The Best On-Shift Workout to Build Resilience Without Redlining

One of the most common questions I get is how to train on shift without "redlining" before the tones drop. It’s a delicate balance: you need to be fit for duty, but you have to leave enough in the tank to perform when someone is having their worst day.

After years of experimenting at the station with everything from heavy lifting and high-intensity grinders to yoga and mobility work, I’ve found that interval training is the sweet spot. Intervals allow us to mimic high-demand fireground movements—like crawling, dragging, and carrying—while managing our heart rate and recovery. This approach helps us build the resilience we need without leaving us completely exhausted for the next call.

Here is a crew-based interval workout we recently ran at the house that hits that "ready for anything" threshold:

Active Warm-up

Perform 2 circuits. Set an interval timer for 35 seconds of movement with 5 seconds between transitions (click the blue link for a video overview of the exercise).

How the Circuit Works:

Once you're warm, you will perform the following six exercises in a continuous loop. This is "station-based" training: you’ll move from one exercise to the next with minimal transition time. The beauty of this circuit is the work-to-rest ratio—it forces your heart rate up during the work phase and challenges your body to recover quickly during the rest phase, exactly like a real fireground scenario.

The Format:

Intermediate/Advanced: 35 seconds of work / 25 seconds of rest.
Beginner: 30 seconds of work / 30 seconds of rest.
The Goal: Complete the entire circuit 4 times for a total of 24 minutes.

Station	Movement	Fireground Application
1. Aerodyne Bike	High-resistance cardio	Mimics the "spike" of the initial fire attack (Alt: Rower or Battle Hose).
2. Jumping Jacks	Dynamic movement	Keeps the heart rate elevated (Alt: Weighted Jump Rope).
3. Stair Crawls	Bear crawl up / Run down	Mimics low-profile search and high-rise stair climbs.
4. Tire Sledges	Overhead & side strikes	Forcible entry and ventilation (Alt: Med Ball Slams).
5. Core Focus	Plank or Bird-Dog	Structural integrity for lifting and carrying equipment.
6. Mountain Climbers	Explosive movement	Agility and recovery under load (Alt: Burpees).

After you finish the final round, take 3 to 5 minutes to foam roll; it’s one of the most effective ways to downregulate your nervous system and shift your body from "fight or flight" back into "rest and digest" mode. This simple recovery habit helps clear metabolic waste from your muscles and improves tissue mobility, ensuring you aren't stiff and sluggish when the next tones drop. (Click here for a good post about foam rolling for firefighters).

By using this interval format, we are training our aerobic and anaerobic systems to recover faster. This directly correlates to how we handle the "cortisol spike" during a real response. You get the sweat, you build the muscle, but you stay sharp for the next run.

Give this a shot with your crew on your next shift. Let me know how it goes—and remember, train like your life (and theirs) depends on it.

— Zam

Need other workout options like the one above? Take a look at the innovative FRF Ultimate Fire Rescue Athlete Workout Program. Thousands of fire rescue athletes have accomplished amazing results with this program.

Click Here to read more and get started today with the “FRF Ultimate Fire Athlete” Workout, and receive this cutting-edge program along with $139.96 worth of FREE bonuses!