Firefighter Cardio Interval Workouts

Cardiovascular fitness is obviously a very important concern for the fire rescue athlete (firefighters, paramedics and EMTs).  Lately I've been researching, creating, and  then performing a lot of 10-minute interval overhauls and wanted to share them with you today.  You can do one of these separately after a strength workout or combine all three for a good cardiovascular workout.  These only take 10-minutes but you sweat (and burn calories) a lot longer than that.  Give these a try.

1.  The Uphill Grind.  This is a great treadmill interval, if your just getting started with a fitness program (click here for a great workout to establish your FRF Foundation) you want to decrease the speed and incline to a level that is a little more obtainable.

Start minutes 0-2 with a warm-up at 3.5mph and 3.5% incline
next 30 seconds crank it up to 8.0 mph at 8.0% incline
rest 30 seconds (I stand on the side rails of the treadmill)
repeat 7 more times for a total of 10 minutes

**My goal is to be able to perform this interval with a weighted vest on....eventually.

2. Bottle Shock.  This purpose of this interval is to help you control you breathing, like you were on air.  You need to find area in your gym or firehouse where you can sprint for 10 yards.  Once you've covered the distance, pause just long enough to inhale and exhale once through you nose.  Sprint back and pause, this time inhaling and exhaling twice through your nose.  Continue with the drill- breathing normally as you sprint and adding an additional nose inhalation and exhalation when you pause--until you can no longer breathe through your nose.  At that point, rest 30 seconds then start over.  Continue the exercise for 10 minutes total.  You will be surprised how much more effort it takes to focus on your breathing.

3. The Cardio Pyramid.  You can substitute any exercise you like as long as it gets your heart going.  Personally, I like to do the first pyramid with jump rope, the second with mountain climbers and the third with stairs.  Here is how it works, do as many reps as you can in 10 seconds (or do reps instead of seconds) then rest for an equal amount of time.  Next do as many reps as you can in 20 seconds then rest 20 seconds.  Then do 30 seconds of rest followed by 30 seconds of rest.  Now work your way back down the pyramid with 20 seconds then 10.  Once you finish the final 10 seconds rest, add another 30 seconds of rest and repeat again with the same exercise or a different one.  You will perform a total of 3 pyramids (10, 10, 20, 20, 30, 30, 20, 20, 10, 10) with 30 seconds in between them for a total of 10 minutes.  ENJOY this one.

Give these a try, please leave some comments about how you LOVE or HATE these intervals.

Stay Safe and Healthy,
Aaron Zamzow
www.FireRescueFitness.com

PS- Want a great Fire Rescue Workout Program that is guaranteed to take your fitness to the Ultimate Level?  (Click Here)

Firefighter Workout- Progressive Bodyweight Challenge

I get a lot of requests for workouts that require a minimal amount of equipment.  Here is a great Firefighter Bodyweight workout that doesn't require a lot of equipment and is very efficient (like you need to be on a fire/rescue scene).
Click on the video below for a recap.

Please like, comment and share this video!

Here is a recap of the workout (you can change the exercises based on your available equipment)...

5 burpees

10 Pull-ups (or body rows)

15 Push-ups

20 Prisoner Squats

25 Biker crunches (25 each side)

30 seconds plank

1 minute of running stairs

Repeat for time a total of 5 rounds (if your just starting out, aim for 3 or 4 rounds). 

Looking for more great challenge workouts?  Check out the Ultimate Fire Rescue Athlete Workout Program, a comprehensive 12-week Firefighter Workout Program designed to get you in the shape of your life! 

Fight Fire not the Flu....

Its that time of the year again, football season...and the cold and flu season too. Each year the common cold affects the average person two times, and can affect the fire rescue athlete even more. The sneezing, coughing, aching, stuff head, sore throat, and runny nose leave you wanting to curl up under the bed covers. To avoid this misery, prevention is the best cure. So with over 200 mutating cold-causing viruses floating around, what’s a fire rescue athlete to do to avoid getting sick? 

