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Firefighter Fitness Tips
Today I wanted to give you some great workout tips. Over my years of training clients and athletes I’ve learned two very important fitness tips that will help you see and feel the best results. Tip#1. Recovery is Essential for progress. I know that many firefighters, emts and paramedics like to challenge themselves during a workout but its the ability to recover afterwards that leads to a greater results. Did you know…your body changes after a workout, when your body rests – not during. Taking the time to rest between strength workouts (or after a tough shift) is when your body begins the repair and recovery process – increasing lean muscle – making you stronger and able to do more come the next workout. Recovery can be accelerated by choosing a good post workout shake (like Prograde Workout) and taking the time to stretch and foam roll (click here it to see my blog…
Read MoreFire Station Cardio Workout (Number #2)
A couple weeks ago I posted a cardio interval workout that can be performed at the firehouse with in about 15 to 25 minutes with minimal equipment. Do to the great response (please keep the comments and emails coming) I put together another workout. Once again this is an option for a firefighter/medic that has minimal equipment and time yet still wants a good workout. This can be used as a cardio interval training workout day (for those following any FRF Workout Program) 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…
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Firefighter Fitness Motivation
Are You Ready For Duty? My ultimate goal is to help firefighters, EMTs and paramedics prepare for the physical demands of the job. I often perform research especially about firefighter fatalities and injuries. Recently I was reviewing the fatality statistics for 2011 which motivated me to create this post. In 2011, firefighter fatalities included 27 career firefighters, 51 volunteer firefighters, and 5 part-time or full-time members of wildland or wildland contract fire agencies. Younger firefighters were more likely to have died as a result of traumatic injuries, such as injuries from an apparatus accident or becoming caught or trapped during firefighting operations. Stress-related deaths are rare below the 31 to 35 years of age category and, when they occur, often include underlying medical conditions (which is why it is so important to get yearly physicals). Obviously, you understand that firefighting is extremely strenuous physical work and is likely one of the most…
Read MoreFirefighter Exercise- The 4-point Opposite Arm/Leg Raise
I love a good challenge. Lately around the firehouse I’ve been challenging my crew with new workouts and exercises. One exercise that is fairly difficult has become a crew favorite. The 4-point Opposite Arm/ Leg Raise is a great exercise to strengthen the core, the shoulders and help develop better balance and coordination. Give it a try! For those that are using the FRF 28-day Quickstart Program you can substitute this exercise for one of the core exercises. For those that aren’t currently using the FREE Fire Rescue Fitness 28-day Quickstart Program you can get it HERE or below. Try the FireRescue Fitness 28-day Quickstart Workout for Free…and get the Standard Operating Procedure for Eating Lean in the Firehouse. Simply enter your name and email address below and the FREE reports will be instantly emailed to you. Inside, you’ll discover: The essential elements of an effective Firefighter workout program How to eat lean…
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To Workout or Not, That is the Question?
Do you workout on shift? Should you workout on shift and what is the best workout to perform? This is a major concern for the fire rescue athlete. On one hand we know we should be working out to stay and get fit for duty. Yet , if we burn out in the gym we won’t be able to perform when it really matters. I recently posted an interval workout (Click Here to Read it) that received a lot of hits and emails. Most of the emails dealt with this question more importantly asked “what is the best form of exercise to perform on duty?” Here is my take on the question. We all know that when the bell goes off the fire rescue athlete MUST be ready to perform. With that in mind, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to perform a grueling workout on duty. I personally prefer some lighter…
Read MoreFoam Rolling for Better Fitness
People tend to measure how effectively they’ve worked out by how sore they are the following days. Let me ask you: How good is a workout that leaves you so sore that you can’t workout for the next 3 days? What most people don’t realize is that your body improves and adapts to stress on the days you rest. The better and more rapidly you recover, the more quickly your body adapts.This is especially important for the Fire Rescue Athlete, a hard workout on Monday, followed by a difficult shift on Tuesday can lead to an injury on Wednesday. Fire fighter fitness workout progression We all know that our job is dangerous and that we as Fire Rescue Athletes are more likely to get injured on the job than any other profession. So this brings me to the question, what is the best way to combat against this potential for injury? My…
Read MoreFire Station Workout- Intervals for Cardiovascular Fitness
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 FRF 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 of rest and advanced (Firefit) athletes should perform 40 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds…
Read MoreExercise Upgrade for the Fire Rescue Athlete- Captain Morgan Bicep Curls
Firefighters, EMTs and Paramedics frequently lift heavy object whether it be a cot, a hose line or a heavy piece of equipment. Lifting heavy objects can take its toll on the body if you are not trained for it but Fire Rescue Athletes have to lift heavy objects in awkward positions. Today’s exercise upgrade addresses this issue, it takes the traditional bicep curl and adds some core and balance work to it. Check it out below. Give this exercise a try and to find a more efficient way to incorporate this exercise into a fire rescue athlete workout program and get my FREE reports, the 10 Best and 5 Worst Exercises for Fire Rescue Athletes. Join the FRF Nation! Please add your thoughts about this exercise and forward this on to another Fire Rescue Athlete.
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Are You Firefighter Fit?
A couple weeks ago I published a blog post about “defining Firefighter Fit.” I appreciate the numerous responses and comments about this question (see that blog post here) and today want to follow up and add some more information and questions about this topic. One of the consensus opinions expressed when asked to define “firefighter fit” was that a firefighter needs to be physically ready for any situation whether it’s advancing a heavy hose line, lifting a patient onto the cot, forcing a door or dragging someone out of the building. My reply to that statement is “how can we test for these situations?” The CPAT? The CPAT was designed to do just that and from my experience it is a great test, challenging and applicable to the actions required on the fire ground. For those that don’t know about the CPAT (read more here), it is a timed pass/fail…
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