Ultimate Firefighter Workout

It's Coming Back

2011-03-31T05:28:00.000-07:00

After a looooooong layoff, the Ultimate Firefighter Workout will be returning with lot's of new content and stuff.

Stay Tuned

Maintenance

2009-12-21T09:17:00.001-08:00

Mike Boyle has a great post up on his blog!

Be Safe
JC

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-16T16:56:00.000-08:00

M.E.L.T. Method

2009-11-25T09:07:00.000-08:00

I took a class recently called M.E.L.T., which stands for Myofascial Energetic Lengthening Technique, and it is the brain child of Sue Hitzmann, and exercise physiologist from NYC.

Here's a description taken from Sue's site..."The M.E.L.T. Method® (MELT) is a revolutionary approach to pain-free longevity that helps you stay healthy, youthful, and active for a lifetime. This patent-pending, pro-active self-treatment technique is backed by science and acclaimed by thousands of devoted MELTers."

"New research has revealed the missing link to pain-free living: a balanced nervous system and healthy connective tissue. These two components work together to provide whole-body support, protection, and mind-body communication. Exercise physiologist and connective tissue specialist Sue Hitzmann has transformed groundbreaking neurofascial science and hands-on therapies into a one-of-a-kind treatment method called MELT."

One of my secret weapons when developing athletes for Division 1 college football programs and the NFL has been working on the fascia system as part of the living matrix.

So what can M.E.L.T. do for you? Well the techniques "hydrate and lengthen connective tissue, re-balance the nervous system, promote healing and detoxification, decompress the neck and low back, improve core stability, mobilize joints, stimulate organ function, increase flexibility." Can you use any of those. Umm...yeah!

Here's a link to Sue's site. I HIGHLY recommend buying the Hand and Foot treatment kit. It will make a HUGE difference in making you feel better on a daily basis.

Be Safe
JC

Bench Pressing

2009-10-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

Dave Tate from Elite FTS put up a great article on his site about effective spotting, after USC running back Stafon Johnson who was lifting in the USC weightroom, apparently lost control of the bar while doing a bench press( he was being spotted at the time). It landed on his neck and he was reportedly spitting up blood. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where surgery was soon performed.

I've had the pleasure of being a strength coach for many years,have spotted thousands of athletes, but I've never heard of such a serious accident. It's certainly not common, and let's hope we don't hear of it again.

Goodluck Stafon...FIGHT ON!

Be Safe and be Careful
JC

Acelerated Muscular Development

2009-08-06T10:02:00.000-07:00

Smitty from Diesel Crew has come out with what I think is an awesome workout program for firefighters. (I own most of the Diesel products along with this one)

Smitty has an exceptionally well put together program with TREMENDOUS value!

The Accelerated Muscle Development Program!

The program is a 16-week muscle building system developed by bodybuilder and strength coach Jim “Smitty” Smith. It's actually 3 E-Books, Accelerated Muscular Development, Combat Core and Accelerated Corrective Strategies.

The Corrective Strategies Manual that comes with the program is alone worth the price of the entire product. Add all the BONUSES and you have a program you'd be crazy not to invest in.

I don't know any other program out there that puts an emphasis on the importance of posture, which goes right along with my idea of program design.Posture correction should be a very important part of the workout simply because most individuals (including firefighters) are beat up and many have had or are dealing with some kind of injury due to compensations that weaken tissue and affect posture.

I absolutely loved the ,"Quick Reference Guide", which includes a section titled,"What do I do Next? I want to get started NOW!...Brilliant!!!

Personally I like to cut through the BS and get to work. Smitty obviously understands the concept and is probably of the same mentality so...he gives it to you straight.You're able to open the e-book and get started immediately...though I would recommend that once you get to the meat and potatoes that you go back and take the time to read everything in order to get the best out of the program.

If you've read this blog at all you know that I don't endorse SHIT products. My integrity is very important to me and if I tell you I use or recommend a particular product it's simply because I use it or believe that it has value to you the firefighter.

This is one of those products!

Be Safe
JC

Changes II

2009-06-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

ADAPT athlete dynamic warm up

Egoscue Postural Correction Routine
-Gravity Drop
-Static Wall
-Sitting Floor
-Static Back

Prone Y’T’s & W’s/ Glute Bridge, Alternating Front Plank

1 Lower Body Exercise
1 Upper Body Exercise
1 Core

Energy Systems Training ( using 1:3 Intervals)

Foam Roll./ Static Stretch

That's it. It takes care of all your training needs and doesn't burn out your adrenals. The job is stressful enough.

Be Safe!

JC

Building the Firefighter from the Ground Up

2009-05-06T05:03:00.000-07:00

Here are Vern Gambetta’s ideas on how to build the athlete from the ground up. I simply substituted the word firefighter for athlete.

No one system is emphasized to the exclusion of another.
No one method or physical quality becomes an end unto itself.
Each firefighter is a case study of one.
Be real – Avoid artificial restraints and positions.

# 1 Have a road map - Start with a plan, execute it, and evaluate it
# 2 Think big picture – Understand the movement constants
# 3 Learn to use the ground efficiently - Start with gait
# 4 Fundamental movement skills must be mastered before specific firefighting skills can be acquired and advanced training undertaken
# 5 Train Linkage - Train toenails to fingernails
# 6 Train the core as the center of the action
# 7 Build a work capacity base appropriate for your job
# 8 Train sport-appropriate - You are what you train to be
# 9 Think Long-Term - Training is cumulative
# 10 The individual firefighter is the focus - Recognize, train and rehab the individual

Be Safe
JC

PFT

2009-05-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

I spent the week in Seminole County Florida teaching the IAFF’s Peer Fitness Trainer Class. I always love going to teach in Central Florida. The firefighters are great and there is no better hospitality anywhere for us as instructors…something I appreciate very much…Thank You!

It was a lot of fun trying to deliver some information that will hopefully make a difference to them. The conventional way of thinking is difficult to break…the firefighter conventional way of thinking is almost impossible to change but this group I sense is different and was ready for information not regularly presented to the average firefighter. They’ll be years ahead of their peers when it comes to training information, which in the end will give them the tools to survive.

It's always a pleasure to teach with my buddy from Fairfax County Fire Dept, Ron Gemsheim, and one of the reasons I chose this class.

Thanks to the guys and gals from South Trail, Longwood, Sanford, Seminole County, Orlando, Midway Fire District, Deltona, Kent Washington and Central Jackson County Fire In Blue Springs Missouri.

Everyone is taking the final test as I write this and we’re hoping for a 100% pass rate.

Good luck guys… keep in touch and talk to you soon.

Time to go home after a quick detour and get on my surfboard.

Mahalo

JC

Changes

2009-03-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

If you’ve been training for any amount of time you know that the typical firefighters workout goes something like this. Ten minutes of a warm up on the treadmill, and an hour workout with the weights, followed by “cardio” either after the workout or more likely on a day off.

If you are to survive the battle with the red devil and the many injuries that can occur as a result, your idea of “training” has to change. Start thinking longevity, and injury prevention instead of hypertrophy.

To survive and ensure your longevity you’re going to have to change and reinvent your training.

Here are the components you must have in your program as a firefighter.

* Mobility/Movement Preparation/Injury Prevention: Isolate, innervate and intergrate muscles and movements.

* Corrective Exercise: I like to use corrective exercise for firefighters because if you talk to any firefighter they’ve suffered some kind of injury on the job. I also like to use postural realignment here.

* SPE (speed, power and elasticity): Yes firefighters need all these.

* Core Training: Firefighter core training is about learning how to stabilize and not about getting a six pac.

* Resistance Training: This is an important component but must be complimented by the other important parts of a program. You need to focus on the job function using the whole kinetic chain.

* Energy Systems Training: The ability to do higher levels of work on the fire ground without fatiguing.

*Regeneration: How many firefighters pencil in recovery and regeneration into their program design? NONE! If you have a training strategy - you also need a recovery and regeneration strategy period. The job too demanding to think it’s going to take care of itself.

Next time I’ll give you a sample workout.

Be Safe
JC

Strength & Power

2009-03-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

Strength and Power Sessions for firefighters is simple.

Once in the weight room it is important to understand that it is not strength to support strength, but strength to support movement.

We need to train at the speeds, loads, and movements
pertinent to the firefighter job.

Be Safe
JC

Why ?

2009-03-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

Why are you following a particular program or workout?

Does it follow a "system"?

Does it have an injury prevention component built in?

What kind of flexibility program are you following? Are you even following a flexibility program?

Are you doing energy systems work?

Are you still on the same hypertrophy program you were in High School?

Are you doing any restorative exercise?

Why are you doing what you are doing? If you're not sure it's time to start looking at your program design.

The REAL Spiderman Pushup

2009-03-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

...care of Coach Dos.

Things I Use and Like.

2009-02-23T10:08:00.000-08:00

TRX Suspension Training System.

