Fitness and Work Capacity: 2009 Edition
Appendix E-2—Preseason and Early-Season Training
All of the programs are based on the "average" individual. You may have to adjust the times, your rate of progression, and the amount of exercise on any given day. It is okay to exercise more or less based on how you are feeling. We strongly recommend that you follow the general flow of each program and maintain patience. Progress modestly and you will maintain your health and improve your fitness.
The following programs are recommended for individuals who meet fitness standards provided by the Off-Season Fitness Maintenance Program. This 8-week training program is divided into two 4-week periods. The first period is designed to begin specific aerobic and muscular training before crews come together. The second period is designed for work hardening and assumes that crews can begin to practice or perform actual work duties. For core training exercises, see appendix G.
| Preseason Training — Four weeks of exercises with increasing job specificity | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Week | Day | Type II Firefighters | Type I Firefighters |
| 1 Moderate week | Monday | Warm up. Run 1 mile in 8 minutes. Walk 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat the 1-mile run. | Warm up. Run 1 mile in 7:44 minutes (1:56 minutes per lap on a track). Walk 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat the 1-mile run. |
| Tuesday | Core training: Situps, planks, crunches, trunk lifts, and leg lifts. Two sets. | Core training: Situps, planks, crunches, trunk lifts, and leg lifts. Two sets. | |
| Wednesday | Hike in hills with a 15-pound pack for 1 hour. If hills are unavailable, climb stairs or stadium steps. | Hike in hills with a 20-pound pack for 1 hour. If hills are unavailable, climb stairs or stadium steps. | |
| Thursday | Bent-over rows, chair dips, pushups. Two sets. | Pullups, bent-over rows, chair dips, pushups, bicep curls, lat pulldowns. Two sets. | |
| Friday | Aerobic activity of your choice: bike, walk, row, run. | Aerobic activity of your choice: bike, walk, row, run. | |
| Saturday | 2 hours or more of easy hiking. | 2 hours or more of easy hiking with a light pack. | |
| Sunday | Off. | Off. | |
| 2 Easy week | Monday | Warm up. Run ½ mile in 4 minutes. Walk 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat three times. Run 1 mile. | Warm up. Run ½ mile in 3:50 minutes. Walk 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat four times. |
| Tuesday | Core training: Situps, planks, crunches, trunk lifts, and leg lifts. Three sets. | Core training: Pullups, situps, planks, crunches, trunk lifts, and leg lifts. Three sets. | |
| Wednesday | Hike in the hills carrying a 20-pound pack for 30 minutes. If hills are unavailable, climb stairs or stadium steps. | Hike in the hills carrying a 20-pound pack for 30 minutes. If hills are unavailable, climb stairs or stadium steps. | |
| Thursday | Bent-over rows, chair dips, pushups. Three sets. | Pullups, bent-over rows, chair dips, pushups, bicep curls, lat pulldowns. Two sets. | |
| Friday | Aerobic activity of your choice: bike, walk, row, run. | Aerobic activity of your choice: bike, walk, row, run. | |
| Saturday | 1½ hours or more of easy hiking on a hilly trail during a moderate hill climb. | 1½ hours or more of easy hiking with a light (15 to 20 pound) pack on a hilly trail or during a moderate hill climb. | |
| Sunday | Off. | Off. | |
| 3 Hard week | Monday | Warm up. Run 1 mile in 7:40 minutes (1:55 minutes per lap on a track). Walk 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat three times, if possible. | Warm up. Run 1 mile in 7:32 minutes (1:53 minutes per lap on a track). Walk 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat four times, if possible. |
| Tuesday | Core training: Situps, planks, crunches, trunk lifts, and leg lifts. Three sets. | Core training: Pullups, situps, planks, crunches, trunk lifts, and leg lifts. Three sets. | |
