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Theories and Philosophies of Firefighter Physical Preparation The below philosophies is based on having your job skills in line. The old guy out of shape that has been doingm this 20 years will still keep up and beat the young stud because his skill level is much higher.
Primary Goals 1. Maximal Strength 2. Injury Prevention 3. Work Capacity 4. Power 5. Cardiovascular Secondary Goals 1. Relative Strength 2. Speed 3. Body Composition
Maximal Strength Firefighting is a physically demanding job. You must possess several physical attributes in order to succeed on scene and off. And no, looking like a pretty boy flexing in the mirror is not one, nor will it help you acheive your goals. Strength will always be mentioned as a highly needed aspect of the fire service. Maximal strength is the foundation to all other qualities. No use being able to cycle 100 miles and beat Lance Armstrong if you can't pull your partner out of danger. Nor is being fast beneficial if you can't pull the victim out at that same speed. Suffice it to say, in the fire service, high levels of strength are king.
Injury Prevention How many of you have been through that stupid class the city gives on proper lifting technique? Probably most of you. How often does the situation or constriction of gear prevent you from lifting with these optimal conditions? My guess is quite often. So now we must use modalities that train us outside of perfect lifting patterns, strengthen the underlying core muscles that will take the brunt of this load. Hopefully when all is said and done, your department will never have to worry about back problems from you, because yours will be made of steel rods!
Work Capacity Doing extended search and rescues. Holding hoselines for hours on end. Salvage and overhaul. Pulling hose through houses. These and other encouters are mainstays of the fire service. They also require extreme high levels of work capacity. What is work capcity? The ability to perform a level of performance for a period of time. As a firefighter it's usually known as endurance. Nobody wants to be the first one out of the structure. I think the prevelance of this quality is quite obvious, and when trained properly, will catch you up to that 50 year smoke-eater that outlasts everyone else.
Power Power. The word itself just has a profound effect. The laymans term of power is basically force applied over a period of time. Tossing a victim twenty feet out a window(which I'm sure you know isn't recommended) is an example of power. Driving a pike pole through a ceiling is also another example. Power situations can generally be thought of as high-intensity or accelerative and of short duration. Moving on.
Cardiovascular "All aerobic training is cardio. Not all cardio training is aerobic" - Alwyn Cosgrove Cardiovascular training is anything that stimulates the heart and pulmonary systems. Hence Cardiovascular. Does this mean you have to go to step class with your girlfriend? Absolutely not! In fact most aerobics are extremely damaging to muscles.The average aerobics instructor has 18% bodyfat, the average sprinter is usually in single digits. So as you may have guessed high-intensity, like sprinting, will kick ass much better than engaging in some girly spinning class. Considering the number one killer on the fireground is heart attacks, cardio training needs to be addressed. But more likely than not, work capacity training will generally fulfill this need. So next time you hear the department health "expert" proposing an hour of "cardio"(which is usually aerobic), ask yourself if it will simulate work at the fireground in any way, shape or form. If not, time to draw your own conclusions based on your own theory, which you be able to make after visiting this site and others, not some chicken running "expert". If you leave here with nothing else, learn to think on your own and do your own research, cause it's your ass! Be in charge of it!
Secondary Objectives
Relative strength We all know the big bruiser who can knock down a house with one punch. But this same guy has trouble pulling himself out of a hole. But yet the little tiny guy who can barely handle a 1 3/4" handline can toss himself over a six foot wall in full gear with ease. Why is this? Relative strength. Relative strength basically means your strength per pound of bodyweight. In Olympic weightlifting the heavyweight divisions lift much heavier than the lighter lifters. But the lighter lifters may be able to lift 3X their bodyweight, while a heavier guy can only lift twice his bodyweight. Anybody who has been through a 'Save your own' course or actually fallen into a hole knows the importance of this strength quality. If you are lacking on pullup strength, one of the ultimate relative strength exercises, check out the Zero to Hero article. And now the second edition Pull-up Srength 2.0
Speed Actually reaction timing would be more descriptive. The goal of speed training in the fire service would is not to run a 100 meter sprint in full gear in under 10 seconds, but more to speed up our neurological components. This idea was borrowed from Alwyn Cosgrove, a world renowned martial artist and trainer. What we want to do here is speed up the neurological system for quick reactions and movements. If you spot the roof coming down, you need to react and move as quick as possible to get out from there.
Body Composition Firefighters love food. Unfortunately for some firefighters this good eating gets stuffed into little fat deposits till you look like an overstuffed beenie baby. While it's kind of funny to always make fun of the fat guy(who usually is the best cook as well) the consequences are deadly. How much of that relative strength we talked about earlier does a larger person have? Less, and if it's fat it's just sitting there lowering their relative strength. Not to mention if one of the bigger guys goes down, it's going to be quite a challenge to rescue them. For those of you who want to be in the next firefighter calendar, do not fear, becoming functional will improve your looks as well. But for those of you obsessed with a six-pack over being able to save your partner, change your ways or you'll be giving his wife a flag because of your stupidity in training. This is our firefighter training priorities as of now. It may be changed and updated to better suit our readers needs.
Articles and programs for hard core Firefighters to excel their physical capacities High Performance Supplement for Special Operators Westside for 220th Skinny Bastards  Pullup strength-From zero to hero Mental Toughness By Mike Mahler Intro To Sledgehammer Training By Coach Jamie Hale Center Your Training By Joel Marion Evolution of The Steel Sledge By Coach Jamie Hale Bodybuilding-The worst thing to ever happen to athletes Juggernaut Training By Coach Jamie Hale Ray Herbert-Inspirational Story Back Strong & Beltless By Paul Chek Top Ten Training Problems and Solutions By Alwyn Cosgrove The Quest For Size and Strength By Mike Robertson Interview with Coach Jamie Hale Drawbacks of Long Slow Aerobics By Danny O'Dell |
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