While in our profession it can be hard to dodge every germ, there are proactive ways to boost your immune system and help prevent catching a cold or the flu. Take a look at these 5 ways and stay healthy:

1. Drink Plenty of Fluids. General good health practices keep your body strong and ready to fend off cold germs and the flu virus and this especially includes drinking plenty of water. In fact, one recent study found that staying hydrated may boost a particular immune response to enable your body to better fight the viruses. Stay hydrated by drinking a lot of fluids, especially water, and by avoiding caffeinated drinks. Shoot for six to eight glasses of water per day, more if you consume caffeinated beverages.

2. Exercise to Strengthen Your Immunity. Exercise not only makes you perform your job better as a fire rescue athlete, but it also boosts your immune system. Additionally, warding off extra weight is important for overall health, particularly when it comes to preventing colds and flu. A recent study found that overweight and obese people were more likely to fall ill or be injured. Not only does exercise (need a good workout, click here) improve the circulation of white blood cells throughout your body, but it has been shown to increase the production of natural killer T cells, which are essential for maintaining an optimum immune response. The amount of exercise required to obtain an immune boost is relatively low, 20 minutes of brisk walking 4-5 times per week (which is basically a warm-up) has been shown to significantly improve the body’s immune response. This is also a good opportunity to get a little bit of sunshine to stimulate Vitamin D production.

3. Get Plenty of Sleep. This can be difficult for the fire rescue athlete especially when the tones go off numerous times throughout the night. It is important to get as much sleep as possible especially on those days away from the firehouse. Studies have found that getting enough sleep is essential for healthy immune function and that insufficient sleep or poor sleep quality is associated with lowered immune function. Ultimately you want to get at least 8 hours each night. There is hope for those of us that can’t sleep through the night, recent research shows that napping can boost health and the immune system.

4. Put down the sugar. When it comes to fighting cold and flu, it is essential to decrease your amount of sugar intake. Sugar has devastating effects on the immune system, and the fact that Americans consume an average of 2-3 pounds of sugar per person every year spells bad news come cold and flu season. Not only does sugar increase the production of hormones that suppress the immune system, refined sugar needs micronutrients to be metabolized. This requires your body to use stored vitamins and minerals, further harming your defences. Instead of eating high sugar foods try eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. This will make sure that your body is getting all of the vitamins and minerals that are essential to fighting of the cold and flu. Each and every fruit and vegetable is packed with thousands of phytochemicals. No supplement could ever match the power of eating a whole food.

5. Chicken Soup, Mom and laughing. I know that these things aren’t backed with research but chicken soup warms the spirit, TLC from Mom is always helpful and laughing can’t hurt (see the quote below).

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.”

 -Irish Proverb

Stay Safe and Healthy,

Aaron Zamzow

www.FireRescueFitness.com

One of the 10 Best Exercises for Firefighters

I recently completed a FREE report of the "10 Best Exercises for Firefighters." You can get a copy of all 10 exercises for FREE by Clicking HERE Now.  Here is one that made the list.

The Side Plank- a great core exercise...

1. Plank(s) and variations of it.  --It's no surprise that the one of the exercises on this list is a core exercise. Back injuries are the number one reason firefighters and medics go on early disability so it's imperative that as a fire rescue athlete you focus on strengthening the core. The plank exercise requires no equipment and is an incredible exercise for improving core strength, endurance, and power. As mention previously, core strength is integral for the fire rescue athlete, as all movement occurs around the core. The plank will increase core efficiency allowing the body to have greater control and stability. All fire rescue athletes should include some version of the plank in their workout program. Use multiple positions: plank, side plank, and bridge.

The Prone Plank (one of the best core exercises)

Try these other variations...

Stability ball plank- a great core challenge

Opposite arm leg/ raises (super mans)

Want to know how to incorporate this exercise into your program?  Click here to get my FREE Report and a great Firefighter Workout

Stay Safe and Healthy,

Aaron Zamzow

www.FireRescueFitness.com

Start your Next Firefighter Workout with This...

