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Fire Rescue Fitness Thanksgiving Workout…
Happy Thanksgiving! Here is a great “FRF” way to celebrate. This is a little workout that will burn some early morning calories, ignite your metabolism, and make room for some good Thanksgiving food. I always like to do some morning workout or fun run with the family on the Holidays, I find that I feel better all day and don’t eat as much. Please give this a try! Try to do as many circuits as possible in 15 or 20 minutes. Remember to perform an active warm-up before you begin. (Click here for a good active Firefighter workout warm-up routine.) Do the suggested reps of each exercise then proceed to the next, rest as little as possible between exercises. Burpees x 10 reps Pull-ups or Body Rows x 10 reps Prisoner Lunges x 5 reps per leg Squat to Press (around 20% body weight) x 10 reps Feet on Stability Ball…
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5 Ways to Lean Up and Improve Firefighter Performance…
Attention Firefighters, EMTs and Medics (Fire Rescue Athletes). Would you agree that a leaner athlete is a better athlete? I know this is a “loaded” question. A lot of the answer has to deal with the sport in which the athlete is participating. One thing that research shows is that a leaner athlete is a “more efficient” athlete. When it comes to firefighters, this is a valid finding. Efficiency in general terms, describes the extent to which time, effort or cost is well used for the intended task or purpose. So, a more efficient Fire Rescue Athlete will be able to do more work with less physical effort. This is especially important since most of our “more intense” work as Fire Rescue Athletes comes when breathing air via an SCBA. It can be difficult to stay lean as a firefighter, there are the food temptations at the firehouse, the lack of sleep and stress associated…
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10 Ways to Avoid the Cold and Flu in (and out of) the Firehouse
It’s that time of year again when the common cold and flu begins being passed from one person to the next. Each year the common cold affects the average person two times, and can affect the fire rescue athlete even more. The sneezing, coughing, sore throat, and runny nose leave you wanting to curl up under the bed covers. To avoid this misery, prevention is the best cure. So with over 200 mutating cold-causing viruses floating around, what’s a fire rescue athlete to do to avoid getting sick? While in our profession it can be hard to dodge every germ, there are proactive ways to boost your immune system and help prevent catching a cold or the flu. Take a look at these 10 ways: Wash Hands Frequently. One of the most effective ways to prevent colds and the flu is simply washing your hands properly and frequently. Wash your…
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3 Exercises to Reduce Firefighter Injuries and Improve Posture…
There are certain parts of the body that we, as fire rescue athletes, are more likely to injure. If you look at the statistics of firefighter injuries you would see that they most commonly effect the back, the shoulders, and the knees. Also, as society continues to become more sedentary and be glued to TVs and mobile devices our posture continues to diminish. This poor posture can also lead to frequent injury and pain to the shoulders and back. We can all agree that sometimes injuries cannot be avoided, we work in some taxing environments and injuries will happen. But, there are some things (exercises) that you can do to help minimize your chances of injury and improve your posture. So, today I wanted to introduce you to the stick up, thoracic rotations and the single leg bridge. These exercises may be a little unusual but can really help your…
Read MoreFirefighter Challenge Workout to Honor Veterans…
Today I have a special Firefighter Challenge Workout to honor America’s true heroes….our Veterans. Thank you for your service and sacrifice! This workout is 11 minutes of strength exercises followed by an 11 minute cardio interval (11-11 for Veterans Day). The exercises can be changed based on available equipment and level of fitness. Of course, make sure you thoroughly and actively warm-up before starting the workout. Active Warm-up (perform the suggested reps for 2 rounds) Chops (10x) Inverted Hamstrings (5 ea) Spidermans (5 ea) Knees side to side (5 ea) X-overs (5 ea) Perform 2 rounds or circuits then progress to the 11 minute strength portion. Click below for an overview of the FRF 11-11 Veterans Day Workout The strength portion of the workout consist of 4 exercises performed for 2 minutes (as many reps as possible) with 1 minute of rest between them. Today in honor of…
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Firefighter Metabolic Workout
Baseball season is now over. Congrats to the Chicago Cubs for FINALLY breaking their streak. I hope you enjoyed the game, the stress eating, the cocktails and treats that with this epic World Series. I do not hope you carry the extra weight and lethargy that can occur after an epic victory and party… We all have a tendency to overindulge in celebrations and workouts seem to take second place because of it. So, don’t let the Cubs “streak breaking” performance break the streak of getting your workouts done (like how I did that…). In honor of the Cubs victory I created this FRF Metabolic Workout… This workout requires minimal time, maximal effort and will give you an extreme calorie burn (throughout the day). Intermediate/ Advanced athletes should use weights that they can handle for 15 reps (even though you will only be performing 10 reps) while beginners will use body-weight for each…
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Simple Rules for Firefighter Fat Loss…
Firefighters, EMTs and Medics (Fire Rescue Athletes)…. Would you agree that a leaner athlete is a better athlete? I know this is a “loaded” question. A lot of the answer has to deal with the sport in which the athlete is participating. One thing that research shows is that a leaner athlete is a “more efficient” athlete. When it comes to firefighters, this is a valid finding. Efficiency in general terms, describes the extent to which time, effort or cost is well used for the intended task or purpose. So, a more efficient Fire Rescue Athlete will be able to do more work with less physical effort. This is especially important since most of our “more intense” work as Fire Rescue Athletes comes when breathing air via an SCBA. The Fall (football season) can be a challenging time to keep your weight in-check. Here are 10 (actually 11) great tips to help you…
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Healthy Snack Ideas for Firefighters…
Everyone (especially around the firehouse) loves a good snack. But what actually is a “good” snack for firefighters. If you ask some firefighters, they will define a good snack as something that tastes great(usually with lots of sugar) but doesn’t fill you up like a meal. If your stomach starts rumbling and lunch is still two hours away, you’re going to need a snack to make it through the day. As a fire rescue athlete you must remember that the foods you eat at snack time can make a big difference in your energy level, decision making, performance, and overall health. Choose the wrong snack, and you’ll feel dragged down, tired and cloudy. Choose wisely, and you’ll get the boost and performance you need. Choose your snacks wisely, you never know when you will need the extra energy. Before your next snack break, think twice about what you are about to…
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Firefighter Fitness- 5 Ways to Reduce Workout Injuries…
Some people know exactly when it happened. They may have heard a pop in their shoulder, or felt like someone slapped them hard across the back of their leg. For others, it wasn’t a sudden snap that sidelined their workouts; it was just gradual overuse that caused joints or muscles to wear down and eventually start to fail. No matter what or where it happens, firefighters are getting injured working out. If you’ve injured yourself during a weight lifting workout, you first thought it “what did I do wrong” followed by some “expletives.” There is some irony getting injured in the weight room, especially as a fire rescue athlete. After all, your working out to avoid injuries (or at least you should be). In today’s post I wanted to give you five easy ways to avoid injuries during your next workout. Please take note of these, they can may help…
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