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10 Simple Rules For Fat Loss (2014 Edition)
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. As you create your New Years Resolution make an effort to become a leaner, more efficient Fire Rescue Athlete (or any athlete). Here are 10 (actually 11) great tips to help you…
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Firefighter Fitness- Is CrossFit it?
After reading the comments and getting responses to my posts about p90X, I decided it would be a perfect time to dissect the CrossFit fad that is popular in firehouses around the country. I’ve worked in the fitness industry for over 20 years and have seen a lot of “fads” come and go. Not to age myself but when I started in the industry step classes, leotards and zubaz where still popular. Back in the day every health club focused on having the most updated machinery possible, today you see more minimalistic gyms pop up all the time. Along with these fads have come the “next” best workout program. I remember the day when everyone was “Jazzersizing” or “Sweating to the Oldies” or following the “Body for Life,” program. There were also the days of “Tae-bo”, “Spinning” and who could forget “Fitness made simple”? Some of these fitness fads have come and gone while…
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Fire Rescue Athlete Post Holiday Workout
Happy post Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoyed the Holiday and carry the “thankful” attitude through the holiday season. I do not hope you carry the extra weight and lethargy that can occur during the Holidays. Yes, it is 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). 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/…
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Firefighter Fitness- does P90X work?
It’s often said that any movement is better than no movement at all. I personally have to agree with that statement, I think its imperative that everyone (especially FireRescue Athletes) are active. The big question milling about in the Fire Rescue field is what is the most effective type of activity for firefighters? Ideally, we should be performing movements that support, enable, and enhance our physical skills and add to the quality of life. Our exercises should make us stronger, faster, and more capable of accomplishing just about any physical feat a “job” throws at us. One of the more popular programs floating around firehouses these days is P90X. P90X is the extensive fitness program from Beach Body fitness created by Tony Horton that claims it can get you “ripped in 90 days….guaranteed.” Does it work? Maybe, but as Firefighters, EMTs and Paramedics we need to be more than just “ripped”…
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Firefighter Cardio Interval Workout
I have had a of of requests for quick workouts that can be done with minimal equipment. Here is a re-post of one of my more popular cardio interval workouts I created for a firefighter/medic that has no equipment and only some stairs and a parking lot. This can be used as a cardio interval training workout day (for those following the FRF Rapid Fat Loss or FRF Ultimate fire Rescue Athlete Workout Programs) and/or as a good workout to get the blood flowing. Give it a shot! This is a great interval to perform at the firehouse, it doesn’t require a lot of equipment and is very short in duration yet effective. The work intervals can be adjusted to your level of fitness. Beginners should perform 20 seconds of work followed by 40 seconds of rest for each exercise. Intermediates should perform 30 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds…
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Essential Components of a Fire Rescue Fitness Program….revisited.
This is a re-post of one of my more popular articles that needs to be emphasized. Without proper planning, your fitness program may actually be setting you up for failure. Read the article below…how does your current fitness program measure up? This blog topic is one near and dear to my heart and your career–Workouts for Fire Rescue Athletes. Over the last couple of months I’ve been writing about some of the more popular workouts seen in firehouses across the world. You can read about them here and here or listen to a great radio interview about this topic HERE. I’ve received a ton of feedback about those articles both good and bad. One thing I have not done yet is to answer the highly debated question….”What is the best workout for Firefighters, EMTs and Paramedics (Fire Rescue Athletes)? More importantly what are the components of the best Fire Rescue Athlete Workouts? Without further delay, here…
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The 5 Worst Exercises for the Fire Rescue Athlete
Fire Rescue Athletes (firefighters, EMTs and paramedics) must be physically ready to act. The job entails lifting heavy objects (or people), climbing up stairs, dragging hoseline, hoisting ladders, along with other physically taxing movements. It is evident that in order to effectively do our jobs we must have a strong, balanced body. Workouts and especially exercises must then match the demands of the job and prepare the body for such stress. Now, I know that I am going to get a lot of “flack” for writing this article but I feel that it needs to be done. Exercise is meant to help you, right? Unfortunately, there are certain “exercises” that are very commonly used in most Fire Rescue Athletes’ workouts that are actually harmful. These exercises are being performed in firehouses (and gyms) all over the world and actually bad for your joints and are pretty much useless when it comes…
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High Intensity Cardio Challenges for the Firehouse
Time is always been and will always be the number one reason we miss workouts. As Fire Rescue Athletes, we work unusual hours and our workouts are often interrupted by calls. Lately I’ve been creating and testing some highly efficient cardio interval workouts on my bootcamp classes and crew. Today’s blog will give you two of the more effective ones and teach you some ways to integrate them into your busy schedules and workouts. The 5 Minutes of Hell Interval Challenge I like to use this interval challenge at the end of workouts or bootcamp classes. It really challenges your body’s ability to recover while continuing to work at a high intensity, just like it is on the fire ground. All you need for this interval workout is a wall and a timer. You can check out a video overview of the 5 minutes of hell (click here) and/or read…
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Soda or Water in the Firehouse?
There has been a huge decrease of soda consumption around the firehouse. There isn’t any good reason to substitute soda for water (read below). I personally gave up soda (including diet) six months ago and feel a ton better and have more energy. So, today I wanted to do a comparison of water to one of the more popular soft drinks….Coke. Sometimes I still have the urge to drink a soda, after reading this, I quickly lose that urge. Read the points made below. WATER 1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half world population.) 2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger. 3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%. 4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study. 5.…
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