The backstory...
Late 2013 I found myself struggling to figure out what I wanted to do in life... (probably like most kids in middle school, high school, etc.). However, a cousin of mine always recommended city jobs explaining how they're safe, sometimes boring, and they pay the bills.
It was kind to be looking out for me, but I always knew I wanted more than that. To just "pay the bills" isn't going to cut it on how I live this life. For me personally, to just go to and from work, clocking in and out, repetitiveness without creativity, just doesn't seem like something I'd love. It's ok if you enjoy that, but I'm speaking about myself here. I'm dynamic, a day-dreamer, and active not just physically, but mentally and creatively, too.
Through all this, there was a career that stood out to me. Being a firefighter. The challenges, the unknown of each call, the science behind the work itself is very interesting. The brotherhood and togetherness a Fire Department speaks about shows a true family oriented career, no matter who you are. Not to mention, the guys and gals at the rock -The Fitness Unit, they are ALL admirable individuals as far as fitness and career goes, but I digress. (I have a funny story about a Rescue Division Firefighter I met as well, maybe for another time).
At the time I was too young to take the Firefighter exam in 2013, but in 2017 I was hearing about the Firefighter exam for the second time. I did what I needed to study, show up, and crush the exam. It all began to become a potential opportunity when I was called for the job, "The Phone Call" came in telling me my list number has been called. I was immediately filled with excitement and lots of nervousness. I know nothing about firefighting, fire science, and the career from the outside. Even worse, I was very new to the fitness industry in 2017 and had absolutely no idea how to train for the physical requirements or academy I was hoping to get into and graduate from.
After hearing about this I wasted no time and began to seek out coaches who specialized in training firefighters. This more specifically put is called "Tactical Training", but with further insight, you're training an individual for their specific requirements and to become a more robust athlete overall. Like what most coaches do now, but with a specific "title".
During my search I did what you should do when looking for a coach and asked these questions/looked for these answers;
Are they qualified? …this is pretty basic. A degree or certifications are pretty much mandatory to be a licensed professional in the fitness industry. Either or are ok and not one is "better" than the other because its up to the individual Coach to apply what they learn appropriately.
Check their career background. Do they currently work with those I'm trying to identify as? Do they do it well or have a presence in the industry?
Have they brought others in that area results? Have they repeated those results multiple times to show they know how to do so even with different situations?
Is their coaching style something you can see yourself responding well to? Does their coaching style support your goals? Ex: You wouldn't ask a Zumba teacher to train you to be an FBI agent (maybe unless their qualified and do the above, but still).
Is their price within your personal investment budget? If price is the only thing holding you back, than that's not enough for me to out rule all the other positives.
etc., etc.
After searching the highs and lows, I came across my current Coach and Mentor, Danny Foley CSCS*D, TSAC-F*D at Rude Rock S&C. Sure, I guess this is a "shout-out", but more so this is what I learned from training with a Professional in the field for 2+ years and how I plan on helping others in my position in the future. Take this as a guide or just as my experience.
12 Things I've Learned While Training To Be A Firefighter for 2+ Years
1. A Tactical Athlete is an athlete with specific needs.
Just like any other individual that comes to a coach with specific needs, a tactical athlete is the same. Usually one with higher, more specific demands, and in a different situation. Some are training to pass a test, to be pain free, and others are training to be stronger, faster, and even for their life in a sense (as their careers can be life threatening at times). Their training heavily relates to their work life and what it entails. If your work is that important to you and that demanding, having some of transfer over from training to career should be a goal of some sort.
2. There is more to your Core than just your "Abs".
When you see people training their core, you see hanging leg raises, Russian twists with a 45lb plate slamming it into the floor, planks, and the next basic flexion/extension based ab exercise. Your core is the central point of just about everything you do when it comes to training. At the center of your body, the pelvis, the muscles below and above it, front, back and sides of it are all apart of and create your core. The core is also not just supposed to help you look "sexy" with your shirt off, but aide in force transferring between extremities, support the spine, resist deformation of it, and assist in breathing mechanics. Think of the abundance of muscles that connect to the core and how they involve the core in terms of movement, transferability, and more. I could share a picture of the core musculature, but one picture would be doing a disservice to the true involvement of all the muscles, so trust me here. There is A LOT.
