I would say high reps (10-12) and vary the weight according to your body type. What is most important and often overlooked is the anarobic demands. You need to do lots of high intensity cardio stuff. Short cicut sprints, jingle jangles and stuff like that. Be able to sustain an extremely high heart rate for 8-10 minutes. This is the exercise you will benefit most from.

Kpendleton,

Could you please give some more examples of good high intensity cardio workouts and what exactly are jingle jangles? I've been running trails and stairs but I would love some more ideas. Thank you!

Respectfully Submitted,

Exploder805


The Only Easy Day. . .Was Yesterday. . .

The type of workouts I am referring to are known as anarobic. This usually includes running several short bursts with limited rest intervals. For example, set a cone 10 yards out, go back and forth five times full pace. Rest 30 seconds, repeat at 20 yards. Continue up to 50 yards, then work back down. In my book, these are called jingle jangles. Also, you could do these lengths in one cycle. For instance, start on a goaline. Run out 10 yards then back, out 20 and back, 30 and back, up to 50, then descend. If you want to strecth it out, run circuits. Jog at 50%, then sprint, then jog, then sprint. These exrcises are designed to enable you to funtion with your heart beating at near max volume. This to me is the most challenging part of the CPAT and the other physical testing that may occur. You must be able to funtion at a high intensity for short intervals. These are the best ways to do so in my humble opinion.

KP

Just to add something that help a tremdous amount with my CPAT was strapping on a weight vest of 50 lbs and walking up 29 flights of stairs twice a week. My wife worked on the 19th floor of a 32 story sky scr*per and I would go after work to her place of employment and use the elevator to the third floor get off and head toward the stairs, open the door and comense to walking 1 second per step up to the 32 floor. What a work out!! This worked out my legs and raised my heart rate to at least 85%. The day finally came for the CPAT and each candidate started off by having a 70 lbs weight vest strapped on and began stepping up an stair stepper treadmill for 3 min for most candidates this would make their legs feel like spaghetti before starting their the next event which was the 50 foot hose drag run with 20 lbs removed from the weight vest. The CPAT consisted of 8 events that had to be completed in I believe 10 minutes 20 seconds. I knew I needed my legs all the way through the course so that is why I worked the stairs inside my wifes place of employment. It paid off, because I finished the course with 2 min. to spare because my legs never left me. I was later contacted by a Fire Station for a Panel Interview and Chief Interview. I got picked up and now I'm glad those stair days are over.

Autowater
Firefighter/EMT-B

Lower reps higher weight will build muscle mass more efficiently.

This is good for strength, but in this career endurance is more important. I'd stick to 10-12 rep range. When I say that I mean, use a weight that can ONLY left for 10-12 reps.. and after that your muscles fail.

It doesn't make sense to use a weight you can life 30 times but only lift it 12 times.

Does anyone know of a good place I can go to run up real stairs? I hate running on a stair stepper I feel like a hampster.
Face your fears, Live your dreams

Sorry, should have specified on that last post. I am looking for stairs some where in the Marysville to Seattle, Wa area.
Face your fears, Live your dreams