The Ultimate Firefighter Tribute Workout

A lot of people have taken advantage of the Ultimate Fire Athlete Workout Cold Water Challenge, but, time is running out.  Just to recap, I am giving $10 (all profits) for each Ultimate Fire Athlete Program sold to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation for the next week.  You can read more about that here.

Today I want to give you a taste of the type of workouts that you will find in the Ultimate Fire Athlete Workout and it comes with great timing and a lot of significance... The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation provides resources and funding (via grants and donations) towards remembering our fallen and protecting our current firefighters.  This "tribute" workout is difficult and will be re-introduced later this year but I felt that this week (with the NFFF campaign) that it was a great time to introduce it.  So, give this challenge a try and please comment if you get the significance.

Active warm-up (perform for 30 seconds or 10 reps of each exercise for 2 circuits wit no rest between exercises)

1. Standing Chops
2. Step Forward toe reaches
3. Spidermans
4. Knees side to side 
5. Cross overs

(Repeat for a total of 2 circuits)

Now that your ready...its on to the fun.  All you need for this workout are some steps (or a stepmill) and a way to do pull-ups or body rows.  You should time the workout from the first step to the last so you can track your fitness progress from workout to workout.

Try to keep your rest to a minimum, go from exercise to exercise at your own pace.  Have fun.

1.  Run stairs (or step mill) as fast as possible for 396 steps or 22 flights

2.  Perform 100 push-ups (rest as little as possible)

3.  Run stairs (or step mill) as fast as possible for 396 steps or 22 flights

4.  Perform 100 prisoner squats

5.  Run stairs (or step mill) as fast as possible for 396 steps or 22 flights

6.  Perform 100 lunges (50 each leg)

7.  Perform 43 pull-ups or body rows

8.  Run stairs (or step mill) as fast as possible for 396 steps or 22 flights

Record your time....then pass out (just kidding)

Do you know the significance of the workout?  Let me know how you did....

If you need a program that will get you in the best shape of your life....fast, take advantage of the Ultimate Fire Athlete- Cold Water Challenge

Stay safe and healthy,

A. Zamzow

The Best Nutrition Advice for Firefighters

Today I wanted to piggy-back on my post about inflammation and heart disease (keep the comments and emails coming).  I know that in health and fitness sometimes the best results are obtained from the simplest advice.  So here goes, in my opinion the absolute best thing you can do to lose weight, get healthy, or live a life full of energy is to eat by this ONE RULE:

“Only eat whole foods with ONE ingredient.”

That's it.  The reason why one ingredient whole foods are the best for you is that they contain zero processing and zero artificial ingredients that have been linked to increasing inflammation. One of these common ingredients is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).   HFCS is a man-made sweetener that is 20 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). It is mainly found in soft drinks and fruit juices. Americans as of 2001 were ingesting on averaging 63 pounds of HFCS per year!  The health implications to consuming HFCS are that it has been shown to raise triglyceride levels,which are a precursor to heart disease. Elevated triglyceride levels are related to high insulin levels which promotes fat storage, inflammation and is a precursor to Type II Diabetes.  Obviously you want to avoid HFCS along with other processed ingredients.

Another reason to  stick to one ingredient foods are that they are the most naturally nutrient packed, which provides you with the maximum enzymes, nutrients, and energy to fuel your body with.  Plus, they are satiating and are the exact foods nature intended us to eat.  Some of the best ones in the grocery store don't even have a label... (keep in mind that if the food doesn’t have a label on it that’s usually a dead give away that it's probably a one ingredient whole food.)  So next time you are preparing a meal at the firehouse or for you family, try to include one ingredient foods and stay away from the processed ingredients.  Once again, read your labels and consume more water while decreasing your intake of soft drinks and fruit juices.

I you are looking for more healthy recipes along with great guidelines to eating healthy in the firehouse, get my FREE SOPs to Eating Healthy in the Firehouse.

Stay Safe and Healthy,
A. Zamzow