So while yes, training your abs is beneficial, the muscles above and below, and all around are also important because if they are weak, but your six pack (anterior core muscles) muscles are strong, you have a weak section of your core. There is MUCH more than your typical social media or YouTube core workouts and much more to your cores true capabilities. During the last 2+ years I've seen how strong the core can be from someone who has been bracing for heavy lifts to doing advanced core exercises like the barbell serratus crawl - FWD/RVS (YouTube it). The core is involved in a whole lot and when each region is trained appropriately it's amazing how much stronger your core can get as a whole and how much it helps the rest of the body.
For the absolute most on core training click here. Also, I would recommend the book Fascia Training A Whole Systems Approach by Bill Parisi to see more on how things are connected throughout the body and how they can relate to the core.
3. Intensity is essential, consistency is key
I work in a gym. I have for about 7 years now (3 as a floor trainer, 4 as a Coach). It is an extremely common thing for people to slow down and rest longer than they need to during a session. Powerlifters excluded -to an extent, people are on their phones much more, slowing down and resting for longer periods during their training. Sure, this is anecdotal, but for people to rest for an appropriate time and get back to work is essential in a training routine. Before training for physical preparedness (what I'll call the type of training I do) I too used to lift like a powerlifter (exclusively for strength), take long breaks and usually never superset exercises. But even then, I would very occasionally experiment with supersets and giant sets to find that they were fun and more intense. But that's not the singular goal of super and giant sets.
I've seen coaches use "Timed Block", and "Block Training" like 1a., 1b., 2a., 2b., etc. to plan their training and after doing it for a couple of years now, there is intent behind the intensity of this training. It's more about training to a reasonable proximity of failure and with higher effort that makes the training smart and keeps it intense. But, it also keeps you within a range of too little and too much. You're training to where you can train while being on the clock and not as hard as you can so you burn out and it isn't sustainable. Here is an example below:
Ex:
Block 1:
15 total minutes
1a. BB Split squat x10 reps @70%
1b. Depth Jumps x6 reps
20s between exercises - 60-90s after both exercises - Max sets = 6
Block 2:
15 total minutes
2a. FFE DB OH Split Squat x8 reps
2b. Supine Band Flex - Red band x10 reps ea.
20s between exercises - 60-90s after both exercises - Max sets = 5
Block 3:
15 total minutes
3a. Lateral Sled Drag x1 lap
3b. DB RDL x8
3c. Mini-Band Floor Bridge x10 reps - 2s IE
20s between exercises - 60-75s after both exercises - Max sets = 4
etc.
Doing this while increasing your work time increases your training density, work capacity, and more. Now, this doesn't mean train "balls-to-the-wall" every session, you need to have some boundaries and that's the timed (the 15 total minutes) variable of the block training. With set rest times, a block time to move to the next block of exercises, and a range of sets for each block, you'll see there is a minimum you can do and a maximum you can do. Kind of keeping you "within range of adaptation". Your training should be challenging and bring results, but also be sustainable. So if you're in between those set variables, you'll be ok because you can increase the total time, manipulate reps, total sets, rest time, etc. and still measure a min. and max. work load that either goes up or down depending on how much effort you can put in for that session.
If your training so intensely that it causes you to go home and binge eat or keep you up for hours at night because you can't wind down, you're training is probably too stimulating and exhausting. Having set rest times and progressing thru a spectrum during your desired phase of training (hypertrophy, power, etc.) will help you be consistent, promote the desired adaptations more, and help you get results because your training will be more effective and more sustainable.
Using this method has seemed to work exceptionally well for me for a few reasons. I enjoy it and the challenge. I like that there is a clear note to STOP at a certain limit. I like that it focuses on a compound movement in the first block keeping strength a priority instead of doing all supersets and nothing to promote compound lift development. I really like how if you slack off or get too ahead of yourself you'll see it by going above or below the sets, time, etc. I also like that because of this intensity there is a metabolic aspect to the training. The training intensity has gotten me leaner and kept me leaner on my worst times/ruts when it comes to nutrition. This is not magic. This is not going to "save" you from your shitty diet, but I think it helps you train harder and that in it self helps you stay a bit more lean compared to the general bro split + cardio. This style is not a one size fits all, but it has certainly helped me and my situation. Globally speaking about my results as a whole, there was a reasonable increase in my fitness levels which helped me with the workouts at The Rock (where Candidates would train) which were mostly high intensity, CrossFit style sessions. As a Coach I see it controls all the variables necessary to force adaptation at a reasonable pace. This style of training has helped me and is something I genuinely enjoy still today.