Are you still warming up before your workout by jogging or biking or maybe not at all?  Each one of your workouts should start with specific active stretching movements.  In the past you may have skipped this part, but I assure you these exercises will help strengthen and even tone your body.  In fact, if you had just 15 minutes to workout I would want you do to this waram-up routine (or one like it).  Nothing else provides so much value in so little time.  The warm-ups prepare the body for movement, boosts heart rate, blood flow to the muscles, and core temperature.  These movements also improve the function of your nervous system.  Think of this routine the same as taking a few minutes to warm-up a car that has been sitting outside in cold temperatures all night.  The main goal of this routine (and those like it) is to improve the long-term mobility and flexibility of your muscles.  By doing these exercises, you will be able to increase your strength, and muscle mass which, as you know, is important to burn more fat. 

How do you do the movement?  Rather than have you hold your stretches, as in traditional stretching, you move your body into position just for a few seconds and then go back to your starting position.  The warm-up routine wakes up your muscles and not just for your workout, they remain flexible for the rest of the day.  Generally, I  would recommend performing 5 to 10 repetitions of each exercise (or just set an interval timer for 30 to 35 seconds of movement.   

Start these today and your body will quickly condition itself to the exercises, and when you're done, you'll feel warmed up, and more flexible.  You will be better prepared for not only your workout but for whatever challenges your shift or day will bring.  Give this routine a try (see video below)...

Perform 2 circuits of the following 5 exercises:
1.  Chops (5-10 reps)
2.  Knee Hugs (5-10 reps each)
3.  Spidermans (5-10 reps each)
4.  Knees side to side (5-10 reps each)
5.  Quadraped Rotations (5-10 reps each)

Stay Safe and healthy,
A. Zamzow
www.FireRescueFitness.com

Find out the Top 10 exercises for Fire Rescue Athletes (Click Here)

The Ultimate Fire Athlete 9-11 Tribute Challenge Workout

Every year around September 11th I like to take a moment and reflect on the significance of the day and honor those that sacrificed (and continue to sacrifice to this day).  I encourage you to do this workout, share your results and challenge others to do the same, at least once a year (on September 11th).    This "tribute" workout is difficult but has a great significance to September 11th.  You will climb 110 flights of stairs and perform 343 reps of various strength exercises.   Before you begin this workout, like every workout, perform an active warm-up.

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 year to year.

Rest when you feell you need to (try to keep it at a minimum),  go from exercise to exercise at your own pace.  Have fun and remember the significance.

Start the timer.....then:

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 (rest as little as possible)

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

6.  Perform 100 lunges (50 each leg)

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

8.  Perform 43 pull-ups or body rows (rest as little as possible)

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

Record your time....then pass out (just kidding). Please take a moment to understand the significance of the workout and to make a pledge (as a firefighter or as a person) to strive to improve your level of fitness (or at least maintain) from year to year.

Give this challenge a try, share with your friends and Never Forget.

Stay Safe and Healthy,
A. Zamzow
www.FireRescueFitness.com



Did you look at the above workout and think..."no way?"  If you followed the Ultimate Fire Athlete Workout Program you know you could do it.  Get in the shape of your life and fit for duty today (Click Here to get started).

The Ultimate Firefighter 9-11 Tribute Workout

Every year around September 11th I like to take a moment and reflect on the significance of the day and honor those that sacrificed (and continue to sacrifice to this day).  I encourage you to do this workout, share your results and challenge others to do the same, at least once a year (on September 11th).    This "tribute" workout is difficult but has a great significance to September 11th.  You will climb 110 flights of stairs and perform 343 reps of various strength exercises.   Before you begin this workout, like every workout, perform an active warm-up.

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 year to year.

Rest when you feell you need to (try to keep it at a minimum),  go from exercise to exercise at your own pace.  Have fun and remember the significance.

Start the timer.....then:

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 (rest as little as possible)

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

6.  Perform 100 lunges (50 each leg)

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

8.  Perform 43 pull-ups or body rows (rest as little as possible)

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

Record your time....then pass out (just kidding). Please take a moment to understand the significance of the workout and to make a pledge (as a firefighter or as a person) to strive to improve your level of fitness (or at least maintain) from year to year.

Give this challenge a try, share with your friends and Never Forget.

Stay Safe and Healthy,
A. Zamzow
www.FireRescueFitness.com



Did you look at the above workout and think..."no way?"  If you followed the Ultimate Fire Athlete Workout Program you know you could do it.  Get in the shape of your life and fit for duty today (Click Here to get started).