Probably one of the best Firefighting conditioning tools available.

Easy to setup anywhere (mine travels with me when I head out of town), it's cheap, and gives a great workout!

Be Safe
JC

The Last Piece

2009-02-19T16:33:00.000-08:00

After six weeks I was pain free but at the end of the day, I usually felt like a pretzel, and many times woke up feeling unrested and stiff.

One day I was in a Dr.’s office and picked a Natural Solutions magazine while waiting. There was an interesting article titled,” The Ultimate Workout”, by Katy Santiago. Katy is a trained biomechanist, who developed Restorative Exercise™, a science-based system of diagnostic and prescriptive exercises, designed for the realization of optimal wellness.

I summarily dismissed the workout as a new age namby pamby workout. I didn’t read it at first but my wait time increased and so I decided to read the whole article. When I finished I was surprised that it was so similar to my philosophy of the body and exercise.

According to Katy, the routine helps undo, in just minutes a day, the most common (unhealthy) posture habits and increases circulation and mobility to muscle systems not regularly used to keep optimal range of motion”... just what I needed.

I performed the routine at the end of the day, and found that I slept better. It’s like it erased all of my postural problems before bed.

I enjoyed her routine so much I ordered her DVD programs,(order her Restorative Exercise Institute-In-A-Box)based on her Restorative Exercise system. I HIGHLY recommend it. I found her foot and spinal alignment program to be one of the best DVD’s I had seen that dealt with corrective exercise.

So that’s it in a nutshell. Although my pain was at the neck, my real problem was that my hips were out of alignment. In fact one hip was higher than the other, throwing the whole kinetic chain out of sync. Once that began to correct itself with the postural exercise and the subsequent stretching and strengthening of the facial tissue the last piece was doing some restorative exercise which ironed everything out.

I continue to follow the program. For me it’s a habit now and it has actually changed the way I approach the athletes and people I train. Treating the whole body starting with spinal and postural assessments, correcting any dysfunctions and then and only then loading them vertically and horiziontally for performance and life.

THANK YOU Pete Egoscue, THANK YOU Ming Chew, and THANK YOU Katy Santiago.

Be Safe and KEEP MOVING!

JC

The Fix

2009-02-18T17:40:00.000-08:00

I developed severe neck pain from having a forward head posture, but the truth is that my hips were misaligned throwing off my whole skeletal system and THAT’S what the problem was. The source of the pain and the site of the pain were different and as a result I also started to have problems with my left shoulder. Once the hip jams in an up or down position the shoulder has to react. The neck pain was simply a symptom.

“How did you get that way”. My bout with Chronic Fatigue certainly had something to do with it, as my movement was reduced...and the body needs movement. Sitting too much and lack of overall movement creates a situation in the body where some muscles become weak and others tight.

"Some schools of Chinese medicine…refer to the shoulder and hip joints as the Four Knots and where there is an imbalance of tension or strength in any of the Four Knots problems…can occur…" according to Dr. Mark Cheng of kettlebellslosangeles.com

I started to tackle the problem by picking up Pete Egoscue’s, “Pain Free” book. The Egoscue Method is a unique and very effective program designed to treat musculoskeletal pain without drugs, surgery, or manipulation. It is a process, which involves a series of stretches and gentle “egoscuecises” designed specifically for each individual.

The process strengthens specific muscles and brings the body back to its proper alignment. It allows the body to function the way it was designed—pain free. I incorporated his exercises for neck pain, which primarily dealt with realigning the hips...my problem.

Seven days after starting the exercises my pain diminished by about 40%. Four weeks later I was 80% pain free, and six weeks later I was pain free...PAIN FREE!!!

If you would have told me that by doing some fairly simple exercises my battle with neck pain could be relieved, I would have thought you were absolutely crazy.

I also incorporated some other things like, increased H20, systemic enzymes, and facial stretching to the mix from Ming Chew’s, “Permanent Pain Cure”, along with using multiple types of "toys" for myofacial release which helped with tissue remodeling and pain.

If your tissue isn’t healthy and your body is out of alignment doing any strength training isn't a good idea. If you load the body vertically, it will just add to the dysfunction making things worse. So I stopped any strength training and waited the required 10 days per the Ming method.

After 10 days I incorporated Ming’s Strength program, which is meant to lock in the gains made from the facial stretching. It also targets fast twitch fibers along with helping correct lower and upper cross syndromes.

I’ll tell you next time about the final piece of the puzzle.

Be Safe
JC

The Problem

2009-02-16T19:02:00.001-08:00

So how did I end up such a mess and in so much pain.

For a while now I’ve noticed I’ve had postural issues. I primarily had a problem with a forward head posture.

It wasn't a painful condition in the beginning because the body is wonderful at adaptation, and compensates. Your head normally weighs about 10lbs. If you have a forward head posture you essentially carry a 20-30 lb weight depending on how forward your head is from the spine. Mine was pretty forward so I was carrying around about 30 lb bowling ball on my neck.

For me it developed into a position of comfort. The problem is that in compensating, some muscles get tight while others get weak. When it gets real bad, it throws the whole skeletal system out of alignment and your biomechanics suffer.

Your joint force increases putting an extraordinary amount of stress on the joints, tissues, even the amount of oxygen your system can take in. If your body is constantly fighting gravity and having to deal with all these issues you can start to develop chronic fatigue which I was also having.

My alignment was so off I was actually having balance issues and was suffering form dizziness.

This all took time and I didn’t develop it overnight.

I’m a firm believer that you and you alone are responsible for your health, which meant it was up to me to try and find the answer.

Since my background is rooted in science, and I live a holistic lifestyle, that’s where I returned to develop the plan that got me pain free.

I’ll tell you about it next time.

Be Safe
JC

Thanks!!!

2009-02-14T16:10:00.001-08:00

Thanks for all the e-mails asking me to return to blogging. It wasn't that I just got tired, found a new hobby etc.

For the past year I've been suffering from terrible and horrific neck pain. So bad that the quality of my life was severely affected. I became in essence a chronic pain patient.

When you wake up wondering how you're going to get by the rest of the day...life sucks.I had severe pain EVERYDAY for about 13 months. Some days worse than others.

I saw Dr.s, Chriopractors, got x-rays , MRI's, Cat Scans, tried hundreds of different treatments and did everything you could think of with the exception of drinking cat piss...and I would have gladly done so if it would have taken the pain away.

A lovely aspect of the neck pain was the massive migraine like headaches I was getting. No medication seemed to help and when something took the edge off the side effects were just as bad as the pain.

I'll tell you this week what the problem was and then how I got rid of the pain.

Be Safe
JC

The Boyz From The 5th Battalion

2009-02-13T20:13:00.000-08:00

Visit Firehouse2.net and get some real cool apparel.

Clusters

2008-11-10T17:10:00.000-08:00

Our job can be fairly routine sometimes.We show up, provide our services almost robotically,and leave. Over and over the same calls and the same way of handling them. Are you part of the clusters, drawn to the herd mentality? It's tempting to deliver mediocre service , since no one will really notice and everyone does it. Learn to think outside the box. Re-invent yourself at the Company level. Develop an edge,which needs to be sharp and abrubt and distinct in order to generate the light it needs to thrive,and provide an added dimension to the service you provide.

Be Safe
JC

Welcome!

2008-07-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

A big welcome to everyone from Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, India, Finland, Singapore, South Africa, Denmark, Ireland, The Russian Federation and Poland.

Thanks for reading!

Be Safe
JC

The Body

2008-07-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Neurologically, the brain does not recognize individual muscles; It recognizes patterns of movement.

Every muscle and joint in the body functions in three planes of motion simultaneously.

We need to recognize that the body works as a unit and we should be training that unit to work together to improve firefighting performance.

Be Safe
JC

Ice Ice Baby!

2008-07-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

To manage pain and get back to fighting fires, I rely heavily on a simple weapon...ICE.

Not only is icing a simple and effective way to control pain and swelling, it minimizes the injury response, decreases soreness and quickens muscle recovery.

There are a lot of new high-tech cooling devices on the market, making cold therapy easy. From Cold Spray, to Roller Ice, to Ice Right.

To simplify things, sometimes I use a bag of frozen peas. It's a perfect substitute for the ice pellets pro's use. It conforms to the skin better than cubes and when combined with your basic kitchen saran wrap makes an excellent compression kit.

Be Safe
JC

Heart Rate Training...Ultimate Firefighter Workout Style!

2008-07-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

I mentioned before how I have my own way of using a heart rate monitor that’s completely different from how most people use one.

When individuals use a heart rate monitor they usually are interested in keeping their heart rate in a particular zone, based on a formula. They’re either trying to get a cardiovascular effect or are trying to lose fat.

I use a heart rate monitor in place of resting a certain amount of time betweens sets. Here’s how I do it. After I warm up, I’ll do a set or circuit of certain exercises. Instead of resting 30 seconds to 1 minute between sets/circuits, I’ll let my heart rate come down 20-40 beats before I do another set/circuit.

