Episode #165: Jake Patten

Jake Patten is the Director of Strength & Conditioning overseeing the Fairfax County Fire and Police Departments. Patten has been with the Fire & Rescue Department for over nine years, first joining the in 2016 and overseeing the Fairfax County Police Department’s Wellness and Fitness program for over four years. He arrives at his current position after serving as the assistant fitness director in the private sector at Sport & Health from 2015-2016. He began his coaching career in the collegiate setting first as an assistant strength & conditioning coach at Duke University from 2008-2010. He then joined the staff at American University in a similar roll in 2010 before quickly being promoted to head strength & conditioning coach at the end of his first season. Patten spent the next three seasons at American before moving on to James Madison University where he served as the associate director of strength & conditioning for the Dukes from 2013-2015. At JMU he worked with the football program in addition to overseeing both women’s lacrosse and field hockey.

A former college football player at Virginia Tech, Patten played both strong safety and special teams from 2003-2006 and went on to be an undrafted free agent with the San Francisco 49ers. Following his football career, Patten continues to stay active himself in the weight room. Currently his training centers on hybrid conjugate, muscular endurance and lots of challenge WODs with his tactical athletes. Working around previous injuries and new personal goals, he has shifted his training to balance all the demands required of a tier 1 operator – can run a needed distance when asked, lift relative bodyweight for the majority of movements, carry 1x his bodyweight, and still maintain great mobility and conditioning. To add to this he has also added training for Jui Jitsu to his regime.