Community Forum

Forum Home  /  Physical Training  /  Getting Back in Shape

Getting Back in Shape

Hello all, I'm trying to get myself back into shape for the test that's coming up. I know the basics of working out cause i did it all through high school and now I've seemed to let myself slip a little bit. Was wondering if anyone knew any specific work outs that could bring my cardio because to be honest it is really poor right now. Any advice on supplements that i could take would be really helpful. So in general any help that would benefit me to get in shape would help out very much.

Thank you


Follow this link. This is the only workout you will need to get back in shape. It doesn't seem like much when you read it but it works.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/rossboxing2.htm
Perseverance is the path to reaching your goals



That's all that it takes? I will try it and thank you for sending me this info. But is there anything else that might help?



Burpees are awesome! But they are not the only exercise you should do. You really need to study the agility you are preparing for. You should develop a training regimen based on the movements you want to perfect. Most agilities are based on functional movements of firefighters. This way they can hold up in court when challenged.

Functional training is huge right now! Go to sights like Crossfit, Athletes Performance, and my sight www.firefit.us to find excellent examples of functional training. This training builds strength for the task of firefighting and injury prevention. You won't bulk up and look big, but that's ok. The guy that builds show muscles is usually the first one to get hurt.

A typical workout will start with 4-5 minutes of dynamic stretching. This is stretching that incorporates movement. The movement warms up the muscles and fires the neurons. Stretching and elasticity will help you stay healthy and injury free. Injuries are the fastest way to fail the Academy.

Circuit training involves a series of about 5 exercises performed at 100% effort. Each exercise lasts about 30 seconds, then you switch to the next. This builds strength and pushes your anaerobic system. Firefighters go hard into their anaerobic threshold for short bursts, rest then do it again. Here is a good starter circuit.

push ups 30 seconds
sit ups 30 seconds
burpees 30 seconds
pull ups 30 seconds
air squats 30 seconds

Do 3 rounds of this and you'll be spent.

Cardio=We run a lot in our tower. A typical run is 4-5 miles, up and down hills. 400-700 foot elevation climbs with up to 9% grades. Pace 9-10 minute miles. You should be doing this 3-4 days a week. Get good shoes and stretch!

Nutrition-eating healthy and staying hydrated is really important to your training. If you are overweight, start losing it now. A safe weight loss is 1 to 1.5 lbs per week. One lb= 3500 calories. The best weight loss method is eating fewer calories than you burn. Simple but hard. How bad do you want this job?
Al Yanagisawa
PFT
LACoFD