How do Firefighters Workout in 2022?
How do firefighters workout to be prepared for the work they do? You may be wondering what types of workouts they do? What makes firefighter workouts different then going to a regular fitness class or CrossFit gym?
Firefighters have to stay in shape for their job because their lives and that of others depends on it. Period. The ability to do work is the single largest factor in what makes a firefighter useful when a work cycle starts.
Firefighters don’t have the luxury of knowing what they are going to be doing, or when they are going to do it. They have to be ready and prepared for almost anything and then do it. There isn’t anyone else that is going to help them, other than other firefighters.
How Do Firefighters Workout?
Typically, firefighters do a blend of strength and cardio training. The work cycles of structural firefighters are less than 30 minutes due to the SCBA air bottle limitations. Running out of air after 30 minutes of hard work isn’t a guessing game, it’s a guarantee.
Because firefighters have to carry tools and an assortment of heavy gear, they need to be strong and have great cardio. The job isn’t walking up 10 stories, thats simply when the real work begins. Firefighters will workout together as a crew, and they will do high intensity circuit workouts that simulate the type of work they do on a fire call. In 100 Firehall Workouts, we break down what the actual workouts that firefighters do in the halls regardless of equipment available.
With over 30 years of combined experience in the emergency services, and as IAFF Firefighter Fitness Trainers we have found that the way firefighters used to train, and the way they train now has changed. The newer firefighters are typically more well rounded and more functionally fit to do work. The old thinking was to lift weights and in a muscle isolation format, but in the past 10 years, more firefighters have been combining weights and cardio and will include their gear or air pack on occasion. The goal of their training is to be prepared for whatever they come up against.
Functional training is what firefighters like to do because it is useful. What does that really mean? Functional training means using tools and weights that would mimic tasks found while working on calls. The goal of the firefighter is to get the job done and to be durable and useful.
So let’s get down to it, what do firefighters actually do for a workout?
Any good firefighter workout typically includes bodyweight movements such as squats, lunges, push-ups, pull-ups and core work. The bodyweight movements are then combined with weighted exercises; Deadlifts, dumbbell exercises, weighted step-ups, carrying heavy objects, or pushing sleds all which are “low skill” movements, but require a lot of different muscles to do the work. Firefighters don’t know whether they are going to have to lift a 400 pound person out from beside a bed, or drag a length of hose quickly 50 meters down the road.
Firefighters need to be strong and powerful with the ability to generate force. Force a door? Drag a hose line through a house? Quickly move up a stairwell with an apartment pack. These are all skills that the firefighter must have in their toolbox.
Firefighters are always externally loaded. What does that mean? It means firefighters have to carry gear and work while wearing that gear. At a minimum, that weighs 25 pounds for bunker gear, and an SCBA air pack that weighs 25-40 pounds. So they must do strength training that gets them used to working while carrying extra weight.
So how do firefighters workout? If you want to learn more about how firefighters workout, then order the 100 Firehall Workouts interactive guide and workbook that will unlock the mystery behind this question.
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