Got Our Attention Right Now in Tactical Health and Performance
We discuss the development and importance of physical employment standards testing for first responders, we explore how the nervous system influences pain, injury, and recovery in tactical rehabilitation, and we dive into how applied neurology may help improve resilience, performance, and tactical wellness in high-stress professions. Drawing from our backgrounds in athletic training and strength and conditioning, we explore emerging ideas that could influence how we train, rehabilitate,...
20 Mar 2026
Meet the Tactical Trio: Our Backgrounds and Our Mission
In the first episode of Ask The Tactical Trio, we introduce ourselves and the work that brought us together. With over 45 years of combined experience supporting first responders , we share our backgrounds in athletic training and strength and conditioning, the agencies and communities we serve, and why supporting the health and performance of this population matters so much to us. We also talk about what listeners can expect from the podcast—practical conversations about tactical wellness, t...
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
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Spotify
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
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