Last week I had such a great response to the exercise upgrade post (Alternate Arm DB Chest Press) I decided to make it a weekly post. This week I'll show you ways to change the row exercise to integrate more core and balance work. Firefighters, emts and paramedics are constantly required to lift loads in very awkward positions. In order to prepare for these scenarios fire rescue athletes must focus their workouts on training not only on and in stable positions but unstable as well. Here is a great row exercise upgrade to engage more stabilizing and core muscles.
Please note that this exercise requires a lot of core strength and shoulder stability, lower your weights until you feel comfortable with the exercise.
I often get asked by Firefighters, EMTs and Paramedics to evaluate their current fitness programs and to possibly give some suggestions. I try to explain to the individual or group that in order to evaluate the program we must understand the physical demands of the job.
Research conducted by York University (Ontario) about the physical demands of Firefighting stated-- The most commonly encountered applications of strength and endurance were lifting and carrying objects (up to 80 lbs), pulling objects (up to 135 lbs), and working with objects in front of the body (up to 125 lbs). The most demanding firefighting operations required a mean VO2 of 41.5 ml/kg.min-1 with peak lactate concentrations of 6 to 13.2 mM. Ninety percent of the demanding firefighting operations that were studied required a mean VO2 of 23 ml/kg.min-1. These aerobic energy requirements corresponded to 85 and 50% VO2max, respectively. Therefore a minimum VO2max standard for firefighter applicants of 45 ml/kg.min-1 is recommended.
In layman’s terms it means this...Firefighters need to be ready for almost any event. They need to routinely carry loads of 50 to 100 pounds, climb stairs and ladders, swing heavy mallets and axes, drag heavy objects, hold, hoist and stabilize hose lines. They must also be able to recover quickly from these tasks and perform such activities for prolonged periods of time. Lets not forget that all these actions are routinely done in awkward positions and sometimes on unstable planes.
So how do you translate those demands into a fitness program?
If you look at the above demands, tops on that list would be the emphasis on cardiovascular conditioning and recovery, next would be core strength and endurance to be able to carry the heavy weights in awkward positions, then you look at overall muscular strength and muscular endurance, flexibility and recovery. So basically, we need a functional fitness program that emphasizes circuit training, core training, balance and agility, joint flexibility, overall strength and endurance and must do this progressively to insure proper form and injury prevention. Doesn’t sound like your routine fitness program now does it?
As a trainer (and as a firefighter in the workout room), I hear people saying, I want “abs” I want to help people achieve this. However, I frequently see people performing the least productive exercise for their abs. This is the crunch performed while lying down on a mat with the head and neck supported. This will not get you results. If you want to see the abs you feel during this exercise, change your diet! This is another topic. You cannot spot reduce.
The plank, for a modiefied (easier) version start on your knees
The crunch exercise will shorten and strengthen your rectus abdominus (six pack muscles) and obliques (especially if you twist) from a position that is useless for the majority of daily and sporting activities. Any exercise doesn’t totally isolate one muscle and has consequences for other muscles. The crunch exercise leaves you with weak neck muscles and shortened muscles of inspiration (breathing). You’re thinking, so what? I’m thinking poor posture that doesn’t look good, especially as one ages, greater tendencies for muscle tension headaches and whiplash due to an imbalance of torso strength to neck strength, and poor breathing.
So now you’re thinking but I read about doing crunch exercises in my favorite health or fitness magazine and it said it would strengthen my abs. It does, but it doesn’t teach them to perform. If you eat right, you will have a “dumb” beautiful muscle. But, your body knows nothing of muscles, only movements. This too is another topic. We all have a nervous system that communicates with our muscular system.
Our “abs”, or our torso (containing many muscles and nerve connections from the spinal cord) performs many functions. It flexes forward and back, to the side, as well as rotates or twists (especially on the fire ground and rescue scene), and primarily stabilizes the spine to provide an anchor for our limbs to produce force and hold us up against the forces of gravity. It does one or more of these functions simultaneously with the input from our nervous system. These ideas relate to the body knowing movements rather than muscles. Rarely, in daily activities or sport do the abs repeatedly flex a couple of inches off a flat surface. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense to teach the “abs” to stabilize rather than flex from the floor!
The “abs”, torso, or the “core” is a complex area to train. Yet, there are many exercises that can effectively train this area in a safe and functional manner. One of these exercises is the prone plank. This exercise (or a version of it) should be a staple in every firefighters, EMTs and Paramedics workout program. See how long you can hold the "correct" position--start with 30 seconds and work your way longer.
To perform the prone plank rest on your forearms or hold yourself up in a push-up position with your toes pulled up towards your shins and hold for as long as you can while maintaining the natural curves of your spine. The trick is not to allow your hips to either sag, shift, or twist to any side. Also, keep your neck in alignment. A common error during this exercise is letting the head drop towards the floor. This exercise teaches the abs to stabilize by performing an isometric (without movement) contraction that will enhance the posture, provide a lean elongated looking torso, and a foundation of strength for all sporting or daily movements.
Other forms of the Plank:
Performing the plank on a stability ball makes the core and shoulders work harder
To add more challenge to the core you can add "pulses" by lifting the hips. This exercise can be performed in reps instead of a static hold. Give it a try
Heres a video to demonstrate the Plank with pulses.
This movement along with other core movements should be a part of your workout program...don't have one, you can get one Here for FREE.
FireRescue athletes are at a very high risk of back injury as a matter of fact almost 50% of all firefighters will experience some type of back injury during their career. Effective core training brings about a proactive approach to protecting your body and joints (especially your back) from injury. Core strength consists of hip, shoulder, and trunk stability. It is the foundation of efficient movement and vital to optimizing performance and your career as a FireRescue athlete.
When should we work our "core" and how often. In my FREE 28-day Quickstart program I recommend performing your core routine after an active warm-up. This should occur towards the beginning of the workout...Why? Because its easier to skip if you leave it to the end of the workout. I know, I've been there, you do your strength training, maybe a little cardio then 'promise" that you would do some core exercises at home (or the next day).
The Video below demonstrates 4 basic core movements that all Firefighters, EMTs and Paramedics should be able to do (or incorporate) into their workout. Give them a try.