This way my own physiology tells me when I’m ready to do another set as opposed to some random prescribed time in which your body may or may not be ready to go again.

If I’m looking to get a cardiovascular training effect along with some of my strength training, I’ll rest only till my heart rate comes down 20 beats from my previous set.

If I’m feeling a bit run down or it’s an easy day or week, I’ll let my heart rate come down 40 beats to get an added rest.

I use the same method when I do interval training. I learned it from Boston performance coach Mike Boyle, who uses it with his athletes.

Try it and see if it works for you.

Be Safe
JC

The Firefighter Super Shake

2008-06-18T19:10:00.000-07:00

This Super Shake provides you with more nutrition in one gulp than most of your coworkers take in all day. Just blend all the ingredients together for 60 seconds, pour, and drink. (Don't worry; it tastes good.)

1 CUP GREEN TEA This no-calorie beverage has been shown to boost metabolism.
1 SCOOP CASEIN PROTEIN Because casein is a type of milk protein that's slow-digesting, it'll provide a steady supply of protein to your muscles for hours.
1 TBSP GROUND FLAXSEED Flaxseed is a healthy fat that's been shown to lower LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure in lab animals. Buy it preground at a health-food store.
1/2 CUP FROZEN RASPBERRIES, BLUEBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, OR STRAWBERRIES Packed with disease-fighting anti-oxidants, these fiber-filled fruits are four of the best foods known to man.
1 TBSP MIXED NUTS Research shows that adding one or two handfuls of nuts to your daily diet reduces your risk of heart disease without leading to weight gain.
1 TBSP GREENS+ (Plus)The nutrient equivalent of six servings of fruits and vegetables a day, it's the best-kept secret in supplements.

Be Safe
JC

LODD

2008-06-05T15:28:00.000-07:00

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I announce the death of fire fighter Marty Hauer, a member of Kent, WA Local 1747.

Marty was a friend, fellow instructor and and an IAFF Peer Fitness Trainer (PFT). Marty devoted his entire career to the promotion of health and wellness and advocated for early detection, succumbed to cancer. He spent the last five years on the development of a regional wellness center designed to serve many fire departments in the Seattle, Kent and Tacoma areas.

Ironically, Marty contracted a rare form of cancer that was not detected in pre-screening. As he battled with his illness during the past few months, he continued with his service to the IAFF -- as recently as two weeks ago when he staffed the IAFF Wellness Fitness Booth at the Phoenix Health, Wellness and Fitness Symposium.

Marty always held that early detection through annual medical and fitness evaluations is key to fire fighters health and safety. He always said, “The issue here is why go to the doctor and learn you’re very sick when you can go to the doctor and keep from getting very sick. With each win is another chance at life.”

Marty was a special guy, a devoted husband and a loving father.

Contributions can be sent directly to the Kent Firefighters Foundation in his name:

Kent Firefighters Foundation
P. O. Box 954
Kent, WA 98035

So long my friend. I’ll miss you.

JC

FEAR

2008-06-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

Overcoming fear is a key to self- knowledge. One must welcome fear confront it, and become familiar with it. Consistent confrontation with the unknown familiarizes one with fear.

Most people follow the same recipe avoiding the unknown, eluding the inner conflict we all so desperately need.

These battles are required by virtue of evolution, and can be found in the gym, society or when fighting the red devil.

The location is irrelevant because the conflict is always within. Internal struggles are not won at another’s expense.

We lose when we defeat ourselves.

Don’t live the answer everyday!

Just Walk It!

2008-05-24T05:25:00.000-07:00

Q:I know I should start doing interval training as a firefighter but all I do right now is walk on the treadmill for cardio. How do I start.

A:If you have been walking for a while that’s great . First step, buy a heartrate monitor. You can get them at www.performbetter.com. Buy a cheap one. All you need to do is know your heart rate. Next time you walk use your monitor and see what your heartrate is during your walk. This is your Comfortable Working Heartrate (steady state). Most people would need to break 110 beats per minute to get a cardiovascular effect. Either way, don't worry about it. Just figure out what heartrate you normally walk at.

Next time you walk warmup for 5 minutes at your normal pace and then raise the incline to 5%. Walk for one minute. This should move you about 10%-20% ( this will be 10-20 beats in most cases) out of that steady state comfort zone. If it's more than 20% higher, reduce the incline to 3%. If it's less, raise it to 7%.

Step off the belt and wait for your heartrate to return to 100 beats per minute.

That’s it.

Be Safe
JC

The Poll

2008-05-06T06:13:00.000-07:00

I had a recent poll that asked the question ," WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENT IN A FIREFIGHTERS WORKOUT PROGRAM?".

The categories were Cardio, Functional Strength, Dynamic Flexibility, and Muscular Endurance.

Here's how you guys voted. Cardio 56%, Functional Strength 48%, Dynamic Flexibility 19%, and Muscular Endurance 31%.

So based on the voting, Cardio seems to be the most important component in a firefighters workout program.

If you voted for cardio, let me know why you think it's the most important component, and if you didn't vote for cardio, what in your opinion is the most important component in a firefighters workout program and why,

Best argument for or against gets a SuuntoT3 Heart Rate Monitor.

Send your arguments to primaltraining@hotmail.com

Be Safe
JC

Heart Rate Monitors

2008-04-25T08:07:00.001-07:00

Gina Kolata wrote a great article in the NY Times on heart rate monitors.

I have my own way of using a heart rate monitor. It's completely different from how most people use one.

I'll tell you about it soon.

Be Safe!
JC

Comments Section Is Now Open.

2008-04-20T05:48:00.000-07:00

The comments section is now open. Feel free to comment, send out ideas or just start a dialog with other firefighters.

Picadillo

2008-04-18T15:49:00.000-07:00

Picadillo is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries. It's made with ground meat, tomatoes, and regional ingredients.

The Cuban version includes olives and on occasion capers, omits chili powder, and is usually served with black beans and rice.

The name comes from the Spanish word, "picar" which means "to mince" or "to chop".

By popular demand, here is the recipe.

1 Onion chopped
1 Green Pepper chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic
½ cup of Green Spanish Olives chopped or whole
3 Teaspoons of Chili Powder
2 lbs of Ground Turkey or Ground Sirloin
Jar of Muir’s Organic Pasta Sauce

1. Sauté the onions, pepper, garlic and olives in olive oil for about 5-7 minutes
2. Add the ground turkey/ sirloin, and mash it up with a spatula to remove the clumps.
3. Cook until browned
4. Add the pasta sauce and simmer for 30 minutes
5. Serve with Basmati Rice or Pasta at the Firehouse along with a Salad or green veggies.
6. Have the leftovers for Breakfast.

Kudos to my wife Karen for the fantastic recipe.

You can also just buy the whole thing already made.

Enjoy!

Be Safe
JC

What's For Breakfast?

2008-04-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hopefully everyone eats breakfast.

Honestly, I don’t know anyone who is lean & healthy and doesn't eat breakfast. It doesn't take a PhD, to figure out that eating breakfast is important.

The physiological consequences of not eating breakfast won’t kill you but it will leave you with less fuel available for firefighting and your metabolism will slow down to a snails pace, making getting lean more difficult.

Here's what I had today. 5oz of ground turkey (picadillo style with onions and green olives), cup of green beans, piece of toast (made with millet and flax with no gluten/wheat), real butter, an 8oz glass of Greens Plus (Wild Berry Burst), water and 2 fish oil capsules.

So did you eat breakfast today?

Be Safe
JC

Stress and Firefighters

2008-04-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

Often called the “fight or flight” system, the Sympathetic Nervous System prepares the body to fight or flee from danger.

It activates the glands and organs that defend the body against attack, and Its nerves direct more blood to the muscles and the brain. The heart rate and blood pressure increase, while it decreases the blood flow to the digestive and eliminative organs.

The sympathetic system is catabolic, which means it tears down the body. Energy is used to prepare for defense, rather than for nourishment or for elimination of wastes.

The feeling of an “adrenalin rush” is a product of the sympathetic system. It may feel good at first, but is always followed by a feeling of fatigue, as this system uses up energy and depletes the body.

Because of the physical labor and stress that is part of firefighting the SNS is always turned on….and that’s not a good thing.

The fight/flight response is a healthy, essential and necessary part of a survival mechanism that is part of our evolutionary heritage. We need it now as much as ever.

However to be in a constant state of low-level alert as most firefighters are, has a negative impact on our health causing premature-ageing, stress-related health problems and tarnishing our quality of life.

Increases of sympathetic nervous system activation are also found in the onset of hypertension and cardiovascular disease that plagues firefighters.

Though hard workouts can certainly help dissipate stress, most of the workouts we do as firefighters are sympathetic dominant. Meaning we’re jacking up the system, and if the sympathetic system is always turned on at work and always turned on your days off, you’re setting yourself up for burnout, and a host of health problems.

