bodyweight fire workout

Firefighter Fitness– Is CrossFit it?

By Aaron Zamzow (ZAM) | Mar 15, 2012

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…

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Fitness for Firefighters–Tools of the Trade

By Aaron Zamzow (ZAM) | Mar 11, 2012

Here is a short video blog talking about the Firefighter fitness tools of the trade. What are the best exercises, fitness tools and programs for firefighters? The generic answer to that question is “all of them are.” TRX, kettle bells, dumbbells, body weight exercises, P90X, CrossFit, tire exercise are all tools that firefighters can and…

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Components of a Firefighter Fitness Program

By Aaron Zamzow (ZAM) | Mar 5, 2012

I often get asked by Firefighters, EMTs and Paramedics to evaluate their current fitness programs and to possibly give some suggestions.  I try to explain to the individual or group that in order to evaluate the program we must understand the physical demands of the job. Research conducted by York University (Ontario) about the physical demands of Firefighting stated– The…

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Reducing Heart Disease in Firefighters

By Aaron Zamzow (ZAM) | Feb 26, 2012

Its been very well documented that the leading cause of firefighter-on-duty deaths is related to heart disease.  Therefore any information regarding decreasing the chances of heart disease are very valuable to the firefighting community.  I’ve recently been researching the correlation between cholesterol and heart disease and have found some interesting correlations.  The long-established dietary recommendations…

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Controlling Cholesterol in Firefighters

By Aaron Zamzow (ZAM) | Feb 25, 2012

High Cholesterol… Choose healthy carbohydrates, lower your cholesterol. Cholesterol comes from eating too many eggs, bacon, and other animal foods high in fat and cholesterol, right? Not always. First off, cholesterol works as a building block for all the cells in the body, as well as your body’s repair mechanism for damaged cells, especially the…

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The Best Core Exercise for Firefighters, EMTs and Paramedics…

By Aaron Zamzow (ZAM) | Feb 11, 2012

As a trainer (and as a firefighter in the workout room), I hear people saying, I want “abs” and of course, I want to help people achieve this. However, I frequently see people performing the least productive exercise for their abs- the crunch.  Yes, the movement performed while lying down on a mat with the…

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Firefighter Fitness and Metabolism … Part 2

By Aaron Zamzow (ZAM) | Feb 9, 2012

How to Make Your Body Burn More Calories. Here is the low down on weight gain/loss. Metabolic Rate is the rate at which the body burns up calories. A body that consumes 2500 calories a day, and burns 2500 calories a day will stay at the same weight. A body consuming 2500 calories daily but…

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Firefighter Fitness and Metabolism

By Aaron Zamzow (ZAM) | Feb 7, 2012

What is Metabolism? You may often here around the firehouse someone say “I have a slow metabolism.”  Usually these individuals are a little on the larger size and often like to joke about their size.  Unfortunately, these people are at a very high risk to keep the trend of heart related Firefighter fatalities in tact. …

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Core Training for Firefighters, EMTs and Paramedics

By Aaron Zamzow (ZAM) | Feb 5, 2012

          Fire Rescue athletes are at a very high risk of back injury.  As a matter of fact almost 50% of all firefighters will experience some type of back injury during their career.  Effective core training brings about a proactive approach to protecting your body and joints (especially your back) from injury. Core strength consists…

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