| Wednesday | Hike in the hills carrying a 25-pound pack for 45 minutes. If hills are unavailable, climb stairs or stadium steps. | Hike in the hills carrying a 25-pound pack for 45 minutes. If hills are unavailable, climb stairs or stadium steps. | |
| Thursday | Bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, half knee bends. Two sets. | Pullups, bent-over rows, chair dips, pushups, bicep curls, lat pulldowns. Three sets. | |
| Friday | Aerobic activity of your choice: bike, walk, row, run. | Aerobic activity of your choice: bike, walk, row, run. | |
| Saturday | 3 or more hours of easy hiking carrying a 10-pound pack. | 3 or more hours of easy hiking carrying a 25-pound pack. | |
| Sunday | Bent-over rows, chair dips with a pack for weight, pushups, half knee bends. Two sets. | Pullups, bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, biceps curls, lat pulldowns. Two sets. | |
| 4 Moderate week | Monday | Warm up. Run 1 mile in 7:40 minutes. Walk 5 to 6 minutes. Repeat the 1-mile run. | Warm up. Run 1 mile in 7:28 minutes (1:52 minutes per lap on a track). Walk for 5 to 6 minutes. Repeat a second and third mile in 7:40 minutes. |
| Tuesday | Core training: Situps, planks, crunches, trunk lifts, and leg lifts. Three sets. | Core training: Pullups, situps, planks, crunches, trunk lifts, and leg lifts. Three sets. | |
| Wednesday | Hike in the hills carrying a 30-pound pack for 30 minutes. If hills are unavailable, climb stairs or stadium steps. | Hike in the hills carrying a 30-pound pack for 30 minutes. If hills are unavailable, climb stairs or stadium steps. | |
| Thursday | Bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, half knee bends. Three sets. | Pullups, bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, bicep curls, lat pulldowns. Three sets. | |
| Friday | Aerobic activity of your choice: bike, walk, row, run. | Aerobic activity of your choice: bike, walk, row, run. | |
| Saturday | 1½ or more hours of easy hiking carrying a 20-pound pack on a hilly trail or during a moderate hill climb. | 1½ or more hours of easy hiking carrying a 30-pound pack (45 pounds for smokejumpers) on a hilly trail or during a moderate hill climb. | |
| Sunday | Bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, half knee bends. Two sets. | Pullups, bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, bicep curls, lat pulldowns. Two sets. | |
| Early Season Training — Four weeks of job-specific work hardening | |||
| Week | Day | Type II Firefighters | Type I Firefighters |
| 5 Easy week | Monday | Warm up. Run ½ mile in 3:50 minutes. Walk 3 to 5 minutes. Repeat four times. | Warm up. Run ½ mile in 3:30 minutes. Walk 3 to 5 minutes. Repeat four times. |
| Tuesday | Core training: Situps, planks, crunches, trunk lifts, and leg lifts. Three sets. | Core training: Situps, planks, crunches, trunk lifts, and leg lifts. Three sets. | |
| Wednesday | Hike in the hills carrying a 20-pound pack and Pulaski for 20 minutes, dig line for 20 minutes, hike back for 20 minutes. | Hike in the hills carrying a 40-pound pack and Pulaski for 20 minutes, dig line for 20 minutes, hike back for 20 minutes. | |
| Thursday | Bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, half knee bends. Three sets. | Pullups, bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, bicep curls, lat pulldowns. Three sets. | |
| Friday | 45 minutes of upper body strength activities such as moving logs, sawing, brushing, moving pumps, and hoses. | 45 minutes of upper body strength activities such as moving logs, sawing, brushing, moving pumps, and hoses. | |
| Saturday | 1½ or more hours of easy hiking carrying a 20-pound pack on a hilly trail or during a moderate hill climb. | 1½ or more hours of easy hiking carrying a 40-pound pack (55 pounds for smokejumpers) on a hilly trail or during a moderate hill climb. | |
| Sunday | Off. | Off. | |
| 6 Hard week | Monday | Warm up. Run 1½ miles in 11:40 minutes. Walk 4 to 7 minutes, then run 1 mile in 8 minutes. | Warm up. Run 1½ miles in 11:20 minutes. Walk 4 to 7 minutes, then run 1 mile in 7:40 minutes. |
