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Essential Firefighter Workout Equipment
Essential Fitness Equipment for the Firehouse I get a lot of requests to address the “best” equipment to put in fire stations, which is the topic of today’s post. Unfortunately, the biggest factor in firehouse gym set-up is price and budget so I will try to keep this in mind. First off, I want to address the what we don’t need in firehouse gyms. I actually created a special report that addresses the 5 worst exercises for firefighters in which we cover the lack of need for a leg press, leg extension and leg curl machine. These machines, like the pec deck, chest press and shoulder machine press don’t fit the natural movement patterns of the joints they are supposed to work and promote bad form and injury. So, let’s avoid putting these types of machines in our firehouses. What we…
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Firefighter Fitness Tip- Eat more Fruits and Veggies….
Firefighters have physically and mentally demanding jobs which means we (as fire rescue athletes) have demanding nutritional needs to match. Unfortunately, research confirms that most are deficient in some essential nutrients. The most common deficiencies are in protein, water (hydration), healthy fatty acids, and the essential vitamins. Research confirms these same deficiencies for all athletes, not just fire rescue athletes. Let’s face it, with all the demands of the job it’s really hard to get all the essential vitamins and minerals from food alone. So, I came up with a couple of tips to help you manage your diet and get more of the essential nutrients needed to stay “fit for duty.” Firefighter Fitness Tip- Eat more Fruits and Veggies… (mom was right) Eat more foods rich in vitamins and minerals (eat those fruits and veggies). Depending on your age, gender and activity level, you should consume between five and…
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Firefighter Holiday Metabolic Workout
Happy Holidays- Yes that time of the year where we have a tendency to overindulge and workouts seem to take second place to the holiday rush. To combat the accumulation of holiday pounds I created this Fire Rescue Metabolic Workout.. This workout requires minimal time, maximal effort and will give you an extreme calorie burn (throughout the day). The workout is adoptable for various levels of fitness. 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 exercise. Each rep should be performed with control (safety first) and good form. You must perform 2 circuits of the warm-up. After the warm-up follow the appropriate circuit (beginner or intermediate/ advanced) as quickly as possible. Your goal is to complete the entire circuit as quickly as possible. You can record your total time (of the metabolic circuit) so you…
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Thanksgiving (Holiday) Morning Firefighter Workout to Ignite Your Metabolism…
Here is a great way to start your Thanksgiving morning (or any morning). 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 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…
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Hydrate for Optimum Firefighter Fitness
I have posted this article a couple of times over the past 4 years on the firerescuefitness.com blog, I think it is one of the most overlooked aspects of firefighter fitness. Its starting to get cold outside (at least here in the Midwest) and its easy to think that hydration isn’t as important as staying warm. Dehydration is still very much a threat to firefighters performance (and survival) in winter just as much as it is in summer. The combination of heavy clothing and high-intensity exercise can lead to increased sweating and the possibility of dehydration. You may not feel as thirsty in cold weather as in other climates, because your body chemistry impairs your brain’s ability to tell you when to hydrate. Cold weather also has the effect of moving body fluids from your extremities to your core, causing increased urine output and adding to dehydration. Please take…
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Goblet Squat for More Strength on the Fireground
I often get emails and questions about ways to improve leg strength and recovery while in firefighting gear. We all know that stairs and climbing are major fire rescue movements performed on the fire ground so… improve your leg strength and you could improve your performance on the fire ground. One exercise in particular is very good at doing just that….the goblet squat. The goblet squat is a multi-joint lower body exercise that fires up (no pun intended) the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. Unlike the traditional back squat, the goblet squat is executed by keeping the body in an upright position, which results in less strain on the lower lumbar and spine and places an increased demand on your upper back and core. It is a great exercise for adding volume to build work capacity or conditioning in circuits. Goblet squats also help improve mobility in the hip, thus helping you…
Read MoreThe Best Firefighter Workout?
This topic is near and dear to mine and your hearts and careers–Workouts for Firefighters and Fire Rescue Athletes. Over the last couple of months I’ve been researching, talking, tweaking and writing about some of the more popular workouts seen in firehouses across the world. You can read about them here and here. I’ve received a ton of feedback about those articles both good and bad (please keep it coming) and used all of this information to create one of the BEST Workouts for Firefighters. The Ultimate Fire Rescue Workout is one of the most effective and efficient workouts for firefighters. Why? Because it contains these five vital components that are essential for the Fire Rescue Athlete. Does your program include these components? 1. The program must be planned using sound periodization and science. The program must be planned using sound periodization and science. Training should follow a developmental approach or progression. This means there should be…
Read MoreFirefighter Cardio Interval Workouts
Cardiovascular fitness is obviously a very important concern for the fire rescue athlete (firefighters, paramedics and EMTs). Lately I’ve been researching, creating, and then performing a lot of 10-minute interval overhauls and wanted to share them with you today. You can do one of these separately after a strength workout or combine all three for a good cardiovascular workout. These only take 10-minutes but you sweat (and burn calories) a lot longer than that. Give these a try. 1. The Uphill Grind. This is a great treadmill interval, if your just getting started with a fitness program (click here for a great workout to establish your FRF Foundation) you want to decrease the speed and incline to a level that is a little more obtainable. Start minutes 0-2 with a warm-up at 3.5mph and 3.5% inclinenext 30 seconds crank it up to 8.0 mph at 8.0% inclinerest 30 seconds (I stand on the side rails of the treadmill)repeat 7…
Read MoreFirefighter Workout- Progressive Bodyweight Challenge
I get a lot of requests for workouts that require a minimal amount of equipment. Here is a great Firefighter Bodyweight workout that doesn’t require a lot of equipment and is very efficient (like you need to be on a fire/rescue scene).Click on the video below for a recap. Please like, comment and share this video! Here is a recap of the workout (you can change the exercises based on your available equipment)… 5 burpees 10 Pull-ups (or body rows) 15 Push-ups 20 Prisoner Squats 25 Biker crunches (25 each side) 30 seconds plank 1 minute of running stairs Repeat for time a total of 5 rounds (if your just starting out, aim for 3 or 4 rounds). Looking for more great challenge workouts? Check out the Ultimate Fire Rescue Athlete Workout Program, a comprehensive 12-week Firefighter Workout Program designed to get you in the shape of your life!
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