Strength and Endurance for Firefighters

Endurance for Firefighters needs to be a combination of intense cardio and weight bearing exercises that pushes you to the limits to prep for the job. I have posted below, my last leg work out. I am been training this way for years (30, actually), so it needs to be worked up to for many. Proceed with caution. I am 5’5″ and 135lb…
I give weights, reps etc. just for a ballpark so you studs know where to start! But, unless you are used to lifting heavy with your legs, don’t try this.

All form is to the fullest: lunges down until back knee hits ground, leg press until knees hit chest and compress it a bit. Push ups wide, down until chest hits, pull ups until shoulders even with palms, and arms and shoulders all the way down/straight at bottom. There is not rest between any of this… just long enough to change weights, pick them up… maybe a sip of water. Go! Go! Go!
warm up:
10 min jump rope 140 rpm
4 super sets of: 20 push-ups, 10 pull ups (yes, palms away) back and forth. No rest.
Fill water bottle, get towel, move to leg pressMachine. Get hand weights.
Leg press (LP) on decline leg press. walking lunges (WL) with 15 lb. in each hand. Call me wimpy, but, that is my rest period, the lunges: if you call that rest.

LP 2 plates on each side, 30 reps
40 WL/15 lb in each hand on all sets
20 burpees
LP 3 plates on each side, 26 reps
40 WL
20 burpees
LP 4 plates on each side, 22 reps
40 WL
20 burpees
LP 5 plates on each side, 18 reps
40 WL
20 burpees (heart rate too high, stopped burpees after this set! UGH!)
LP 6 plates on each side, 14 reps
40 WL
LP 7 plates on each side, 10 reps
40 WL
LP 8 plates on each side, 6 reps
40 WL
Ok, done with the friggin’ lunges. Moving on… other side of pyramid.
LP 7 plates on each side, 10 reps
10 lat pulls, 100 lbs (light, but this is to shunt blood to upper body, inc HR)
20 push ups (yep, you can do more! This is for cardio)
LP 6 plates on each side, 14 reps
10 lat pulls, 100 lbs
20 push ups (yep, you can do more!)
LP 5 plates on each side, 18 reps
10 lat pulls, 100 lbs
20 push ups (yep, you can do more!)
LP 4 plates on each side, 20 reps
10 lat pulls, 100 lbs
20 push ups (yep, you can do more!)
LP 3 plates on each side, 24 reps
10 lat pulls, 100 lbs
20 push ups (yep, you can do more!)
LP 2 plates on each side, 30 reps… really really slow… OMG… pain
10 lat pulls, 100 lbs
20 push ups (yep, you can do more!)

4 sets of seated cable row with 80 lbs. 12 reps… 30 sec rest between sets… to polish off my legs and endurance/light upper body day.
stretch 10 minutes. Fill water bottle.
Finish with 1 hour spin class…
All that took around 2.5 hours. Didn’t time exactly.

So, yeah, that would be an endurance/leg day for me. Try it, if you think you are up to it, with a word of caution: attempt at your own risk. It nearly killed my boy friend’s legs the first time. He was sore for 7-8 days. Now he loves this workout. We do variations of it together and he carries 25 lb, plates, and adjusts his upper body weights for him. He was a 4 minute miler in his days, so he has a lot of leg strength.

I might be walking like a duck tomorrow….
But, alas, I did spend almost 2.5 hours in the gym. I deserve a day off… or maybe shoulder/rotator cuff rehab and 20 minutes stretching the legs.
__________________
Dr. Jen
www.fireagility.com

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