4. You're not always going to be in the best shape ever...
Seems like an obvious one, but some people think that once they're in their best shape ever, they just stay there. There are a lot of moving parts in making the progress you've made easier to sustain. Lots of things outside of our control can happen like COVID or an injury, for example, changing our routines, activity, mindset, etc. When people are getting "out of shape" its usually because of a few reasons; they're trying to adapt to something new in their life, they're making less good choices for themselves, health and fitness is not a priority, or a combo of all those and more. I think its important to realize that people don't see an issue and magically adapt on the spot to being "fixed". Being adaptable takes time and discipline. So, aside from doing, knowing that you can do anything and it be better than nothing at all is what will keep you consistent and in control of what you can control. Give yourself time to understand the situation, work on a plan and execute for your desired outcome.
5. It's more than pulling ropes and burpees
First I'd like to publicly state that burpees are the single most inefficient exercise ever sadistically invented. There is nothing promotive to fitness about instantly dropping your body to the floor, doing a half-assed push-up, then jumping with your arms up. Ok, I don't HATE, HATE them, but squat jumps superset with push-ups are probably 100x better and less risky and still help you get better at burpees incase you need to do them. I have gotten MUCH stronger, gotten rid of knee pain, hip pain, and don't need to wear knee sleeves for 90% of my training without doing a single burpee. But, I digress. While a lot of what you see a Firefighter do, hose pulling, ladder lifting, carrying, climbing, and crawling, the training is to support those movements and the job requirements, not exactly mimic them. I use the sled, landmine, do crawling variations and single leg variations A LOT and I believe its because variety pays more dividends when trying to become a more well-rounded, prepared individual. Exposing weak points are essential to progressing as much as strength is. One is pretty much reliant on the other. I've noticed that the back and lower back are points that are trained to be strong regions and support you in multiple areas. Not to mention the shoulders, hips, and ankle complex have gotten more love than ever before. I would guess and say these are either general weak points for professionals or areas of high demand and without the proper care and training can become problematic while on the job. Also, without training with a decent amount of variety you wont be able to see what needs work. Aside from the exercises, intent and intensity are --in my opinion, much more focused on than your general training. Its not really like CrossFit, but almost all my sessions have an allotted time for the work and the rest and sticking to those helps force the change you're looking for.
P.S. I am using the term "General training" to define your average gym goers style of training. Usually training heavy and hard and taking a longer breaks, repeated until exhaustion or the need to de-load over a mesocycle, etc. (This is 100% anecdotal and from what I've seen personally, but quite common. Every gym and its members are different). In my gym, very few people even touch things like the Sled, ViPR, Landmine, and do crawling variations. These useful modalities are mostly left for me!
6. If you fail, it's ok. If you give up, it's not.
Re-read that then, learn and practice this any way you can. When training with other candidates we were pushed. Doing interval sprints, long runs, total body training sessions outdoors, and other necessary tests, the instructors ALWAYS supported you. They drove you to doing better. Never settling when you can do more (unless for a legitimate reason, like feeling light headed, etc.). If you were unable to do more pull-ups and hopped down off the bar and walked to take a rest, they would tell you to try again because they know the demands of the academy and the training. They would do just as a Coach would... motivate you, guide you, to training to a reasonable level of work. At my best pre COVID-19 attempt, I hit 41 with a 2s pause and hit the floor. The guy who was counting for me is responsible for at least 8 of those reps. No, he wasn't yelling in my face, but he was encouraging me. "You hit 36 last time, you're getting at least 40 now, Thomas, c'mon, lets go!", "40, 40, 40, You got 40 in you, don't give up, push!, You got this". That kind of encouragement is admirable from any coach, but zoom out a bit... every single FF was encouraging us. It really helped me visualize the supportive, family environment they have. It also helped me understand, failure is ok, quitting is not.
