Trainers, chiefs and officers should take this same approach to creating a fitness program for recruits. There is no “best” workout program for recruits, just as there is no “best” way to force a door. Going into a situation, a well prepared firefighter should have a plan in the back of their head but also must be able to adapt to changing conditions. To create an effective recruit fitness program, trainers, chiefs and officers must take into consideration the specific needs of the recruits and the demands of the fire academy. The goals of the recruit academy fitness program should be to 1) prepare the recruit for the demands of being a fire rescue athlete and 2) teach them how to utilize proper fitness modalities to prolong their career.
Let’s look at the first part of that goal. When a recruit finishes the academy they need to be ready for almost any event...strong enough to routinely carry, able to lift and drag loads of 50 to 100 pounds, have the balance to climb stairs and ladders, the power to swing heavy mallets and axes, and the muscular endurance to recover from these events quickly and be able to perform them for prolonged periods of time. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that they must be able to do all of these things in awkward positions and sometimes on unstable planes. OK, so maybe designing a program for the fire rescue athlete (recruit) is not so easy. But, by strategically using different training modalities in a planned progression, an effective fitness plan or “protocol” can be created. The periodization model consists of various training periods or components. These components are distinct periods of time you are working with like the training session, week, and/or cycle. Identifying, defining and organizing these components allow the trainer to easily accomplish several things. First, organizing the components provides a developmental progression which keeps the training effective and safe. Second, the organization of these components keeps the training changing and interesting. Last, organizing the various components of periodization provides a direction to peak performance; this keeps the training optimal.
Training should follow a developmental approach. This means there should be a hierarchy of training. First it is essential for the athlete to develop a training base that should increase the body’s functional capacity. Once this is accomplished, the intensity of the exercise is increased to emphasize strength development. This period is characterized by lower volumes of work and higher intensities. In more general terms, we can also say we develop stability, then strength, and finally power. Regardless of what the training program looks like, it cannot violate this developmental approach. If the recruit’s joints aren’t stable, they cannot be heavily loaded. Likewise, if their muscles have not been conditioned, they cannot produce fast, high-intensity contractions (power). If this developmental approach is not followed, the likelihood of an injury and/or over training greatly increases.
The chart below provides details of each developmental phase. These guidelines should be used to help create an effective recruit fitness program.
References
American college of Sprts Medicine (ACSM). (2000). ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (6th edition). Baltimore, MD: Lippincott, Williams &Wilkins.
IAFF/IAFC/ACE. (2006). Peer Fitness Trainer Reference Manual. Monterey, CA: Healthy Learning.
International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). (2000). The Fire Service Joint Labor Management Wellness-Fitness Initiative. Washington, DC: International Association of Fire Fighters.
Kraemer, W.J., Ratamess, N.A. and French, D.N. (2002). Resistance Training for Health and Performance. Curr. Sports Med. Rep. Vol. 1. Pp 165-171.
Santana, J.C. (2003). The Essence of Program Design (The Ultimate Guide for Trainers & Coaches). Boca Raton, FL: Institute of Human Performance.