What we need is a counter to all that stress and the negatives effects of being in a sympathetic dominant state.

Qigong practice gives our mind-body the space it needs be in an open,
clear and healthy state.

Qigong can be an excellent antidote to stress: The slow rhythmic movements of Qigong help literally and physiologically calm and slow us down and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system thus counteracting over-stimulation of the fight/flight response.

It is essential for a firefighters health and well being that they have periods of relaxation and rest. Without rest and relaxation the mind/body suffers and many negative stress-related signs and symptoms mentioned above.

The encapsulating, graceful flowing and relaxed movements of Qigong is an excellent antidote to the fast paced and anxious life that is a part of firefighting.

Qigong strengthens the body, in particular, the legs. The legs are sometimes referred to as the second heart helping the venous return of the blood to the heart.

Therefore Qigong is very beneficial for the whole circulatory system and the heart – two elements that are vulnerable to stress.

It's ok to start out with a book or DVD, though it is recommended that anyone wanting to learn Qigong go to a qualified teacher rather than just using a book/video as this will help avoid misunderstandings and potential pitfalls.

Qigong can be a way of learning a skill that is relaxing, good for you and can take you out of normally stressful situations, giving respite from the frenetic firefighter life.

Wanna see the best workout book for firefighters?

2008-04-06T07:51:00.001-07:00

I get asked all the time what I think is the best training or workout book for firefighters. My response is easy and has never wavered….the Core Performance series, by Mark Verstegen.

I think Core Performance is as close to the perfect firefighter workout as can possibly be written.

Most firefighter programs are two- dimensional when it comes to program design: Strength Training and Cardio, that’s it.

Core Performance addresses multiple qualities of program design, all extremely beneficial to firefighters.

Dynamic warm-ups or Movement Preparation, injury prevention or Prehab, Strength Training, and Energy Systems Work should all be included in your firefighter workout plan. Core Performance covers all these areas and more.

I can honestly say that Core Performance changed my outlook on training and human movement and has made me a better firefighter with a lot less aches and pains.

If you regularly workout get Core Performance. If you have no training experience I recommend Core Performance Essentials. If you’re a firefighter who participates in triathlons, marathons, or other endurance events get Core Performance Endurance and if you like to golf on your days off, well Core Performance Golf is for you.

Go out, get your copy and start moving, fighting fire, running, and golfing better!

Be Safe
JC

The Last Alarm-Brent A. Lovrein

2008-03-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles LODD

2008-03-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles firefighter Brent A. Lovrein was killed and Engineer Anthony J. Guzman, was being treated at UCLA Medical Center for a fractured arm and broken ankle, wednesday afternoon in an explosion that rocked a Westchester business district as rescuers were investigating reports of earlier blasts and smoke pouring from buildings.

Lovrein, 35, was blown back and possibly hit by building material when an electrical vault blew apart, ripping a gaping hole in an office building at Sepulveda and La Tijera boulevards.

Rest in peace Brent.

Anthony, Godspeed in your recovery. Here's hoping you'll be back on the rig soon.

Be Safe
JC

"Let no man's ghost come back to say, My training let me down."

2008-03-26T15:51:00.000-07:00

Stop the Sit-ups and Save Your Back

2008-03-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

When I see someone with back pain I always ask them what kind of routine they are following, and a lot of the times I hear, ‘'I usually do 100 sit-ups in the morning”

Sit-ups are not the right thing to do for lower back pain. It is easily in the top ten of the worst exercises for lower back pain and it’s the worst possible thing you could do for the back first thing in the morning.

Discs in the spine are hydrophilic, which means they suck up water while you sleep and when there are no stresses present.

After rising, hydrostatic stresses of just walking around and using the muscles during the day compress your spine and the fluid is squeezed out, decreasing tensions in the disc.

So, when you wake up the extra height in the discs are like a full water balloon ready to burst and if you bend, you build up much higher stresses in the disc. In fact, the stresses are three times higher than when you perform the same bend two or three hours later.

Dr. Stuart McGill, professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo, studied the effects of selected exercises on the lower back muscle activity and spine pressure levels. Sit-ups were one of the exercises Dr. McGill and his colleagues analyzed. What they found was that sit-ups generated approximately 3500 Newton’s of pressure or roughly 786 pounds of force.

According to Dr. McGill and the NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety) pressures above 3300 Newton’s correlates with more lower back injuries.

Well, what if you bend your knees when you do sit-ups? Sorry, the bent-knee sit-up is second on the list for elevated spine pressures coming in at 3350 Newton’s. Still very high and a potential cause of lower back injuries.

Instead of sit-ups, do a modified curl-up to achieve the same if not more co-contraction of the abdominals, oblique and rectus abdominus.

Here’s how to perform it.

To begin the hands or a rolled towel are placed under the lumbar spine to preserve a neutral spine posture. Do not flatten the back to the floor. Flattening the back flexes the lumbar spine, violates the neutral spine principle and increases the loads on the disc and ligaments.

One knee is flexed but the other leg is straight to lock the pelvis-lumbar
spine and minimize the loss of a neutral lumbar posture.

The curl-up is performed by raising the head and the upper shoulders off the floor. The motion takes place in the thoracic spine – not the lumbar or cervical region.

Once you raise the head and shoulders off the floor, hold that posture for 7- 8 seconds, do not hold your breath but breath deeply.

Alternate the bent leg (right to left) midway through the repetitions.

The removal of sit-ups and the addition of a curl up to your exercise program will ensure a long healthy relationship with your lower back.

Be safe
JC

p.s. Sorry for the grainy video, and the horrible carpet and drapes. This guy needs a design makeover... but his technique is good.

Kettlebells for Firefighting

2008-03-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

How do I incorporate kettlebells in my firefighter training?

I’m going to assume that you mean that you’re training to be a better firefighter and not just doing specific firefighter exercises.

The kettlebell is a traditional Russian cast iron weight looking somewhat like a cannonball with a handle. A favorite tool of the strongmen of old, the kettlebell has enjoyed a revival of late because they are very versatile.

There are literally hundreds of different movements you can do with them. They are also very compact, great for travel, indestructible and relatively inexpensive. You can spend a couple of hundred bucks on a few kettlebells and get a lot more for your money than if you spend twice as much on a treadmill or elliptical machine, or even a barbell set.

There is no inherent magic to the kettlebell. The trick lies in the training methods and the kettlebell is, in my opinion, at the top of the list of tools for teaching people how to move their bodies in a strong and meaningful way.

You can use them individually or as part of a routine. I like to incorporate them into intervals workouts, which would be great for firefighters.

Here’s a great routine for firefighters and all the Mixed Martial Artist, jujitsu guys and gals we have out there.

One minute round on a heavy bag (punches and kicks)
Ten KB swings
Complete 5-10 rounds

You can add it at the end of your regular routine, do it in place of a cardio day or as a stand-alone workout

Be Safe

How To Train Horizontally for $ 22.00

2008-03-07T17:30:00.000-08:00

If you consider the basic movements we do during firefighting, you’ll notice that there is a significant amount of Horizontal forces occurring. I blogged about this back in December.

Most firefighter upper torso training is done sitting or lying, but when do you actually do that on the fire ground…exactly, NEVER!

Alot of firefighters don’t train standing, while pushing, pulling or pressing which causes the trunk to automatically stabilize. Instead they do a lot of their training sitting on machines.

Firefighters demonstrate poor integrated trunk stability, which ultimately leads to injury. I believe the reason is that most firefighters train muscles in isolation rather than in combination upper and lower trunk movements.

Doing so totally eliminates the lower torso and lumbo-pelvic-hip complex from being a part of the movement, which is unnatural, and not the way the body is designed to work.

You can certainly use things like a cable machine or pulley system like Free Motion equipment to train Horizontal forces however, most firehouses and garages don’t have the luxury of a cable or pulley system.

This is one of the reasons you should supplement your training with resistance bands.

For $22.00 you can get a resistance band that allows you to push, pull, and press both the lower and upper body in Horizontal directions which in turn does an outstanding job of integrating the trunk musculature.

So start training horizontal pushing, pulling and pressing and you will develop as a firefighter:

1. Greater total body stabilization
2. Rock solid core muscles
3. Better total body explosiveness and power
4. Better calorie expenditure due to multiple muscle activation
5. Less potential for Injury
6. Improved balance and coordination
7. Multidirectional dynamic flexibility and joint range of motion
8. Hip and pelvic strength and development
9. The ability to kick the red devil’s ass

Bottom line, to become functionally stronger you need to be incorporating
vertical, diagonal, and most importantly HORIZONTAL strength training as a firefighter and bands make it easy.

Here’s a resource for more info on resistance band training and routines.

