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Firefighter Fitness Motivation!
Just a little reminder that fires aren’t the number one killer of firefighters….heart attacks and strokes are. Approach your health and fitness like an athlete. Train like a life depends on it….because it does. Enough said. Stay safe and healthy, Aaron Zamzow
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Simple Rules of Healthy Eating
What do you need for survival? I’m not talking about your phone, technology or a certain person; I mean what does your body need to survive? If you said food you would be correct… the single most important thing you need to focus on at that point is what to eat. Food is one of the most important things in our lives but in most cases it is low on our priority list. We usually eat whatever is quick and easy not what is best for us. Look at what we teach our kids in school, we give them a thorough education on topics such as Math, History, Science, Languages, etc, but never give more than a couple hours in their entire 12 years in school about the most important thing in our lives…what to eat. If you think about it, that’s absolutely crazy… One of the single most important aspects…
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The Firehouse 300 Rep Challenge Workout
300 Rep Challenge for the Firehouse This is a great 300 challenge workout that you can do in the firehouse with minimal weight. The goal of the workout is to finish in the shortest amount of time possible, not by rushing your reps but by not resting…. All you need for this challenge workout is a stability ball and a weight. The object of the workout is to complete 50 reps of each exercise (300 total) as quickly as possible. There is a catch of course, each rep has to be performed in a controlled manner and bad reps don’t count. Safety first, form is your biggest focus. You can do the reps in any order and even mix and match if needed as long as you do 50 of each. Personally I like to choose two exercises and alternate between them until the reps are completed. As a guideline…
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Nutritional Myths at the Firehouse (or any house)
Today I wanted to post about nutrition, more importantly on some of the biggest nutritional myths floating around firehouses (and other houses). Eat this, don’t eat that…there is so much misinformation on nutrition that it can get to be overwhelming and frustrating. Take a look at 4 of the biggest nutritional myths, hopefully they can clarify some things for you. Myth #1 “Eat fewer calories and you will lose weight.” The Truth: Low calorie diets completely damage your metabolism and never result in long term weight or fat loss.. As a trainer I routinely heard clients say “But I barely eat all day and I still can’t lose weight!”. Starving yourself results in a loss of muscle mass, which results in a slower metabolism, which results in weight and fat gain. The truth is that it’s more important where your calories come from. Just simply reducing your calories may result in no weight loss…
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Essential Exercise to Get Fire Rescue Fit
Balance, coordination, power, strength, cardiovascular recovery….all essential fitness traits of the “fit for duty” Fire Rescue Athlete. If you are a Fire Rescue Athlete (or not) you need to plan your workouts to address each of these traits. One of the most overlooked is balance and coordination. As a trainer I get asked how and when is the best time to train for balance? As a firefighter I get asked why do I need to train for balance? The last thing you want to happen as you climb a ladder or lift a patient is to lose your balance; this often leads to injury or possible death. You can easily modify current exercises to challenge your balance by changing your stance (going from two legs to one), standing on a balance board or BOSU, changing your angle of movement (incline or decline), and/or using a stability ball instead of a stable object. Another…
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10 Fitness Tips for the Fire Rescue Athlete
Every year around this time I am asked for the “best” fitness tips to make the new year a healthy one. Over the years this list has changed and evolved but for the most part if you are a Fire Rescue Athlete you need to be doing these 10 things. 10 Fit Tips for the Fire Rescue Athlete Use these “Tips” to make 2013 a Fit, Healthy and Lean Year. 1. Set a goal– Set a goal, write it down, make it specific, tie an emotional reason to the goal and give it a deadline. The goal can be as easy as “working out every shift” or losing 10 pounds of fat. 2. Live YOUR goal– Believe that you can and will achieve your goal. Discover the hurdles that have been restricting you of your goal…..forget them, and GO LIKE HECK. Don’t be afraid to share your goal with…
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A Great Exercise to Strengthen the Knees and Back
Exercise Upgrade- The Marching Bridge I just received an email from a firefighter in Canada in regards to a “good” exercise to strengthen the knees. A lot of times knee pain can be associated with poor glute activation and pelvic stability. To work on eliminating this weakness try the marching bridge. This exercise is an effective tool for improving hip and core strength and stability, it is particularly effective in knee injury prevention and rehab. This can be used as a movement prep and/or core exercise. Start with 8 to 10 reps each side with 2 seconds holds per rep. Work your way to longer isometric holds (up to 10 seconds per rep). Give it a try, your low back and knees will thank you. The Marching Bridge 1. Lay on your back with the knees bent 90 degrees. Find a neutral spine position, perform a full double leg bridge and…
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Great Firehouse Challenge Workouts
Happy 2016! This is the time of the year where we all scramble to make up for lost workouts and pledge to get in shape. Personally, I think the best way to get into shape is to not fall out of it in the first place. One of the best things to do this time of the year is not only set goals but to assess where you are currently. Today I’ve created some “challenge” workouts that you can use to assess your fitness progress and to get a good efficient workout. There are two separate challenges, if you are very ambitious you can try them both during the same session or perform them on two consecutive days. Total Body Challenge Workout (Click Here for a video overview of the workout) Here is a great assessment and workout to challenge your entire body. The goal is to perform as many reps as possible of…
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Happy New Year!
I wanted to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year! I also wanted to thank all the members of the Fire Rescue Fitness Nation and to let you know I am committed to providing you with the best content, workouts and fitness programming. Please continue to join me in 2013 and commit to getting/staying “Fit for Duty.”Stay Safe, Healthy and Happy in 2013A. ZamzowPS– One of the new things for 2013 are more efficient workout formats, check out the NEW FORMAT (Click HERE) of the Post Holiday Workout and let me know your thoughts!
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