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Firefighter Workout Tip- The Importance of a Proper Warm-up…
Flexibility is often the most overlooked aspect of a an effective firefighter workout. Participating in an appropriate warm-up and cool down and stretching program has shown to help firefighter performance by:Increasing physical efficiency and performanceCan you do this?Increasing neuromuscular coordinationDecreasing risk of severity of injuryDecreasing risk of lower back painDecreasing delayed onset muscle sorenessDecreasing stress and tensionWhat are the best ways, types and times to stretch (very important)?This is the first of a couple of posts about flexibility. Today I want to talk about the Active Warm-up. If you are like most of us, you were taught how to stretch in your high school weight lifting class and you’ve likely continued with pretty much the same routine ever since. Science, however, has moved on. Researchers now believe that some of the old school workout warm-up regimens are not only a waste of time but actually pose potential risk. This “old school” warm-up…
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Firefighter On-shift Interval Workout
I get a lot of emails asking for good workout options for the firehouse when on-shift. Working out on-shift is a major concern, you want to make sure you keep your body in good “fit for duty” condition but also want to make sure you have enough “left in the tank” to respond and perform in an actual response. Over the last couple of years I have toyed with various workouts on shift; high intensity, heavy lifting, stretching only, and even some yoga. I have found that interval workouts are not only the most effective but a great way to incorporate fireground movements (steps, crawls, sledges, drags, lifts, carries, and some core). Here is an example of a “Sunday Funday” workout that I did with my crew. Active Warm-up Perform 2 circuits. Set an interval timer for 35 seconds of movement with 5 seconds between to transition. Chops Step back…
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Firefighter Workout- Intense Interval Overhaul to burn fat…
One of the best ways to incorporate fireground movements into your workouts is to perform what I call “10-minute interval overhauls.” These are 10 minutes of intervals that can vary in work and rest times that are performed after your strength training sessions. You can read more about these “interval overhauls” by clicking here or see how to integrate them into an actual program by clicking here (FREE 28-day FRF workout). Today I finished workout #3 of the Ultimate Fire Rescue Athlete Program and created this 10 minute overhaul….three hours later I’m still sweating. These intervals should be performed to the best of your ability, feel free to substitute in other exercises that you feel more comfortable with (and let me know your creative ideas). These overhauls help burn more fat and calories and as mentioned above are a great way to incorporate firefighter movements into your workout. Give this…
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Healthy Nutrition in the Firehouse (or any house)
Cooking in the firehouse for a bunch of hungry firefighters is not easy, trust me I know. In most cases we sacrifice health for taste to avoid complaints and heckling. But, in order to change the culture of the fire service (to a healthier one) cooks and food choices need to get better. Here are 3 easy and healthy tips that can help. 1. Assemble 5 simple and healthy recipes that can be easily tweaked to create different dishes.– Learning new recipes are fun but isn’t best done in a busy firehouse. We all know, the more times we make a recipe, the faster, easier and possibly healthier it gets–It becomes a routine, like putting on your gear. There are a lot of resources to find healthy recipes, pick some out and use them as your staples. Need some extra guidance on nutrition? Get into “Ultimate” shape with this program…Eating…
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The Ultimate Firefighter Tribute Workout
A lot of people have taken advantage of the Ultimate Fire Athlete Workout Cold Water Challenge, but, time is running out. Just to recap, I am giving $10 (all profits) for each Ultimate Fire Athlete Program sold to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation for the next week. You can read more about that here. Today I want to give you a taste of the type of workouts that you will find in the Ultimate Fire Athlete Workout and it comes with great timing and a lot of significance… The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation provides resources and funding (via grants and donations) towards remembering our fallen and protecting our current firefighters. This “tribute” workout is difficult and will be re-introduced later this year but I felt that this week (with the NFFF campaign) that it was a great time to introduce it. So, give this challenge a try and please comment…
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Get "Firefighter Fit" and Give Back…Now is the time!
Ultimate Fire Athlete Workout and the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation. Have you heard about the Cold Water Challenge? Basically, its a challenge by firefighters to each other to video themselves taking a cold bucket of water to raise funds for the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation. Well, recently my crew “called” me out… and I wimped out. So, I decided to contact the NFFF and do one (or many) better. For the next week, I will donate $10 (which is my profit) for each Ultimate Fire Athlete Workout Program sold! What is the Ultimate Fire Athlete Workout? It is the most comprehensive, efficient, effective program for fire rescue athletes. The program includes 12-weeks of strength workouts, exercise videos, eating guidelines, fire-ground workout options, crew workouts, cardio interval workouts along with printable guides and mobile pdf versions….and much more. Check out the video below. Just like firerescuefitness.com, the NFFF strives to improve the…
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Get "Firefighter Fit" and Give Back…Now is the time!
Ultimate Fire Athlete Workout and the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation. Have you heard about the Cold Water Challenge? Basically, its a challenge by firefighters to each other to video themselves taking a cold bucket of water to raise funds for the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation. Well, recently my crew “called” me out… and I wimped out. So, I decided to contact the NFFF and do one (or many) better. For the next week, I will donate $10 (which is my profit) for each Ultimate Fire Athlete Workout Program sold! What is the Ultimate Fire Athlete Workout? It is the most comprehensive, efficient, effective program for fire rescue athletes. The program includes 12-weeks of strength workouts, exercise videos, eating guidelines, fire-ground workout options, crew workouts, cardio interval workouts along with printable guides and mobile pdf versions….and much more. Check out the video below. Just like firerescuefitness.com, the NFFF strives to improve the…
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The Firefighters Daily Fitness Check off…
Be Physically Ready for Duty- Your Daily Fitness Checkoffs. At the beginning of each and every shift firefighters, EMTs and medic meticulously go through and check their gear (or at least they should be) to make sure that it is ready for the challenges of the day. Our equipment must be functioning properly and our rigs must be fueled and ready to go. The question that I also want you to think about is whether or not your physical equipment- brain, body, muscles are ready to go? Are you fit? Are you fueled? Here are three quick and easy things you can do at the beginning of the shift that will help you be “fit for fire.” 1. Drink some water. Around most firehouses (and offices) the day and the shift starts with some coffee. We all need a pick-me-up from time to time but before you reach for that…
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One of the Top 10 "Best Exercises" for Firefighters, EMTs and Medics
I’ve compiled a list of the top 10 exercises for Fire Rescue Athletes. This list is the culmination of over 10 years of research on fire-ground movements and over 20 years experience working with athletes. You can click here to get a copy of that list. Here is one that made the list. 1. Plank (s)—It’s no surprise that the one of the exercises on this list is a core exercise. Back injuries are the number one reason firefighters and medics go on early disability so it’s imperative that as a fire rescue athlete you focus on strengthening the core. The plank exercise requires no equipment and is an incredible exercise for improving core strength, endurance, and power. As mention previously, core strength is integral for the fire rescue athlete, as all movement occurs around the core. The plank will increase core efficiency allowing the body to have greater control…
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