| Tuesday | Core training: Situps, planks, crunches, trunk lifts, and leg lifts. Three sets. | Core training: Pullups, situps, planks, crunches, trunk lifts, and leg lifts. Three sets. | |
| Wednesday | Hike in the hills carrying a 25-pound pack and a Pulaski or other tool for 30 minutes, dig line for 30 minutes, and hike back for 30 minutes. | Hike in the hills carrying a 25-pound pack and a Pulaski or other tool for 30 minutes, dig line for 30 minutes, and hike back for 30 minutes. | |
| Thursday | Bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, and half knee bends. Three sets. | Pullups, bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, bicep curls, and lat pulldowns. Three sets. | |
| Friday | 1½ hours of simulated mopup activities, (digging, moving pumps, laying hose, and pumping water), including carrying a water pack. | 1½ hours of simulated mopup activities, (digging, moving pumps, laying hose, and pumping water), including carrying a water pack. | |
| Saturday | 1½ or more hours of easy hiking carrying a 25-pound pack on a hilly trail or during a moderate hill climb. Finish with two sets of bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, and half knee bends. | Start with two sets of pullups, bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, bicep curls, and lat pulldowns. 1½ or more hours of easy hiking carrying a 40-pound pack on a hilly trail or during a moderate hill climb. Smokejumpers should carry a 90-pound pack on a flat trail for 60 minutes. | |
| Sunday | Off. | Off. | |
| 7 Easy week | Monday | Warm up. Run 1 mile in 7:50 minutes. Walk 4 to 7 minutes, then run 2 miles in 17 minutes. | Warm up. Run 1 mile in 7:50 minutes. Walk 4 to 7 minutes, then run 2 miles in 17 minutes. |
| Tuesday | Core training: Situps, planks, crunches, trunk lifts, and leg lifts. Two sets. | Core training: Pullups, situps, planks, crunches, trunk lifts, and leg lifts. Two sets. | |
| Wednesday | Hike in the hills carrying a 25-pound pack and Pulaski or other tool for 15 minutes, dig line or other fire activity for 60 minutes, and hike back for 15 minutes. | Hike in the hills carrying a 25-pound pack and Pulaski or other tool for 15 minutes, dig line or other fire activity for 60 minutes, and hike back for 15 minutes. | |
| Thursday | Off. | Pullups, bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, bicep curls, lat pulldowns. Two sets. | |
| Friday | Job-specific tasks. 2 hours. | Job-specific tasks. 2 hours. | |
| Saturday | Start with two sets of bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, and half knee bends. 2½ or more hours of easy hiking carrying a 35-pound pack on a hilly trail or during a moderate hill climb. | Pullups, bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, bicep curls, and lat pulldowns. Two sets. 2½ or more hours of easy hiking carrying a 45-pound pack. Smokejumpers should carry an 80-pound pack for 1½ hours on a hilly trail or during a moderate hill climb. | |
| Sunday | Off. | Off. | |
| 8 Moderate week | Monday | Warm up. Run 2 miles in 16 minutes. Cool down. | Warm up. Run 2 miles in 15:30 minutes. Cool down. |
| Tuesday | Core training: Situps, planks, crunches, trunk lifts, and leg lifts. Three sets. | Core training: Situps, planks, crunches, trunk lifts, and leg lifts. Three sets. | |
| Wednesday | Hike in the hills carrying a 35-pound pack and Pulaski or other tool for 40 minutes, dig line or other fire activity for 60 minutes, and hike back for 40 minutes. | Hike in the hills carrying a 45-pound pack and Pulaski or other tool for 40 minutes, dig line or other fire activity for 60 minutes, and hike back for 40 minutes. | |
| Thursday | Bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, and half knee bends. Three sets. | Pullups, bent-over rows, chair dips wearing a pack for weight, pushups, bicep curls, and lat pulldowns. Three sets. | |
| Friday | Fitness testing. See table 6.2. | Fitness testing. See table 6.2. | |
| Saturday | Off. | Off. | |
| Sunday | Off. | Off. | |
