Load Management - Firefighters

Structural firefighters often have the most intense physical/physiological tasks requiring a great deal of strength. Some activities include forcing entry, victim carries, stair climbing, hauling, and hose manipulation, all in about 50lbs of gear and other tools. It is obvious they are exposed to heat from fires as well as their own bodies fully geared up.

While overall health is the primary risk factor, cardiovascular disease is the primary killer of firefighters on duty. Therefore, improving aerobic capacity and strength is paramount for this profession and what the rest of the post will focus on.

The absolute minimum VO2max that a firefighter should have is 42ml/kg/min, but we are not training for minimum standards. Strength standards are all too low for our tactical professionals. Strength is what is going to get you out of a life-threatening situation. Strength is what is going to allow you to carry your buddy out of a life-threatening situation. Strength is what is going to get you and your buddies’ home after your shift. Ideally, we build aerobic capacity and strength concurrently.

Even if we are incredibly conditioned, we still need high maximum strength to breach a door or drag our buddy to safety. The classic squat, bench press, deadlift, and sumo deadlift will do just fine to build a high strength base. Firefighters should, at minimum, aim to bench press 1.25x, squat 1.75x, and deadlift/sumo deadlift 2x body weight. These exercises are with a fixed bar, do not expect a body weighing 50% of your 1RM deadlift to be light! Getting stronger is always a good thing, but at this point it may be time to focus more on power, anaerobic fitness, or work capacity. Strongman exercises such as stones, sandbags, and logs are amazing tools for more experienced lifters.