7. The foot and ankle complex is a very important area for athletes
The foot is what connects you to the floor or your environment. If you don't take care of it, issues will eventually arise. From the feet dealing with excessive toe flexion, high impact, running, sprints, etc. these guys need to be taken care of just like every other muscle. To prevent issues like plantar fasciitis, shin splints, IT Band syndrome, ingrown toe nails, bruises, etc. -some of which I've had and gotten rid of, you need to make sure your wheels are as strong and taken care of (in a recovery/mobility and a strength sense) as any other muscle or joint. Whether it is foam rolling, lacrosse balling, mobility drills, or battle rope walking (by far my new favorite) getting sports recovery massages, or even a pedicure, they're all things to consider when it comes to taking care of the feet and the surrounding areas. Over the last 2 years I've spent more time keeping the foot and ankle complex strong than I have in the last 4 years of training. Ultimately from doing this and a combination of training specifically for the hips, my knees have become stronger and more resistant to pain, which used to be a big problem. Thankfully I have some amazing friends in the industry that not only pave the way as coaches but help coaches who are less experienced learn about these complex areas in a more detailed, specific way. The only way to go from her it p, and while you're going up, take care of your damn feet and ankles.
8. Pre & Post Workout Nutrition is just different
I remember my first training day on my new program. It was VERY much different than the heavy lifting and long resting I did as someone who was primarily trying to gain strength and only strength. I had my normal pre workout and meal which usually consisted of 2 svgs oatmeal, 1svg of PB, 1 scoop of Protein mixed in and 200-400mg caffeine 45-60m before training. None of this felt right this time, LOL. I was approaching the last block of my training for my first session and I was GASSED. I needed something different or something more because I failed to finish my training. I wanted more feed back so I spent the week playing around with different amounts of carbs, fats, and intra-workouts like Gatorade. I found that (for me personally), higher carbs, lower fats, and an intra-workout drink like Gatorade works well for me, for now. With more intense training comes a different focus or demand of nutrition to support it. I needed more food in my system for the demands of my training and I needed something during my training to finish strong. Athletes don't primarily try to "lose weight" or "lower body fat" through a calorie deficit only, they try to make those changes come from their strength training, conditioning or overall their performance and if a more aggressive method is needed, then the athlete (or coach really) has the option to manipulate calories while trying to not reduce the integrity of their performance. In my case, someone who is trying to be leaner, stronger, and generally more fit, this was bad news because I tend to lose fat slowly, gain weight easily, and have only worked on improving nutritional habits for results since 2018. My nutrition was now, not only tailored to learning how to not snack, make nutritional food choices more often, and keep blood work in the "green", but also really support my training and recovery, whereas before I would just eat to hit macros, or eat to lose fat, gain mass, etc.. The goal is to keep things as simple as possible while having my nutrition provide support and valuable feedback about the foods I eat also, not to mention I love food so I'm not just "eating to survive". As a Coach, this is something I practice and try to learn and improve daily and I can say my nutrition has greatly changed since my goals and training has too (seems obvious, but sometimes those two aren't such a specific influence on each other).
9. Brains Over Brawn
During some of the countless runs and conditioning workouts I've done I've had to push through shin splints, issues with the foot and toes and even blisters to some degree. I thought this style of training and the purpose of it was to get the job done no matter what. But it's not. If you end up getting hurt, the outcome you so desirably work for is potentially gone. During a conditioning session I got really bad shin splints. I pushed through and rested as much as I needed to finish the session. I originally felt bad for not finishing, but after speaking with my Coach, he reassured me that possible injury (even if I didn't think it was possible) isn't worth it and calling the session when it seems appropriate is probably the smartest thing to do. Shin splints can be pretty serious, my shins were locked up and so tight I wasn't able to walk normally the remainder of that day and the next. You would think, "Never give up!", "One more rep!", "KEEP GOING!" etc. is what Tactical/Athletic Training is all about, pushing all out every session, but it's actually about intellectually progressing as efficiently as possible, avoiding injury to maximize your results. The training can be very demanding and to simply "push thru it all" would require you to be just numb to how you feel during the session. Paying attention to the highly variety of exercises will require constant feedback and improvement. All of which can't be captured without paying attention to how you feel and how the session plays out. Checking your ego at the door is something everyone can benefit from and still crush their session. So, don't be a tough guy, use your head, train with intent and take notes to reflect on.
