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Firefighters have one of the most demanding jobs out there. They need to be in peak condition to ensure they can appropriately perform their task when they are out in the field, saving people’s lives. After all, firefighters are one of the few jobs out there where a group of people needs to take on such an immense force of nature. Not to mention the life-saving work that firefighters deal with when it comes to managing disasters.
Battling against raging infernos is not the only thing firefighters are doing. They also need to carry around at least 50 pounds of weight on their back in the form of PPE equipment. Include the other gear such as radio, box light, thermal imaging camera, and set of irons, and you’ll be seeing another couple of pounds being added on their shoulders.
The amount of equipment these firefighters have to handle shows that they need to be fit and strong enough to perform their work.
If you are planning to be a firefighter, you are going to need a workout program that can ensure you managed to meet the fitness requirement to become one. The routine down below shall assist you with conditioning and functional strength training. If you are already a firefighter yourself, this workout program will also be able to help you.
The workout program we are going to provide you with is exceptional for a complete body workout and should leave you functionally fit. So let’s go over what makes the best firefighter workout program.
Balance and core strength
One of the best ways to measure a person’s overall fitness is by checking out their core strength. A person’s core will be activated in almost every situation when it comes to using their power in everyday activities and some unusual activities, such as lifting beams or kicking doors down.
Another crucial thing to have is a steady balance. When you are in the middle of a frantic environment such as a burning house or forest fire, every second will count. Losing your balance during these situations will lead to trouble. A powerful core ensures that you are prepared for everything that life sends your way.
Most full-body exercises will use the core in some fashion. However, if you are looking to emphasize it, make sure to use some of these exercises in your workout.
Consider the possibility of using sandbags whenever possible or any other objects that are not balanced well. Gym equipment isn’t helpful for firefighter training due to the comfort it provides for general use. However, as a firefighter, you will be lifting things that are not made to be lifted comfortably, so getting used to it now will help during emergencies.
Cardio conditioning
One thing most people are not aware of is the fact that most firefighters die on the job due to heart attacks. While terrible, it shows how gruesome the environment firefighters deal with and the exertions they place on their bodies to get their job done.
For this part, aerobic and anaerobic conditions can help with your conditioning.
Aerobic training will allow you to keep going over the amount of time you need for this type of job. If you are dealing with forest fires, you will need to have a lot of stamina to deal with the amount of time you are going to spend out there. Consider doing some long-distance running or biking. Anything that is considered as cardio will do for this part of the training. So make sure to hit those treadmills if you want the physical fitness of a real firefighter
Anaerobic training is just as significant as any other training. These short bouts of exertion are more explosive and cause your heart rate to increase. High-intensity interval training is excellent for this and one that can be used for almost any activity. It all comes down to the intensity you ramp it up to.
Back exercises
Back pains are some of the most significant injuries firefighters experience and one of the primary reasons why they are forced to retire early. Doing these exercises will not only strengthen your abs but also improve your back and posterior chain. That includes muscles and joints such as the shoulder girdle, hamstrings, abs, hips, and glutes.
You should emphasize the shoulders especially and the stabilizers in the region. A firefighter’s shoulders need tons of heavy lifting and a lot of heavy loads to support, so it’s vital to maximize the strength gains in this location. The enhanced posture will also be a cherry on top of your well-functioning body.
Here are some exercises you can do for your back:
Functional strength training
As a firefighter, you are going to need the strength to survive this line of work. For this part, you will be undergoing functional strength training. Functional strength is the strength you require for physiological situations. However, that does not mean the strength you need is to perform a squat. And not about the strength to properly use a leg-press machine.
The training you are going to undergo here helps you become not only stronger but agile and flexible. And better prepared to perform daily feats of athleticism. The type of training you need to do for this include:
Explosive strength training
You are also going to need some explosiveness in your movement, especially when you are doing the activities firefighters need to undergo.
There is a decent chance that you are going to need to jump several times in a row when you are firefighting or even in your everyday life. However, there is a decent chance that you may have to lunge, or jump, in a single explosive leap.
The training you undergo here is different from a typical training routine since it emphasizes your fast-twitch muscles and necessitates a routing that has these explosive movements. The one exercise everyone knows that can build these explosive strengths is the deadlift.
Deadlifts and the many variations of them are about lifting something quite substantial off the ground, making it a simple and easy exercise to get into. Such a fundamental workout will come in handy in not just your work as a firefighter but everyday life as well. Whenever you are sent out for an emergency call, there is a chance that you are going to end up in a position where you need to lift things. It could be either a person or even some debris to maneuver around.
While there are plenty of other movements that introduce variation into training explosiveness, the medicine ball is a vastly valuable tool to use since it can be used in all sorts of various ways while also being very unwieldy than other gym equipment. Here are some movements we recommend:
Unilateral training
Unilateral training requires you to work out one onside at a time. Doing these workouts offers functionalism as well as hits the core muscles hard. When it comes to the functional fitness part of the unilateral exercise, it is somewhat difficult to imagine a firefighter holding onto the same thing in both hands.
A firefighter will most likely need to carry a heavier object in one hand and a lighter one in the other. Barbells are not something that can train you for this. That is because both of your arms are attached to the same weight.
That is when another aspect of unilateral training comes into play. It can assist your body in becoming more balanced. Even if you think you are doing everything well enough when it comes to exercise, your body will eventually end up betraying you. Your body will start using your stronger side to make up for the weakness of the other side.
Not only will one of your sides remain weaker than the other, but it is also going to become progressively weaker as you continue your training. However, that can be circumvented if you introduce some unilateral movements to contain your sides and hit them on an individual basis.
Additionally, unilateral training also places significance on your core. If you ever tried holding onto something considerably heavy in one of your hands but not the other, you will understand what we are talking about. If you do not brace yourself and activate your trunk, your body will flex over to one side. While flexibility may be vital, it is better to train it up than to have it accidentally done for you.
Conclusion
Firefighters need to remain at the top of their game to make it in this physically demanding job. If you do not maintain your physical fitness, you are going to place not only yourself in danger but those around you as well. Every one of these exercises will provide you the best firefighter workout program you need to make it out in the field.