Disciple of discipline

Scott Zimmerman isn’t the stereotypical policeman who downs donuts by the dozen. 

Zimmerman, a corporal in the Homewood Police Department, rarely even touches a donut. The treat doesn’t comply with the strict diet he maintains as a competitive bodybuilder. 

Zimmerman, 49, is a four-time winner of the Mr. Alabama bodybuilding competition. He placed first in his division in 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018, and a few of his trophies are displayed in the front lobby of HPD’s downtown headquarters.

“It’s something I love to do,” said Zimmerman, pausing during a mid-afternoon workout in April. “I love the discipline, the process of the whole thing.” 

Contestants at bodybuilding events perform a number of poses that allow them to showcase their different muscle groups. Judges evaluate contestants’ physiques based primarily on muscle symmetry and size. 

Zimmerman said he was shy when he started competing in 2012, but that apprehension quickly faded. 

“If you haven’t been putting the work in as far as your diet, your cardio, your weights, working on everything like that, it’ll show,” Zimmerman said. “There’s nowhere to hide.”

Zimmerman entered his first contest the year after he sustained a devastating knee injury. In 2011, toward the end of his 21-year career at the Birmingham Police Department, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus while manually moving a broken-down vehicle off the road. 

Zimmerman decided while rehabbing from the injury that he wanted to give bodybuilding a try. He had always dreamed of pursuing the sport but had yet to commit. 

It didn’t take long for him to reap the rewards. He won his first competition in 2012, thanks in part to a rigorous pre-contest diet that consisted of fish and asparagus. 

“After that, I was hooked,” he said. “I was like, ‘Man, I love doing this.’”

Zimmerman trains in the gym seven days a week. From Monday to Friday, he wakes up at 2 a.m. to drive to Homewood from his home in Hartselle. He pumps iron for about an hour and a half before beginning his shift at 6 a.m. 

Zimmerman carries a large cooler in the back of his patrol vehicle that contains meals he’s prepared in advance. Chicken, turkey, sweet potatoes, brown rice and broccoli are staples of his diet. 

He eats five to six times a day and aims to drinks a gallon of water. 

“You are what you eat, and a lot of people don’t understand that,” Zimmerman said. “What you put into your body affects the way you look and the way you feel. I question myself sometimes, but I mean, it’s worth it.” 

Zimmerman said his body fat percentage stays at a paltry 3-5%. During the leadup to competitions, he logs up to two hours of cardiovascular exercise per day to help him cut weight. He drops from around 220 pounds to 180 pounds during the 12-week period prior to show time.

“For me, this is like my therapy in a lot of ways,” Zimmerman said. “Over the years, as far as being in police work and the stress involved, I come in here and it’s kind of my disconnect.”

Zimmerman has worked in Homewood since 2013. In that time, he said he has provided training and nutrition guidance to a host of other officers.

Maintaining a high fitness level has practical job benefits. Zimmerman knows that if he encounters a dangerous situation, he possesses the strength to protect himself and others. 

“I feel like with this job, you have to stay in shape,” he said. “You have to have something.”