Be Safe

JC

Sled Dragging for Firefighters

2008-03-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

Q: I’m currently doing interval training on a bike, but getting bored. Any suggestions on what else I can do besides biking and running?

A: I like using different protocols when doing interval training as I get bored quite easily also. For firefighters you can't beat sled dragging which is very job specific.

Sled dragging increases your GPP (General Physical Preparedness). The purpose behind GPP is to still get in cardiovascular shape, but to do so in a way that incorporates general physical strength and speed. Also, it's alot more fun than sitting on a bike.

You can get a sled here, or you can build a cheap one yourself.

Get a tire and put a sheet of wood in the bottom. Cut the wood to fit it into the tire,then put an P hook through the tire... fill the tire with cement. Attach a nylon rope to the P hook and loop it around a weight belt.

Here's some good sled info by the boyz at Diesel.

Happing Pulling!

JC

A week in the life of the Ultimate Firefighter Workout...

2008-02-28T13:07:00.001-08:00

Monday
Horizontal Push: Decline pushups on a Stability Ball (2 x6reps)
Core:Front Plank ( 2 x 30 sec hold)
Corrective: Wall Slide ( 2 x10 reps)
Horizontal Pull: Inverted Row (2 x6 reps)
Lower Body:Val Slide Single DB Lunge ( 2 x6 reps)

Tuesday
Recovery & Regeneration workout
10 minute bike @ 60% Heart rate
foam roll
static stretch
 
Wednesday
Horizontal Push:Spiderman Pushup ( 3x15-20 reps)
Core:Side Bridge ( 2x8 reps)
Corrective:Glute Activation ( 2x 12 reps)
Vertical Pull:Machine Row ( 3 x15-20 reps)
Lower Body:Bulgarian Split Squat (3x 15-20reps)
Intervals on Bike x 10 minutes
Hip Flexor Stretch post ride 2 x30 sec each leg

Thursday
Recovery workout:
Pool jog with flotation vest x 10 minutes
Foam Roll
static stretch

 Friday
Horizontal Push:Db floor press ( 2x10 reps)
Core:Rotational Core ( 2x10 reps)
Corrective:Ankle mobility/TKO’s ( 1 x 15 reps, left, front, right each ankle)
Horizontal Pull:1arm db row (2 x 10 reps)
Lower Body:Hip Thrusts ( 2x10 reps)
Agility Work or/ Interval training x 10-15 minutes

Saturday
OFF/ re-charge batteries.

Sunday
AM Surf x 2-3 hours depending on surf, day, crowds, idiots on the beach, shop, and take dog for long hike/walk x 1 hour.

What's the Best Exercise for Firefighters?

2008-02-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

For my money...it's the good ole pushup!

Why? Because when you perform the push up, you recruit and strengthen the serratus anterior which stabilizes the scapula, and protects the shoulder.

In my opinion the scapula is the real star of the show with regard to shoulder injuries, and according to Lear and Gross (J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1998 Sep; 28(3): 146-57) their study supports the clinical use of push-up progressions to facilitate activation of the serratus anterior and the upper trapezius during upper extremity rehabilitation.

Since the scapula is HALF of the glenohumeral joint (the shoulder joint) and is essentially the foundation of the shoulder, this becomes an important point. Any altered scapular muscle function, weakness, or inability to position the scapula and then stabilize it results in a direct affect on the shoulder joint with dire consequences.

These include glenohumeral instability leading to arthritis, impingement, rotator cuff tendonitis/tendinosis, rotator cuff tears, labrum injuries, all injuries that firefighters suffer.

So the bottom line? Crappy scapular position leads to crappy scapular stability, which leads to crappy rotator cuff function, which leads to shoulder injuries.

Make sure pushups are part of your program design.

Be Safe

HOW TO STOP A HEART ATTACK FROM HAPPENNING ON THE FIREGROUND!

2008-02-10T18:40:00.001-08:00

The risk of heart attack is highest when firefighters are working at a fire scene — with increased odds ranging from 10 to 100 times the normal risk of heart attack.

So the question is…what do we do about it?

The key to developing a heart capable of sustaining exertion and recovering from that exertion lies in the understanding of the rhythms found in nature.

These rhythms are also found in the human heartbeat. It goes up and comes down, in a simple wave of exertion and recovery

The best way then to train the heart is via a cyclical exercise protocol where the rhythm and patterns of the human heart is mimicked. Where you train recovery as well as exertion.

Cyclical exercise, where the body undergoes exertion and rest, exertion and rest, (as on the fire ground) trains the bodies recovery physiology as well as your exertion physiology.

That form of training mimics the heart’s physiology of contracting and relaxing, which in turn produces a greater heart rate variability. Over half a dozen prospective studies have shown that reduced HRV predicts sudden death in patients with MI.

Reduced HRV also appears to be a marker of fatal ventricular arrhythmia. Moreover, a small number of studies have begun to suggest that reduced HRV may predict risk of survival even among individuals free of CHD

The bottom line is that cyclical exercise teaches the heart to tolerate chaos and how to recover from it…same as the fire ground.

Be Safe

2008-02-04T09:24:00.002-08:00

Heart Attacks continue to be the leading cause of firefighter deaths. Most coming after heavy exertion on the fireground.

It shouldn't surprise us, but cause us to take action.

First thing to do is to figure out what are your chances of having a heart attack are in the next ten years according to the The Framingham Heart Study Coronary Disease Risk Prediction Score Sheet.

This tool effectively predicts the 10-year risk for coronary heart disease based on age, diabetes, smoking, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

For men you can get the score sheet here. For women go here.

If you didn't score well, then some lifestyle changes are in order. The whole point is to move as far away as possible from being a LODD, Line-Of Duty Death.

That starts with knowing where you're at.

Be Safe

2008-02-04T09:24:00.001-08:00

2008-02-01T08:51:00.001-08:00

How bout Home delivery (for free) of Ultimate Firefighter Workout.

I like receiving blogs via e-mail, that way I get all the information like a newspaper, and don't have to hit multiple sites. I can print out the information I got from the blog and take it with me.

I read the stuff while waiting for a BLS ambulance to transport a patient, free time @ the station, Dr.s appointments, the Vet, you get the point.

Hitting multiple blogs and sites, is like getting 10 different newspapers and magazines...EVERYDAY. I don't know about you but I don't have 10 hours a day to sort through all the available information out there.

I figured some of you might be the same, so I added a subcription button to the blog on the right. I think it's a great bargain.

You can get my blog by email every day. Or even better, get it free with your new, free RSS reader.

Thanks for reading.

What's Responsible for Most Firefighter Deaths?

2008-01-30T17:39:00.001-08:00

I read in Capt. Mike’s blog that the USFA had released it’s Provisional 2007 Firefighter Fatality Statistics.

Heart attacks and strokes were responsible for the deaths of 54 firefighters (47%) in 2007. That’s down from 51% in 2006.

It mirrors the Harvard study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, in March of 2007.The study showed an up to 100-fold increase in the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events—such as heart attacks—for firefighters while engaged in emergency activities.

The researchers also found that 32 percent of CHD deaths among firefighters occur during fire suppression.

Next time we’ll determine what are your chances of heaving a heart attack in the next ten years.

..and then I’ll show you what to do about it.

Squats

2008-01-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

Squatting is a primal movement pattern, a fundamental part of the job and should be part of your program design.

Squats are extremely challenging to the neuromuscular system, and their intensities can be continually altered through external loading. (firefighter terms: by changing the weight)

Squats are a multi-joint exercise, requiring the work of several major muscle groups, and making them more firefighter job specific.

Are you squatting?

Be safe.

What Does a Firefighter Functional Circuit Look Like?

2008-01-23T20:29:00.000-08:00

24' ladder station
stays on rack, get it off, one man carry to an object, stand it up into the air, bring it down.

no rest

Roof ladder station
place on ground, pick it up using high shoulder carry, walk to wall and throw it up into the air, bring it down.

no rest

Flat axe station
Keep hitting truck tire for 60 seconds

no rest

Sledge hammer station
Keep striking tire for 60 seconds

Rest 30 seconds and repeat 2 more times.

Hydrate...and call it a day.

Be Safe

Systems!

2008-01-21T08:50:00.000-08:00

If you want to be fit to survive, do the Combat Challenge, lose some holiday fat,
get rid of tissue adhesions, improve your firefighting performance, you have to have SYSTEM.

SYSTEM according to Wikipedia: is a set of interacting or interdependent entities, real or abstract, forming an integrated whole. Most systems share the same common characteristics.
Systems have a structure that is defined by its parts and processes.
Systems are generalizations of reality.
Systems tend to function in the same way. This involves the inputs and outputs of material (energy and/or matter) that is then processed causing it to change in some way.
The various parts of a system have functional as well as structural relationships between each other.

Brandon Cunningham of the Fort Gordon Fire Dept, with a 1:24.07 in the Combat Challenge...has a system.

