In my last few articles I have posed the questions "Are you Combat Ready?" and "Are you Clutch?". I realized after going back and reading my own articles that I posed the questions, but did not offer the answer. The "HOW TO" you could say...In today's article I will give the "HOW TO". It is not the only way to become combat ready and clutch, but it is definitely one way.
As firefighters we know we must be prepared to meet all the physical demands of the different types of emergency calls we face. These demands range from lifting a 600 pound patient onto a stretcher, fighting a fire on the 32nd floor of a high rise building, to the mundane task of shoveling kitty litter. The nature of our profession dictates that we must be physically and mentally prepared to meet all of these challenges. I have asked you if you are clutch, I have asked if you are combat ready? Now I am telling you we are "Occupational Athletes". Just as athletes train for their sports, we as firefighters must TRAIN for our profession. Not just "workout", but actually TRAIN.
Let me explain a few things - VO2 MAX is a measure of the maximum rate at which an athlete's body is able to consume oxygen when performing a activity, it is adjusted for body weight. Now this is extremely important for the firefighter because the higher your VO2 MAX is means that you can do more work with less oxygen. This is super helpful to firefighters when doing fire ground operations on air.
The next thing we should be somewhat aware of is that of a MET. A MET (metabolic equivalent) is a measurement for determining the workload or demand on an athlete or firefighter. An average 150 pound male laying supine on the couch is expending 1 MET. A person that is running a 8 minute mile is expending approx 12 METS. A firefighter performing fire ground operations will expend well over 13 METS. So as you can see the physical aspect of this job is extremely demanding and we must train that way. Let's return to the VO2 MAX for a minute. There are two major factors that create high VO2 MAx. The first one is a strong oxygen transport system. This includes a strong heart, blood packed with hemoglobin, high blood volume, and high mitochondrial density within the muscle. The second is speed, or the capacity to contract multiple muscles simultaneously. As the more muscles are activated at any given moment, the more oxygen those muscles need.
Allow me to ask this - What happens when a firefighter is physically unfit to perform at the MET level this profession requires? A few things happen and none of them are good. The first thing that happens is the slack is picked up by the other crew members. This adds even more physical stress to these men and women that are already tapping their reserves to accomplish their own tasks. The other thing that happens is firefighters die!
In 2007 the United States Fire Administration (USFA) showed statistics pertaining to the 118 line of duty deaths that year. 55 of those deaths were attributed to stress/overexertion. That number is 64% of the total line of duty deaths for that year. Now let me be clear, I am not saying that all 55 of those firefighters were in poor physical shape. What I am saying is that a least a few of those deaths may have been prevented if we were all at optimal physical shape. The USFA states that "firefighting is extremely strenuous physical work and is likely one of the most physically demanding activities that the human body performs". So we must be in optimal physical shape, or at least trying to attain optimal physical shape.
The fire service has made great strides in the last few years to improve firefighters fitness and wellness. The International Assoc. of FireFighters (IAFF) and the International Assoc. of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) are spear heading this movement, along with a handful of cities through the country. But the truth of the matter is most departments have no physical fitness program at all. This is usually because the city believes it will be to expensive to implement and the labor side believes it will be punitive and cause someone to lose their jobs. They are both WRONG! Implementing a physical fitness program is nothing more then making a investment in your business. A city with a effective physical fitness program notices less time off from its employees due to injuries and illnesses. This saves the city money it will pay out less overtime money. A good and effective physical fitness program, IS NOT PUNITIVE! What it is though is eye opening. You may come to find out that you suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or even diabetes. These are things you may not have known you had before starting the physical fitness program. Finding and treating these conditions will save lives! So you may have to visit your doctor a little more frequently and be on meds for a short period of time, but with the proper physical fitness program and proper diet you will continue to work and continue to LIVE!
So now let's talk about what the physical fitness program should accomplish. We have already determined that some type of physical fitness is essential to our safety and survivability. We also know that physical fitness is the physical and mental conditioning, through proper TRAINING, that leads to the optimal level of cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility. This ensures we can do our job safely and effectively at an ideal body weight.
A fitness program should target all the different areas of our job. Don't get me wrong any type of physical exercise that is improving your well being is a good thing. But when we are talking about job specific training not all programs are as effective. One program that hits all the aspects of our firefighting physical fitness demands is CROSSFIT.
Crossfit was created to enhance an individuals competency at ALL physical tasks. Crossfit has proven effective in training athletes to perform multiple, diverse, and random physical activities. It has also been proven effective for members of our military, police, and professional athletes. There are a few departments that use Crossfit to actually train their firefighters. Denver, Colorado; Alexandria, Virginia; Marietta, Georgia; and Honolulu, Hawaii to name just a few. Crossfit is not some ordinary workout routine though. It is difficult and extremely intense - but our physical fitness should not be easy! Crossfit is based on functional movements - these are movements that can transform from the training ground to the fire ground, as well as life in general. It uses balance, coordination, stabilization, speed, energy, stamina, range of motion, endurance, and strength to get through one Crossfit training session.
It doesn't need to be said, but I will repeat it anyways. Firefighters need a strength and conditioning program that prepares you to be awakened from a dead sleep to respond to a structure fire and to quickly climb multiple flights of stairs and to advance a charged 2 1/2 inch hose line. Traditional workouts that are used by many today is often linear aerobic movements (running, treadmill) and linear strength movements (curls, bench). Neither of these workout style is beneficial to the multi planer challenges of our actual job demands.
Remember the VO2 MAX from earlier, well here it is again. It is proven that Crossfit trained firefighters use less air from their SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus). This is because they have trained themselves to control their body across a variety of movement patterns. Basically this means that the variety of exercises and movements performed while training with Crossfit your neuromuscular systems are developed and refined, which allows you to perform more work while using less oxygen. VO2 MAX!!
Crossfit emphasizes the "core" - which is the major functional aspect of our bodies. Nearly all athletic movements are derived from the center of the body, our "core". Possessing a solid "core" also reduces the chances of lower back injuries. The program uses basic and advanced gymnastic movements, which include push ups, pull ups, and sit ups. These movements improve balance, coordination, agility, and flexibility. These movements actually improve the performance of the following fire ground tasks: climbing a ladder, self-rescue, ventilation of a roof, are just a few. Another great advantage of training with Crossfit is that the training sessions are usually short, but very intense - replicating what we do at a fire. Short but intense work, with the possibility of having to work longer.
Look, Crossfit is only one way to achieve our optimal physical condition. But at least I am offering a solution to a problem. Always remember why we train. We train ourselves to save our lives and the lives of our brothers and sisters, as well as the lives and property of the citizens we swore to protect. We also swore to provide a professional service to the citizens of our city.
This is not an endorsement for Crossfit by any means. This is my personal opinion on a training program that has proven to work. As always consult your doctor prior to starting any training program...
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