Stair Climb Training for Firefighter
Firefighting is a strenuous occupation that requires a combination of muscular and cardiorespiratory endurance. Training academies employ physical fitness programs to prepare recruits for the demands of the job as well as to help prevent injuries. Fire academy training programs use circuit training, interval training, calisthenics and job-specific activities like ladder and hose drills.
Tower workouts tax a recruit's strength, endurance and firefighting skills. These drills require you to climb several flights of stairs and perform tasks such as axe chops and hose raises. Tower workouts illustrate the training principle known as specificity. This principle states that improvement in a particular activity is achieved most effectively by tailoring training to meet the specific demands of the activity.
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Firefighter Fitness
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The firefighting profession is a psychological and physically stressful job that, like athletics, requires a certain amount of physical conditioning along with specific skill training. Recruits are taught that the fitness programs you participate in while at an academy and as a firefighter have two goals. The first is to allow you to perform the requirements of your job and the second is to help prevent injuries.
SAID Principle
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The acronym SAID stands for specific adaption to imposed demand. This principle is commonly referred to as specificity. For example, a long-distance runner and a sprinter do not use the same training programs because the demands of their particular events are different. Athletes follow the same general principles and develop a fitness base around flexibility, strength and cardiovascular endurance. It is the same for firefighters, but once a base level of fitness is achieved, you must focus your efforts on training for the specific demands of the job.
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Tower Training
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Firefighters are expected to climb stairs wearing heavy protective clothing and carrying cumbersome equipment. The tower training that firefighting academies use to train recruits simulates what you would be expected to do in the course of your duties. The towers have a number of flights of stairs to simulate a typical environment firefighters would encounter.
Stair Climbing Fitness
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The best way to condition firefighters to climb stairs and perform specific skills recruits is by having you practice climbing stairs and perform specific skills. One repetition of this exercise has the recruit climbing as many as five flights of stairs and along the way performing a combination of ladder carries, axe chops, hose drags and hose raises. As the training progresses, recruits are expected to perform a given repetition in less time.
Prepare to Train
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Training to be a firefighter is a rigorous undertaking, and a sound training program can help attain a basic level of fitness before you start training at a firefighting academy. Your preparation could include using a stair climber exercise machine and performing a circuit training workout with exercises such as squats and step ups. Gradually add walking and jogging up flights of stairs to increase your conditioning level.
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