The guy in your firehouse with the ripped abdominals ...has a system.

When you get a massage for your tight traps...the masseuse has a system.

To reach any goal , you gotta have a system, where you are able to explain all the steps of your journey from start to finish. With the end result being the reaching of your goal.

In other words, you have to have a clear plan, with a compass.

Can someone else produce results by using your system? Do they understand it and can they put it into practice? If not it's not a system.

I am in the process of developing my SYSTEM for firefighter training. I'll let you know when it's ready.

Be Safe

Feel Better for a Dollar.

2008-01-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

A trigger point is "a highly irritable localized spot of exquisite tenderness in a nodule in a palpable taut band of muscle tissue." In firefighter terms...It's a knot.

When the muscle fibers are over-stimulated you get a trigger point and the muscles remain in a contracted state, producing pain. Sometimes trigger points can also produce referred pain elsewhere in the body.

Foam rolling can take care of some of those knots and I'm a big fan of them, but sometimes you just have to go deeper and thats where a good ole tennis ball comes in.

A tennis ball gives you the advantage of being much more focused with your soft tissue work compared to a foam roller and allows you to really get in those hard to reach trigger points. You'll know when you've reached it trust me.

At the bottom of the foot, exists the plantar surface (plantar fascia) which is often the source of trouble that communicates up through the rest of the line, referred to as the Superficial Back Line.

The Superficial Back Line (SBL) is a continuous line of myofascial connections which run up the back of the body from the underside of the toes to the forehead.

By manipulating the fascia at the bottom of the feet, you change the status of the fascia all around the body and in a sense, there's a "systemic release" and everything lets go...from the bottom of the feet to the forehead

Just get a tennis ball and start rolling one foot at a time. When you feel a painful spot stop and hold it till you get a release or a 75% reduction of the discomfort.

Rolling my feet on a tennis ball, is the last thing I do before I hit the rack at the station. Wearing station footwear and getting in and out of fire boots all day long, can help develop nasty trigger points on the bottom of your feet. Those few minutes of rolling really help release alot of the tension in the feet

Try it and see if doesn't make you feel better ...for a $1.00

Be Safe

Workouts and the Aging Firefighter: Part II

2008-01-14T08:59:00.000-08:00

The anti-gravity muscles are also known as postural muscles. They are located primarily from the lower lumbar spinal area down to the feet. The gastroc/soleus group, the quadriceps , the glutes, and the erector spinae group.

Therefore, extension movements that work these muscles must be given prime consideration in a conditioning program for firefighters, and don't forget the feet. Some foot rolling on a lacrosse or tennis ball will help here.

I'm a big believer in shoulder stability coming from working on the scapula and not just rotator cuff, because a large percentage of shoulder problems involve scapular dysfunction, but not all shoulder problems involve rotator cuff weakness.

Here's a great article by Bill Hartman and Mike Robertson, on shoulder stability.

Be Safe

Workouts and the Aging Firefighter: Part I

2008-01-13T15:53:00.000-08:00

Here are some program design thoughts to consider as you get older:

- you need mobility via massage too remove adhesions and restore length.

-you need a lot of extension work for anti-gravity muscles.

-you need tons of glute work and lower body work (preferably unilaterally).

-you need shoulder stability work after the extension work.

- use heart rate recovery, approx. 20-40 beats down from your highest during the interval to let you know when to do your next set, if you're performing interval training, rather than using the work/rest ratio 1:3 , 1:2, 1:1, method.

Be Safe

A Brother Goes Home

2008-01-12T09:35:00.000-08:00

Firefighter Chase Frost a member of the Parkside Fire Company was injured early Saturday, August 11, along with fellow firefighter Dan Brees when the second floor of a burning townhouse in the Village at Green Tree complex fell on top of them.

Chase was released from the CCMC Burn Treatment Center to return to his home state of Texas, for further treatment and recovery November 28th.

Dan was burned on more than five percent of his body and suffered respiratory injuries from breathing hot air. Chase Frost experienced burns on more than 50 percent of his body.

DONATIONS for Dan and Chase can be sent directly to Parkside Fire Company, 107 W. Roland Rd., Parkside, PA 19015.

Commerce Bank located at 4236 Edgmonnt Ave. in Brookhaven is the depository for the Parkside Relief Fund. Checks, money orders or cash will be accepted as donations at the bank.

A special shout out to members from Parkside, Green Ridge, Garden City, Chester FD and Crozer EMS along with Widener Univ. ROTC program who along with family and friends were there to see Chase off and give him an escort to the airport.

Peace and Godspeed to you both!

3 Ways to Get Rid of the Firefighter Belly!

2008-01-11T15:40:00.000-08:00

1. Don't put anything that has High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) in your body!

HFCS is a sweetner made from corn. Since its introduction, HFCS has begun to replace sugar in various processed foods in the USA. Studies suggests that fructose increases obesity. Large quantities of fructose stimulate the liver to produce triglycerides, promotes glycation of proteins and induces insulin resistance.

So drop the Coke and Pepsi since they're made with HFCS.

2. Follow Nutrient Timing.

I don't advocate diets but I do like nutrition programs and principles. One simple principle that works for the firefighters and athletes I work with, is to save starchy carbohydrates (bread, rice, pasta etc.) till after the workout or for breakfast.

Starchy carbs are an acceptable food choice for breakfast because in the morning your glycogen levels
are low, from the overnight fast, and the carbs you eat in the morning are going to fill your liver glycogen stores.

Post workout the carbs are used by the body to fill the energy void created by the workout, so they don't have a tendency
to get stored as fat.

3. Stop with the beer already.

There's a reason it's called a "beer belly," but telling a firefighter to drop the beer is grounds for being tarred
and feathered, and being run over by the Engine wheels...several times, but hey you're going to have to make a choice. It's either the beer belly or drop the Bud. It doesn't have to be foreever but just till you start dropping some of the fat.

The fat around the belly is the worst for us, and associated with all sorts of health risks.

Because of the carbs in beer, you'll autotmatically increase your insulin levels when you drink, and EVERY TIME you
increase insulin, the body stores fat, with the exception of post workout when insulin is used to drive nutrients into the muscle. The rest of the time you're outa luck.

Three things you can do today to drop the beer belly.

Foam Rolling II

2008-01-09T18:03:00.000-08:00

I got a lot of e-mails asking me to expand on the foam rolling for firefighters.

If you missed my previous post on foam rollers you can get all the info on foam rollers and their benefit to firefighters here.

Why is foam rolling good for firefighters?
Traditional stretching techniques simply cause transient increases in muscle length, foam rolling, on the other hand,offers these benefits along with the breakdown of soft tissue adhesion's and scar tissue.

Foam rolling offers an effective, inexpensive,and convenient way to both reduce adhesion and scar tissue accumulation and eliminate what's already present on a daily basis...and firefighters can develop a lot of knots from the job itself.

Just note that like stretching, foam rolling doesn't yield marked improvements overnight; you'll need to be diligent and stick with it (although you'll definitely notice acute benefits).

Where is the best place to find a foam roller.
For the best foam rollers go here. Or you can go to your closest Target (Tar-Jay) and pick up a foam roller in their exercise aisle.

The Things That Matter

2008-01-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

Replacing the Apple PowerBook 3400 AC Adapter that my dog chewed: $79.95

Trip to Blockbuster: $24.37 ( 3 movies, and a late fee or as they call it a "stocking fee." The movies were a wee bit late. )

Riding with LA City's Engine 60: Priceless!!!

Hydration

2008-01-08T18:43:00.000-08:00

Every Fire Engine in America probably has a water cooler on board.

I make my driver dump the water from the previous shift and add half ice and half water to it. How many times have you seen someone simply just add water to the previous shift's leftovers to fill it up?

Instead of water some guys like to put Gatorade or another sports drink in there. Water, IMHO, is the best hydration tool on the fireground. If the guys want Gatorade, after a job, then we hit the mini-mart or 7 eleven.

The amount of sugar in those sports drinks, will delay gastric emptying, continuing to allow dehydration. We use a simple solution and dilute the sports drink, to get some of the electrolytes replaced but no delay in getting it where it needs to go.

Are you active?

2008-01-05T16:01:00.000-08:00

"Inactive firefighters have a 90% greater risk of myocardial infarction than those who are aerobically fit."

Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine. 44(6):546-550, June 2002.
Peate, W. F. MD, MPH; Lundergan, Linda MD, MPH; Johnson, Jerry J. PA-C, MS (exercise)

Track & Field

2008-01-03T20:10:00.001-08:00

Which Track & Field event most resembles firefighting?

It's the 400 meters. Firefighting is a combination of tasks such as dragging or carrying heavy objects and repetitive muscle actions like sledgehammer strikes or a hose hoist and you derive the majority of energy from anaerobic metabolism as in the 400-m sprint.

Firefighting however, is not a 400-m sprint but the metabolic training is the objective and along with improving fatigue resistance.

