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Fire Station Cardio Workout Option
I’ve had a lot of requests for workout options that can be performed at the station with minimal equipment. Here is an option 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 28-day Quickstart Program) and/or as a good workout to get the blood flowing. Give it a shot!This is a re-post from one of my more popular fire house workouts. Try this great interval at the firehouse (or any house), 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 of rest and advanced…
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On-Duty Firefighter (Fire Rescue) Workout…
I get a lot of requests for workouts that can be performed on duty with equipment found at the firehouse. The other day, my crew and I performed this intensive 30 minute interval workout. This workout will get your heart racing, challenge your core and work your muscles. The workout consists of three, 10 minute intervals each with a different focus. The first 10 minutes focuses on anaerobic recovery, the second ten minutes on full body strength and the last ten minutes on fire ground related movements. The only equipment needed for the intervals are a 50 feet bundle of fire hose (2 1/2 inch works best), some stairs if you got them (or a jump rope), a place to do body rows (pull up bar) and an interval timer (there are android phone apps for this). Interval 1. Sprints. This interval requires a little space, you can use the garage bay or parking lot.…
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Tabata Workouts for Firefighters
Have you heard of Tabata? This is an unusual style workout floating around a lot of gyms and firehouses lately. I wanted to explain what it is and how we, as fire rescue athletes, can incorporate it into an effective workout. “Tabata” is the name of a particular type of workout program that provides increased fat burning and oxygen efficiency in a short period of time. Instead of hours upon hours of exercise, Tabata can be completed in just 4minute cycles. Tabata training was developed by a Japanese researcher named Dr. Izumi Tabata who was working with Olympic speed skaters. In his study, he found that a control group using his training method of 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest, for eight intervals, saw greater VO2 Max improvement than the other group that trained with 60 minute sessions. The real question that you want to know is: “How can this…
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Firefighter Nutrition Tip…Don't Eat This
Try to follow this eating pattern! Don’t Eat this Sweetener… One of the most evil products that is present in huge quantities in our food supply these days is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Products that contain HFCS are highly modified from their natural state by mass processing to satisfy economical and/or food preservation needs. This results in products that are much more harmful to our bodies than the original substance. The food manufacturers are only concerned with maximizing profits– and do not take into consideration the consumer’s health. Not only does HFCS contribute significantly to promoting fat storage, but it also contributes to a host of other health problems. If you’re serious about getting “fit for duty,” losing body fat and maintaining a lean and healthy body, you must avoid HFCS as much as possible, if not altogether. The answer to avoiding HFCS is quite simple – don’t buy…
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Firefighter Fitness Predictions for 2014
Now everyone loves predictions and I’m no stranger. After over 20 years in the fitness industry, I’ve seen my fair share of trends (remember leg warmers and step aerobics…). Well, this year I’m going to put my experience to work and create some predictions. Take a look! 2014 Fitness Prediction #1 – Shorter, High Intensity Workouts Will Dominate. This year, your workout is going to get a lot more intense…or at least it should. High-intensity interval training is poised to hit the mainstream in 2014, according to a new survey from the American College of Sports Medicine. High intensity interval training, or HIIT, refers to workouts in which bouts of intense exercise are alternated with bouts of either rest of low-intensity activity. HIIT results in more fat loss than long, slow exercises like jogging, some studies have shown, and it’s beneficial for your heart, too. But the best part: It’s the most…
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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…
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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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