By Michael Ong

Fitness is a big industry these days. Companies spend millions of dollars competing for consumers while nutritional supplements, fitness equipment and various workout programs flood the market with the endorsements from big-name athletes. Advertisements even include testimonials from firefighters and their success stories that came about as a result of using the products. Video workouts, Web-based workouts and “boot camps” are all the rage at the firehouse these days; CrossFit, Russian kettle bells, P90X and Olympic lifts are being done by firefighters across the globe.

But what’s the best workout if you want to get and keep firefighters fit for duty? I think the way to decide that is to apply three general questions to any fitness regimen and let the answers drive your choice.

1. Is It Safe?
Does the program or exercise have a history of injuring the participants? If the workout is notorious for blowing shoulders, lower backs or knees, then the risks outweigh the benefits. Injuries occurring from fireground activities can be hard to prevent, but injuries that occur from exercising are often preventable.

Even professional athletes don’t practice at full intensity right before a game. Likewise, on-duty firefighters shouldn’t exercise to a point that they could compromise their performance or personal safety when operating on an emergency incident. Instead, on-duty workouts should be kept to a level that will accommodate a busy shift. Weather, temperature and job assignments should also be taken into consideration while working out on duty.

Although I firmly believe that a certain difficulty level must be achieved to obtain any benefit from an exercise program, the difficulty level must be incremental and individualized. A workout that has everyone throwing up within 10 minutes or that takes more than a week to recover from is counter-productive.

Retired Fire Chief Alan Brunacini coined the saying, “Egos eat brains.” This idea not only applies to fireground decisions and customer service, but also to training. Fitness regimens that put too much emphasis on personal bests or competitive times often lead to a compromise in quality, form and personal safety. Don’t get me wrong, a little competition coupled with a healthy ego often drive people beyond mediocrity, but their importance shouldn’t outweigh common sense and safety.

2. Is It Applicable?
There’s nothing wrong with working out to achieve bigger biceps or a bench-press record. But this may not be the best way to increase the health, fitness level and efficiency of a firefighter whose job is to mitigate emergencies and save lives.

Several fitness trainers from other departments have asked me what type of workout is right for their department. My response always begins with the question: “What health and fitness concerns do your members have?” The answer to this question should drive the direction of any department’s wellness program and/or workouts. Without knowing the areas in need of improvement within a department, the direction of the wellness program will be generalized at best. Annual medical physicals will highlight the health and fitness liabilities within a department, just as company training will expose liabilities in operational competency.

Because of the wide variety of duties and tasks firefighters are expected to perform, cardiovascular fitness in both aerobic and anaerobic capacities is essential. To achieve this, workouts must include exercises that increase muscular strength as well as muscular endurance and flexibility. To enhance firefighters’ abilities to perform specific fireground tasks, incorporate exercises into your program that mimic those tasks. Pulling hose attached to resistance, using sledgehammers or axes on railroad ties or raising weighted ropes to mimic ladder halyards are simple exercises that can be done at the station that don’t require specialized or costly equipment.

3. Can It Be Done by All?
It’s now commonplace to have a crew with a 20-year-old rookie working next to a 20-year veteran. Prescribing an exercise program that can only be done by crewmembers who are already highly fit is a bit like sending a bald man to a hair salon. Although we must address the needs of those self-motivated crewmembers who maintain a high level of fitness, our energy and resources should be directed at those members who are a health risk.

Often, resources can be misdirected in getting fit members ultra-fit at the expense of crewmembers who can’t climb a flight of stairs without getting winded. Failure to identify members who are at risk and bring them up to safe fitness levels could be deadly.

Conclusion
All exercise programs can be beneficial, and the latest fitness trends like CrossFit, P90x and “boot camp” workouts can really motivate firefighters to work out, especially because an entire fire company can exercise together. But like anything, you need to make sure that it’s right for you and that you don’t injure yourself in the process. Question the safety and relevance to firefighting, and make sure that your specific goals are being addressed. Sometimes it’s better to work out smarter, not harder.


Mike Ong is a battalion chief with the Phoenix Fire Department. He also served as the division chief of the Phoenix Fire Department Health Center and as the department’s wellness coordinator. He has been involved in the health and fitness industry for more than 20 years and has a background in training, writing and presenting.


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