Develop your anaerobic metabolism which will help you successfully complete fireground tasks by combating the accumulation of metabolic waste products and circulatory/pulmonary disturbances which interfere with the supply of oxygen and nutrients to tissues, making you feel tired and weary.

Tired and weary on the fireground is a bad combination.

Happy New Year !

2007-12-31T08:08:00.000-08:00

Firefighter Fatigue

2007-12-24T16:27:00.000-08:00

Dehydration, poor nutrition, inadequate fitness, physical hard work, and insufficient rest prior to turn out often leads to fatigue. Fatigue leads to exhaustion, and exhaustion leads to impaired judgment and bad descision making which is usually followed by injury or worse... death.

When are we most likely to see fatigue on the fireground? Firefighter fatigue is at its absolute worst during overhaul. Common sense says we need to maintain vigilance for potential problems with firefighters during this time.

Here are some additional things to keep in mind:
-Be mindful of hydration & nutrition strategies during work.
-Use recovery strategies between shifts.
-Add interval training to your workouts which helps you develop the anaerobic capacity needed to resist the inevitable fatigue that is part of this job.

Happy Holidays

2007-12-24T12:04:00.001-08:00

Cat and Camel

2007-12-24T11:36:00.000-08:00

Q: Is it ok to go straight to the gym when I get off shift?

A: Some exercise shouldn't be done in the first hour after awakening because of the increased hydrostatic pressure in the intervertebral disks during that time. If that's the only time you can train, then do some cat and camel exercises during your warm up as a way to achieve spinal segment motion before starting more aggresive exercises.

The Exercise: The Camel-Cat
How to do it: Get down on all fours. Your hands should be directly below your shoulders, and your knees directly below your hips. To create the hump-of-a-camel position, round your back by pushing it upward. Pause for one count, then push your lower back toward the floor to create the arched position of a cat. That's one repetition. Do 2 sets of 10 repetitions.

Why Horizontal Training is Important to Firefighters

2007-12-23T05:48:00.000-08:00

Witness any firefighting activity and what do you see? In almost ALL parts of the job, advancing the line, forcing entry, removing a victim from the occupancy, etc, strength is a major factor, and the majority of force application and absorption in those activities is heavily influenced by horizontal forces.

Rarely is vertical loading seen in actual firefighting activitites yet look at the typical exercises firefighters do in their workouts.

□ Squats-Vertical loading
□ Military press-Vertical loading
□ Lunge-Primarily Vertical loading
□ Pull Up-Vertical loading
□ Leg Press-Truly vertical if you analyze what is happening.
□ Olympic Lifts-Vertical loading

Don't get me wrong, all these are extrememly valuable in a firefighter program. On their own however, they will not produce the optimum enhancement of multiplanular strength and power, capable of transferring to the actual job requirements seen in firefighting.

To optimize strength training for firefighting, you must train the body to effectively neutralize and produce the horizontal and rotational forces encountered every day on the job.

Lunging

2007-12-21T20:44:00.000-08:00

"Don't Let Your Knees Go Past Your Toes When Lunging."

I'm sure everyone has heard this one.

My response is simple...What about the other knee? In a lunge, it's apparently too dangerous for the knee of the front leg to extend past the toes, but the knee of the back leg is past the toes the whole time.

Do you think about where your knee should go in firefighting activities? Of course not, it's a reflex, you don't consciously think about it.

In fact Vern Gambetta, an atheletic development coach, says,"It is all sub cortical and reflexive, not planned and programmed. This demands that training progressively load the knee in all the positions that could occur in the demands of training."

So if you can't restrict your knee consciously because it's a reflex then don't restrict it in training. Artificially restricting knee motion will not prevent knee injuries, in fact, you may be setting up the knee for injury.

Besides, the knee passes the toes every time you go up stairs with your Hi Rise Pac.

Think about it!

Contrast continued...

2007-12-19T20:38:00.000-08:00

Employing a structurally balanced program of push to pull exercises, will help to create balance between the anterior and posterior musculature.

One great exercise to develop the overall posterior shoulder girdle is the inverted row.

It not only is a great multi-joint strengthener, but also helps to teach proper scapula position: retracted and depressed.

Be Safe.

The 3 C's of Training

2007-12-18T17:55:00.000-08:00

1. Content: Everything needs a reason to exist, otherwise it shouldn't.
If you're program is designed to develop strength and power, why are you doing db curls?

2. Context: Everything has to fit together.
Your program should flow from begining to end. If it doesn't see number 1.

3. Contrast: Everyting has to have balance.
Your program must have quad dominant exercises, and hip dominant ones. Vertical Pushing has to be balanced with Vertical Pulling and Horizontal Pushing should be complimented with Horizontal Pulling.

Foam Rolling

2007-12-17T08:40:00.000-08:00

What:
Self myofascial release (SMR) an interactive soft tissue release technique. A foam roller is simply a cylindrical piece of extruded hard-celled foam. Think swimming pool noodles, but a little more dense and larger in diameter. They usually come in one-foot or three-foot lengths. Using a foam roller can provide similar benefits as deep-tissue massage. By increasing flexibility and decreasing muscle tension, it can help prevent injury and improve performance.

How:
1. Start by searching the tissues for tenderness.Place your body on the roller and slowly roll up and down (for about 10-15 seconds) along the muscle group you are targeting. If you find a particularly tight area, pause on that spot. Putting pressure on a tight area can help release the tissue. If tenderness is identified, hold foam roll on the "hot-spot" until the discomfort subsides by 70%. Repeat by coming back to area 3-5 times or until tenderness has subsided.
2. If tenderness is too much to handle simply add another foam roll dispersing body weight over a greater surface.
3. If no tenderness is identified while SLOW rolling, continue in a smooth rhythmical manner.
4. Maintain a tight stomach by pulling the belly button back towards the spine.
5. Do not perform under the following conditions:
Feelings of nausea
Dizziness
Pain
Acute rheumatoid arthritis
Painful varicose veins
6. You can perform SMR massage 1-2 x daily

When: Foam rolling prior to a workout can help decrease muscle density and promote a better warmup. Rolling after a workout may help muscles recover from strenuous exercise.

Best places to use a foam roller on:
Gluteal Muscles, Piriformis
Illotibial Band
Quadriceps
Hamstrings
Calves

In case you forgot how to do the job.

2007-12-15T19:17:00.000-08:00

Exercises to Improve Firefighter Ankle Mobility

2007-12-15T18:31:00.000-08:00

Regardless of what kind of fire boot you wear, (I wear the Warrington Pro's and have so for 15 years) being on a working fire can make your feet hurt and your ankles feel stiff. You already know it's an area that we injure a lot in the fire service.

Bill Hartman gives us some excellent tips regarding ankle mobility.

What are the Most Common Firefighter Injuries?

2007-12-14T12:25:00.000-08:00

Recent numbers released by the Calgary Fire Department don't paint a pretty picture when it comes to firefighter injuries and the numbers back up my previous post,'It's a Tough Job/Dec 9th".

According to them: These are the reasons Firefighters came to their Wellness Center:
33% knee/ankle problems
33% back problems
18% others things
16% shoulder problems

So remember to include an injury prevention component in your workouts for the knee/ankle, the lower back and the shoulders.

Be Safe!

Station Workout

2007-12-11T17:18:00.001-08:00

Q: How can I do a workout at the station that's not too draining, but effective?

A: I think bodyweight circuits work well for on-duty training. You can cover the entire body, and it's very effective.

Here's one that I do sometimes.

Dynamic mobility warm up 5-7 mins.

Round one: Pushups for 30 sec
Round two: Prisoner Squats x 30 sec
Round three: Front Plank x 30sec

2 circuits / 30s rest between rounds

Round four: Glute bridge x15 reps
Round five: Band Pulls or Chins x10 reps
Round six: Prone Cobra's x10 reps

2 circuits / 30s rest between rounds

Then finish with some metabolic work : Jump Rope for 6 minutes

Top 7 snacks for Firefighters

2007-12-10T20:35:00.000-08:00

Snacking is an art form. Choose wisely and you’ll be covered. Choose wrong and your stomach and body will remind you of the bad choice. It never fails!
You can keep a small cooler with some stuff, that’s always available.

— A truck snack, like apples.
— Oat meal packets that can be nuked in a cup of water in two minutes flat for breakfast—and cooled in 30 seconds with frozen berries before adding protein powder. Take it with you on the way to the,"I've fallen and I can't get up", call.
— Canned tuna or salmon (which is pre-cooked of course), and throw in a sliced lime. Note to self: Bring fork!
— Meal Replacement Packets, kept dry in a shaker container, just add water .
— A box of low-fat Triscuits (goes great with the aforementioned tuna and a little low-fat mayo. Relish optional).
— A can of mixed nuts kept on the truck (zero prep time and better than junk food for snacking on 2nd alarms). Almonds are the best choice here.
-Protein/MRP bars. I'm not into bars but on this job I have been very, very thankful at times...for a protein bar, cause it was the only thing I was able to eat for hours.