10. You are NOT alone
The past 2 years I've met and crossed paths with a ton of people who are trying to do the same exact thing as I am. Candidates trying to make it in the FD, Police Officers trying to go to work stronger and come home everyday, Corrections Officers trying to work on self-defense and strength, there are so many people trying to connect and surround themselves with likeminded, winners. It's your job to find them, connect with them and win together. I've spoken to more FF's and people on the job than ever before and getting to know them and what it's all about is truly eye opening. But this doesn't just go to civilians trying to change their lives, I have grown closer connections by meeting and speaking with Coaches who are in my position or where I want to be and my circle of professionals is not only a support group, but stronger than ever. More friends, more resources, the more you can ultimately offer and even get back from people who are trying to leave this world a better place just like you.
11. Get the HELP you can USE
I can't imagine where or what I'd be doing if I didn't seek out help. I'm confident in myself for finding solutions to problems, but it's always a great idea to seek more experienced professionals. Some friends I made while training we're so caught up and intimidated by the running demands of the academy. I managed to lower my 1.5 mile time from 15 minutes and 6 seconds down to 11 minutes and 28 seconds which is a passing time with seconds to spare. This was because of proper guidance from a Coach who helped me better understand the requirements of the energy systems. I trained conditioning 2x per week and achieved this in addition to my training that was 3-5x per week. I had very little understanding about the energy systems back then because I wasn't working with athletes. Reaching out to a professional whose had years of experience training people for this exact situation certainly paid its dividends. My friends would run 3, 4, 5, 6 days a week and still struggled to get below the 12 minute mark. Also, yes I of course offered my help and resources, but you can take the horse to the water hole, you cant make them drink.
12. You are only as strong as your weakest link
Training without knowing or finding your weak-points is a disaster waiting to happen. Training your weakest links or weak-points helps you create an athlete who is less prone to injury and increases performance at a more sustainable rate. Imagine training and getting injured multiple times a year. Each time you discover a new weakness AFTER you are already injured or feeling some kind of pain and in need of regressions. That's a lot of time spent recovering, taking off and a lot of time taken away from progression. Training to have an optimal foundation can help you get more specific later on in your training with less risk. I found this out the hard way from training and finding multiple issues with my performance. Hip issues, knee issues, shoulder issues. I'm 25 LOL! And it's not that "I'm old" it's more that I have weaker points when it comes to the hips, knees, and shoulders. From years of training and some being improper it leads to things like this. Since training with more variety and training specifically to improve those areas --my hips, knees, foot and ankle complex, and shoulders are stronger and more supportive during training. From trying to build a more well rounded musculature and level of fitness I have been able to progress without the interruptions of new or lagging injuries and more. The saying holds true, "you are only as strong as your weakest link".
There is probably much more I can add to this list, but I think these are some of higher importance. All in all, training to be an athlete is much more than six packs and workouts that you think will take your life. There are three things you need to help you get prepared and stay ready to take your fitness to the next level;
Heart
Open mindedness
Support group (other FF's/PO's etc., Coaches, and so on)
With those in place you are preparing to be your best and get better AND your support group will hold your ass to it! I hope this article served a good source of information as to what I have personally been doing with my training, nutrition, and part of my life. From this I personally could not imagine being left to my own devices to just "figure it out". When I wasn't training with other Firefighters I remember having no idea what kind of training I would benefit from the most, supersets? Muscular endurance? Running 3,4,5 times a week? Less strength training, more running? Take the guess work out of it and work with a professional. I take this as a great learning experience and from my experience I want to help others in this very situation. Training the "Tactical Athlete" and becoming one is something I've had more joy in than any other experience I can think of. Not to mention the help some of these brave men and women in the force need... training to get rid of weak-points, injuries, go into work the next day stronger, etc. Also, I plan on doing this exact article again in a few years after learning more in the field and meeting new professionals. To see what has changed, what was learned, what's held thru the test of time, etc.
If you know anyone who is in need of athletic or tactical training please let them know I am at their disposal, have resources, and can help.
Lastly, for all those asking, I am not a Firefighter. The hiring process is long and with COVID-19 it is even longer. However, despite any obstacle I am controlling what I can and am being patient with this situation and understand I may not ever get the job. I cannot speak for any specific department or Firefighter group or org. so please do not think this relates to any city department/group/organization/etc. in any capacity whatsoever. This is only my personal experience while taking up tactical training for the past 2+ years and my experience with coaches externally from where I work and any department. My aspirations are to be a Tactical Strength and Conditioning Coach and help others getting on and currently on the job be better, but being a FF would be quite a massive focus to that.
Thanks for reading and keep sharpening,
Tom
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