By Michael Krueger
“How to Get the Best Biceps and Triceps Pump of Your Life,” “The Six-Move Workout That Lights Your Lats on Fire,” “15 Minutes. 2 exercises. No equipment. One Fat-Burning Sweat Fest.” “Your Legs Will Feel Like Rubber After This 2-Move Workout.”
The above is just a tiny sample of the workout articles I saw on the Internet today, each one promising something more amazing that the last. Some say the workout is quick and easy, while others promise punishment and pain–whatever floats your boat.
Do they work as advertised? Maybe, but will they get you what you need? Probably not.
Targeted Training
It has been said that “any workout can make you tired,” but will it make you better? I don’t buy into the school of thought that says your level of fatigue or the amount of sweat that drips off you face is what determines the effectiveness of your workout. Doing 200 jumping jacks will tire you out, but unless you are entering a jumping jack competition, I don’t really see it doing much else.
Far too many trendy workouts are actually warped versions of advanced specialty workouts. Focusing on one body part at a time is SOP for bodybuilders because that is what they need, but despite what the marketing folks may say, this isn’t necessarily the best workout plan for the rest of us. Most people need basic overall full body training, cardiovascular training, and metabolic conditioning. Nothing special, just good hard work.
I work out hard, sometimes very hard; I’m a big fan of intense workouts. I will occasionally even fall asleep shortly after I’m done training with a water bottle on my chest and a towel over my eyes. My workouts aren’t designed to make me tired but to make me stronger and fitter; the fatigue is simply a byproduct.
If I found that I was simply getting beat up and tired but wasn’t getting stronger, I would change the way I train. If I decided that I wanted to improve at a particular sport or physical skill, I would change the way I train as well. Since I train only for health and fitness (and the crazy fun of it), I have a freer hand in program design than someone who might want to play football … or be a firefighter.
Playing into Shape
A common fallacy is that you can get into shape simply by working at your preferred sport or activity. If your activity of choice is walking or lounging in front of a big-screen TV, then you can probably make the grade doing just that. If, however, your goal is to become proficient at something physical, you must first achieve a solid strength and conditioning base. Then once you have that, you can identify any specific weakness you may have and bring that up to speed. Then you identify any job/sport specific strength or endurance needs and address those. Lastly, now that you have the basics down, you train and perfect the technical skills needed to excel.
The most obvious example of believing that you can play yourself into shape are golfers. I know so many golfers that are in the most physically horrendous shape and yet they don’t see that as a detriment to their game. They spend money on new clubs and don’t improve. They take lessons and don’t improve. They watch DVDs and don’t improve; and, of course, they retire to “The 19th Hole” and complain about the fact that they don’t improve.
Could their lack of improvement be because they have no grip strength, or because their back, abs, and hamstrings are weak? The thought that their lack of strength and conditioning (not to mention the 50 extra pounds hanging over their belt) may be the cause of their poor play never even enters their mind. These things couldn’t possibly be the cause; or could they?
So, how might this apply to a firefighter? The obvious link is that if you are or want to be a firefighter, you must acknowledge that it’s a physically taxing profession, and not having a solid strength and conditioning base is not a good place to be. The basic physical strength one needs to be a firefighter (or just to be a fit person) can be assessed quite simply. (I’m NOT wading into mandatory physical requirements. I’m talking strictly from the opinion that one should self-determine whether or not they are adequately fit to undertake a particular challenge.) Just as you wouldn’t pitch horseshoes if you couldn’t make the throw from one stake to another, perhaps you shouldn’t be a firefighter if you don’t have the strength and conditioning to train and perform the skills needed.
The most basic of fitness assessment tests measures the ability to do push-ups and sit-ups and run two miles. The required number of repetitions and performance times involved is affected by your age and gender (though, in my opinion, neither should matter). These are the standards for a 21- to 29-year-old man: push-ups, 40-75; sit-ups, 50-80; and two-mile run, 16:36-13:00 minutes. How would you measure up?
I would say whether you are considering becoming a firefighter, are a newbie, or are a veteran of many years (or simply alive!), if you can’t pull this off, you might want to work on your strength and conditioning.
Training for What You Need
One thing I’ve seen in every fire station gym (and many other facilities) I’ve visited is glossy muscle magazines. On the cover are really big ripped guys with tattoos; spiked hair with chains around their necks; bulging, vein-laced muscles; and a bikini-clad woman hanging on his arm. What this image has to do with strength and conditioning is beyond me. The physique of a bodybuilder is not the most useful body for a firefighter–or anyone else, for that matter. Really, I’m not knocking the choice, the dedication, or the incredible amount of hard work that goes into their training. I just think that unless you aspire to be a competitive bodybuilder, you could spend your time training for what you really want to do.
Rather than emulating those cover models and their workouts, simply working toward having a healthy body fat percentage, training for a solid aerobic base and a decent level of strength would be a worthy goal. If you are working on firefighting skills in less than optimal shape, you are fighting an uphill battle all the way. You wouldn’t even consider entering an MBA or Ph.D. program without the knowledge and education to back up your aspirations, so you shouldn’t decide to be a firefighter without the basic physical tools needed to be successful. A lean, strong body coupled with excellent aerobic capacity is the ideal for a firefighter. This physique and level of conditioning are well within the grasp of any man or woman who is or wants to be a firefighter.
A basic sense of personal responsibility dictates that you must self-assess your fitness for duty. Whether you are a decades long veteran, a recent academy graduate, or the newest person on a small-town volunteer department, you have a duty to yourself, your department, and your community to be in the best condition possible. You cannot allow your lack of physical fitness to impede your learning and training of skills and, most importantly, the swift and accurate application of those skills in an emergency situation.
If you can’t look at yourself in the mirror and unequivocally state that you are fit and ready for duty, then you have no business putting on the uniform. That may be harsh, but imagine how cranked off you would be if your favorite football team let a guy play who had missed practice and was weak and out of shape?
What you do is so much more important than any game…treat it that way.
There Is Hope
Unfortunately, many Americans, children and adults, are obese, physically unfit, and unhealthy. Our mindset as a nation has changed, and we have begun to accept this unhealthy condition as the “new normal.” Many “diseases of choice” can be treated with drugs so we don’t see a problem with them. The changes are personal as well as cultural, and the combined effect is that they are making us weak and ultimately killing us.
For firefighters, the short-term effect of this lowering of personal and cultural standards is that it has become the primary cause of line-of-duty deaths. Heart attacks, strokes, and accidents caused by lack of physical conditioning are simply inexcusable ways to die … and it’s totally within your power to prevent them.
Long term, you need to present a positive image for the next generation. You’re a role model whether you think so or not. When you wear the uniform of a firefighter, you are representing something bigger than yourself. You are what little kids aspire to be and who adults hold up as a prime example of performance excellence and selfless public service.
Not only will your health and performance be enhanced by taking your physical conditioning seriously…
…you might just stand a little bit taller too.
Michael Krueger is an NSCA-certified personal trainer. He got his start in fitness training while serving in the United States Coast Guard. He works with firefighters and others in and around Madison, Wisconsin. He is available to fire departments, civic organizations, and athletic teams for training, consulting, and speaking engagements. He has published numerous articles on fitness, health, and the mind-body connection and was a featured speaker at the IAFC’s FRI 2009 Health Day in Dallas, Texas. E-mail him at MKPTLLC@gmail.
