How to Work Out Like a Firefighter

It takes great physical energy, strength and endurance to be a firefighter. To achieve this level of fitness, a firefighter must create a workout that specifically enhances these areas. To work out like a firefighter, prepare to challenge yourself both physically and mentally. You can soon find that it is not easy to work out like a firefighter. Doing so gives you a newfound respect for America's Bravest. Read on to learn how to work out like a firefighter.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Perform exercises in a way that builds both strength and endurance. Kettlebell training, which is timed, high reps with weights with an emphasis on form, is a popular firefighter routine. Stay away from workout regimes that build big, bulky muscles, and concentrate on ones that create lean, strong muscles.
2. Do push and pull exercises like leg presses, bench presses and arm curls. Incorporate super sets, or two exercises done one immediately after the other with a 45-second rest between sets, usually three. Also, attempt power-building moves like dead lifts and squats and endurance tests like pushing a vehicle 100 feet, resting until recovered and pushing back, repeating four times.
3. Participate in firefighter task-specific movements. Run up and down stairs or steep hills, increasing distance and time. Utilize stair climbers and treadmills, adding weights to your body to simulate the weight of firefighter gear.
4. Run sprints and laps on a track. Incorporate these movements into your normal workout one or two days per week.
5. Time yourself. Firefighters need speed and endurance. Try running up 40 flights of stairs in seven minutes, then work to decrease that time. Do the same for running track, sprints and calisthenics. Always perform warm-ups of jump-rope, jogging or 10 minutes on the stairclimber, increasing the level every two minutes.
6. Eat right. Working out like a firefighter also means eating like a firefighter to produce a strong, lean body. A good ratio is the following: 50 percent fruits and vegetables, and the other 50 percent split between whole grains and lean proteins.

Tips & Warnings

• Always consult a physician before staring any exercise program, especially one as challenging as a firefighter workout.