It's a tough job!

2007-12-10T20:19:00.000-08:00

The fire service continues to be one of the most hazardous occupations in the world. Its rates of work related injury/illness and fatality far exceed those for most industries. Musculoskeletal injuries account for almost half of all line-of-duty injuries among the millions of firefighter in the U.S.A. These injuries are primarily sprains, strains and muscular pain that mostly affect the back, shoulder and knee.

So what do we do about it? How can we better protect ourselves? It’s simple… GET FIT!

Physical fitness mitigates against physical and mental fatigue, and acts as a mediating variable in the prediction of musculoskeletal injuries. In firefighter terms, the more fit you are the less physical and mental stress will affect you. The less fit you are the more likelihood of injury.

When you review published physical fitness intervention studies in the fire service, with few exceptions, the primary focus has been on cardiovascular risk reduction rather than musculoskeletal injury risk reduction.

So you have to include an injury prevention program as part of your program design, primarily for the back, shoulder and knees.

With back injuries, the gluteal muscles shut down, abdominal/lumbar extensors will be weak and the piriformis (posterior hip) will be tight, so perform some anti-inhibition drills, foam rolling and stretching.

For gluteal strengthening, perform glute bridges and fire hydrants, monster or x-band walks 2 sets of 10-15 reps and make sure the abs stay tight throughout the exercise. Do front and side planks for core stability and endurance along with prone cobras for the extensors, 2 sets of 15 seconds and build up to 1 minute. Make sure the trunk stays perfectly straight. Roll over the posterior hip and glutes with a foam roller to remove adhesions and finish with some stretching for the glutes.

Lack of core stability and endurance is one of the main reason firefighters suffer back injuries.

Doing Y’s, T’s and W’s along with pushup pluses can protect the shoulders. Do these as a circuit for 1 set of 10. Also, reduce overhead lifting, which can create shoulder impingement.

With knee problems the quadriceps and calves will be weak and inhibited. The hamstrings and IT Band will be tight, and there is possibly a loss of dorsiflexion range of motion at the ankle.

So start by foam rolling your quads, hamstrings and IT band and switch to front squats to fire the quads. Start doing ankle mobility drills in your warm up and post workout stretch the hamstrings and IT band along with the quads.

Getting fit and adding some simple exercise can go a long way in making you injury proof.

Accountability !

2007-12-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

"Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment and learn again to exercise . . . personal responsibility."

Albert Schweitzer

Imbalance

2007-12-06T08:17:00.000-08:00

Q: I read that some low back pain is a result of muscle imbalances.
What are the most common imbalances, why does it happen and what can be done about them?

A: The most common dysfunction is a forward tipped pelvis. This is when the front of one or both sides of the pelvis are pulled down.

There are several things that contribute to the creation of this problem. The most common is sitting. We all do it, some more than others. It seems that as technology has advanced and replaced manual labor, more and more people are sitting at their jobs all day long. The more you sit the more likely you are to develop the muscle imbalance in the hips and thighs that creates the forward tipped pelvis dysfunction. This position can lead to low back pain.

The imbalance is created by weak hamstrings, glutes, lower back, lower abdomen, tight hip flexors, quadriceps and lower back.

Very tight muscles or those pulled too much should be stretched daily. And the muscles that are too weak or not pulling enough should be strengthened.

So what to do? Stretch the, hip flexors and quadriceps and
strengthen the lower abdomen, glutes and hamstrings.

Sarcopenia....what?

2007-12-06T08:11:00.000-08:00

Q: I’m a firefighter in my early fifties, and I try to maintain some level of fitness for the job and be healthy. Recently I noticed I seem to be losing muscle mass. What’s going on?

A: Your may be suffering from sarcopenia. Sarcopenia means age related loss of muscle mass. It is part of the erosion cycle where we get reminded that we’re no longer twenty. It generally starts to set in around age 45, when muscle mass begins to decline at a rate of about 1 percent a year.

Why does sarcopenia happen? So far, the best guess is that it’s caused by a gradual loss of certain nerve cells that link the brain to the muscles; in turn, loss of chemical connections between the two causes a loss of muscle cells themselves. Other age-related declines may play into it as well. For instance, the immune system gradually weakens, and that, some researchers suggest, may increase levels of substances that break down muscle. In addition, levels of hormones that stimulate muscle growth—estrogen, testosterone, and growth hormone—fall with age.

How do we stop it? While you can’t completely halt sarcopenia in its tracks, there’s much you can do to slow it dramatically and thereby remain nearly as active in your 50s and 60s as much earlier in life. So here’s the plan, can you say, strength training? For a couple times a week of strength training—about 30 minutes a session—you get so much back. I can’t emphasize enough how critical it is. Preserving your muscle mass is about more than just keeping up a particular level of fitness. It can also impact your ability to withstand disease. When you’re sick, the body burns protein faster than usual, pulling protein components from the muscles and delivering them to the immune system, liver, and other organs for use in healing wounds and building the antibodies and white blood cells needed to fight illness. If the muscle protein “reservoir” has already been depleted by sarcopenia, there’s that much less ammunition available.

Rest assured that it’s perfectly safe, even for people with conditions like arthritis or heart disease. Get a doctor’s ok before you start, slow down sarcopenia and enjoy the many benefits of strength training.

Remember,” “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it”.

Firefighter Fatloss

2007-12-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

Q: What are 3 good fat loss tips?

A: It depends. If the question is "what are 3 good fat loss tips for an overweight person who isn't exercising?” the answer is going to be different from "what are 3 good fat loss tips for a irefighter who is already lean, lifting, dieting and doing interval training?"... despite there being apparent similarities in the question. For GENERAL fat loss you need to observe some primary goals, including:
1. Burn as many calories as possible through resting metabolic rate. Lean muscle is metabolically active, so building muscle or at least maintaining it is extremely important. You can interpret this to mean that to lose fat, you need to weight train.
2. Burn more calories through increased meal frequency (digestion burns calories). Food has a thermic effect on the body. The more meal frequency, the more your metabolic furnace gets stoked. Not eating breakfast and eating 1 or 2 meals a day keeps your metabolism slow and keeps you fat.
3. Burn more calories through macronutrient manipulation. The thermic effect of protein is twice as high as the thermic effect of fat or carbohydrate — and it adds up! Make protein a focal point of your daily diet. Pick your protein source first and then depending on your whether you’ve done activity or not, add carbs and good fats.

Welcome!

2007-11-18T18:14:00.000-08:00

Here it is. The Ultimate Firefighter Workout Program blog.

Stay tuned!

Ultimate Firefighter Workout

It's Coming Back

Maintenance

Happy Holidays!

M.E.L.T. Method

Bench Pressing

Acelerated Muscular Development

Changes II

Building the Firefighter from the Ground Up

PFT

Changes

Strength & Power

Why ?

The REAL Spiderman Pushup

Things I Use and Like.

The Last Piece

The Fix

The Problem

Thanks!!!

The Boyz From The 5th Battalion

Clusters

Welcome!

The Body

Ice Ice Baby!

Heart Rate Training...Ultimate Firefighter Workout Style!

The Firefighter Super Shake

LODD

FEAR

Just Walk It!

The Poll

Heart Rate Monitors

Comments Section Is Now Open.

Picadillo

What's For Breakfast?

Stress and Firefighters

Wanna see the best workout book for firefighters?

The Last Alarm-Brent A. Lovrein

Los Angeles LODD

"Let no man's ghost come back to say, My training let me down."

Stop the Sit-ups and Save Your Back

Kettlebells for Firefighting

How To Train Horizontally for $ 22.00

Sled Dragging for Firefighters

A week in the life of the Ultimate Firefighter Workout...

What's the Best Exercise for Firefighters?

HOW TO STOP A HEART ATTACK FROM HAPPENNING ON THE FIREGROUND!

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What's Responsible for Most Firefighter Deaths?

Squats

What Does a Firefighter Functional Circuit Look Like?

Systems!

Feel Better for a Dollar.

Workouts and the Aging Firefighter: Part II

Workouts and the Aging Firefighter: Part I

A Brother Goes Home

3 Ways to Get Rid of the Firefighter Belly!

Foam Rolling II

The Things That Matter

Hydration

Are you active?

Track & Field

Happy New Year !

Firefighter Fatigue

Happy Holidays

Cat and Camel

Why Horizontal Training is Important to Firefighters

Lunging

Contrast continued...

The 3 C's of Training

Foam Rolling

In case you forgot how to do the job.

Exercises to Improve Firefighter Ankle Mobility

What are the Most Common Firefighter Injuries?

Station Workout

Top 7 snacks for Firefighters

It's a tough job!

Accountability !

Imbalance

Sarcopenia....what?

Firefighter Fatloss