There’s likely no fire department that hasn’t felt the slice of budget cuts. One of the first things to go? Fitness equipment. This promotes the flawed logic that your firefighters can’t do physical training (PT) because “we can’t afford it.”
It’s common knowledge that cardiac incidents are the leading cause of firefighter line-of-duty deaths (LODDs) in this country. Yet beyond that somber fact, a lack of PT brings other downfalls to today’s firefighter. Being overweight means you will go through your air faster than others. Who wants to be that guy? Being out of shape makes you more susceptible to injuries, possibly causing you to be out of work for extended periods of time. And most importantly–if you are overweight or out of shape, do you reallythink you can perform at your best when tasked with saving the life of a fellow firefighter?
When I speak to departments about health and wellness and ask why they don’t have a PT program, the most common answer I hear is: “We don’t have any workout equipment” or “All of our equipment is old and broken.” It’s time to cut the excuses. You have a whole workout gym right in your station–every department does. Where? How? Time to get creative!
Here are some things to get you started:
Hose pull: Roll out a spare section of hose, then bear crawl to the other end. Then, while squatting down, pull the hose to you, laying it on top of itself accordion-style. When you get to the end, grab the coupling and run it out straight. Roll it up and repeat. If you’re just starting, use 1¾” attack line. As it gets easier, or if you are looking for more of a challenge, increase to 2½” or 3″. Works: Cardio, upper body, legs.
Hose as rope: Fitness rope is a fast-spreading trend, but like most trends, it’s expensive. Firefighters can accomplish the same thing using spare hose. Wrap the middle of a 1¾” hose one time around a pole or hydrant. Stretch the remaining hose out, making sure the couplings are even. Hold the couplings in your hands and move the hose up and down, in and out. Again, for more of a challenge, just increase to 2½” or 3″. Or for extra burn, maintain the squat position while moving your arms. Works: Cardio, upper body, legs.
Tire: Nearly every department has access to a tire shop, farm or automotive facility. The managers are often all too happy to give up one of the large old tires they’ll otherwise have to dispose of. A total body workout can be done with one large tire. Here are some ideas:
Stand in the middle, place your hands on each inside, squat down and perform deadlifts.
Flip the tire from one end of the bay to the other. (Remember to lift with your legs!)
With the tire flat on the ground, strike it with a sledge hammer.
Prop the tire up vertically against the building and strike it with a sledge hammer. This works different muscles than when it’s lying flat. (The same ones used to force entry!)
Stand in the middle of the tire and plyo jump so your feet are on each side of the hole, then jump back in.
Tie a rope around the tire and stretch it out straight. Drop to one knee and pull on the rope, bringing the tire to you. This works the same muscles as pulling slack in a charged hoseline.
Works: Everything! Combine these exercises for circuit training and you have a full-body workout.
Ladder: Lay it flat on the ground and do some old-school football exercises, alternating your feet inside to outside the ladder. Works: Cardio, legs.
Parking lot: Another football exercise! Use the lines in the parking lot to give you a good cardio workout in a short amount of time. Start on a line at one end of the parking lot. Run to the next line and back. Now run to one further and back. Repeat until you are running to the last line and back to your starting point. Works: Cardio, legs.
SCBA: Even timeless calisthenics or friendly basketball games can be more interesting and effective by adding SCBA. Who can make their bottle last the longest, the rookie or the officer? Works: Cardio.
This small list just goes to show that there are countless exercises that can be done in a fire station where there is not one bit of “fitness equipment.” The added bonus is that many of them can be classified as functional training–so in addition to getting exercise, you train your body and build muscle memory for jobs performed on scene.
The poor man’s resources are only limited by how creative he can be. And we know that when firefighters put their mind to it, if there is one thing we can be, it is creative! Of course, one other thing we can be is overzealous. So be careful not to overdo it on day one of a new program, unless you want to spend the next week recovering from sore muscles, only to have to start all over again.
And above all, safety is of utmost importance. A visit to the doc is highly recommended before beginning any fitness regime. Work in pairs as well to have someone spot you and make sure you’re using good form and proper lifting techniques.
Remember:Big budgets are great, but every department needs fit firefighters, regardless of how much money is available. We spend time and money testing and maintaining our equipment–let’s not forget that our people are our greatest asset!
