1. Flexibility and recovery.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span> \u00a0If you are a fire rescue athlete and you are not performing 2. Injury reduction programs.\u00a0<\/strong> <\/span>\u00a0Budget is usually the biggest reason why fitness remains a side budget item at most departments.\u00a0 Everyone including Chiefs know it will help but when it comes between putting new tires on the engine or sending members for fitness education, the tires win.\u00a0 \u00a0One way to help fund the fitness movement is to reduce time lost wages due to injuries.\u00a0 \u00a0 Departments are now hiring athletic trainers and physical therapists to help create programs to prevent injuries and decrease the severity of them.\u00a0 \u00a0There are also some very innovative companies that will work with departments to create ways to cut-down on red tape and get injured fire rescue athletes recovered faster.\u00a0 \u00a0One of the companies, TAHPI (https:\/\/tahpistrong.com<\/a>\/),\u00a0 is working with my current department and has created and an orthopedic network to help navigate and rehab injuries more efficiently.\u00a0 \u00a0TAHPI (The Tactical Athlete Health & Performance Institute) believes that firefighters should be treated like professional athletes and creates a network of health professionals that focus on keeping fire athletes fit for duty.\u00a0 You will hear a lot more about these services in 2018 and in the future because they can actually show cost savings for departments.<\/p>\n 3. Interval training\/HIIT and crew workouts.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0Interval training has gained\u00a0 Here is an example of an interval workout you could try with your crew. Start with a 5-minute active warm-up that increases mobility and gets a sweat going. Next, set up five or six functional exercises, like sledges on a tire, drags, crawls, stairs burpees, and\/or a core exercise. These movements can be performed for reps (10 to 15) or for a specific amount of time (30 seconds) with minimal rest between them (30 seconds). Try to repeat the circuits three or four times for a great workout in under 30 minutes. Be creative, you could add different exercises, perform the workout in gear or even on air.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/firerescuefitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/20160522_211012.jpg\")
<\/a> an active warm-up, using a foam roller and\/or stretching after and at some point throughout your week, you are wasting time!\u00a0 Flexibility and recovery help athletes “move” more efficiently, recover quickly and improve strength.\u00a0 When I was training one of my first fire academies we were limited on equipment so I placed a lot of emphasis on bodyweight and movement.\u00a0 Low and behold, all of the recruits improved deadlift strength and bench strength throughout the 16 weeks, even though we didn’t lift a single bar.\u00a0 My point?\u00a0 The smart fire rescue athletes are realizing that working on moving better in the gym transfers to moving better on the fire\/rescue scene.\u00a0 You will see more foam rollers, yoga poses for firefighters, and stretching programs, embrace them and realize although not very “manly” they can really help.<\/p>\na lot of popularity in the sports conditioning community and has been a growing trend in group fitness. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is characterized by intense bursts of exercise followed by short rest periods. Some experts believe that HIIT is a more efficient form of exercise\u00a0that can minimize time spent at the gym. This type of training is very applicable to what firefighters do on the fireground. Lots of recent research studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of interval training. It boost metabolism, improves aerobic and anaerobic capacity, burns more calories than longer-duration\/lower-intensity workouts, and can even improve cholesterol profiles. It is also very beneficial for firefighters to help prepare their bodies to go from \u201c0 to 100\u201d at a moment\u2019s notice.\u00a0 This is a popular type of training to do with your crew at the firehouse.\u00a0\u00a0Working out with your crew can not only lead to better fitness results, but also add camaraderie and help you work better as a team. Hopefully some crews in your department are or will be doing some interval workouts this year.\u00a0 I included a workout below to help you get started.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n