Warmup - Do 2 rounds of:
Pullup - 5 reps
Pushup - 10 reps
Air Squat - 15 reps
#1 BB Deadlift - regular tempo
Work up to one moderately heavy set of 16 reps.
Leave room to go heavier on 9/28 and 10/4.
#2 BB Row - 3 sets x 16 reps
Set 1 - 16 reps at 90% of top weight for today
Set 2 - 16 reps at top weight
Set 3 - 16 reps back down at 90% of top weight
#3 Do 5 rounds of:
BB Ground to Overhead 6-5-4-3-2 reps
Plank (elbows and toes) 30 seconds
Inverted Row 15 reps
Goblet Squat 15 reps
DB Farmer's Walk 50 meters
DB Bench Press 8-11-14-17-20 reps
Use the same weight for all 5 rounds of DB bench press
REST 1 minute between rounds.
✅ 10/3/25 12:15pm
Hey Scott! I'm looking into starting a fire academy program this January. Somehow came across your blog and I'll be following it to show up more prepared. Any tips for someone starting out with zero experience?
ReplyDeleteHey Grant! Sorry, I just saw your comment. One thing that comes to mind is that most academies will have a fair amount of running as part of their physical training program. Running requires zero equipment and zero instruction, and can give the instructors a quick indicator of the fitness level of the class. A timed 1.5 mile run is a common test of physical fitness for fire academies and 12 minutes is usually the standard for pass/fail. I feel like truckroom18 prepares you really well for the fireground, but if I was going to the academy in January, I would add some distance running as well. It could be as simple as 2-3 miles, 3x per week. Now is the perfect time to start. You will have about 3 months to get in the best possible shape.
DeleteOne other thing I would say is don’t ignore injuries. If you are getting shin splints, or knee pain, or some other overuse injury leading up to January, you need to come up with a plan and deal with it. You don’t want to start your academy beat up.
I would say to work on your mobility on a regular basis. Have a plan. Tight shoulders + tight hips + tight lower back = increased chance of injury when you are running every day and working hard on the fireground every day.
Lastly I would say pay close attention to your nutrition. I would want to stay strong but come into January as lean as possible. That will make your life easier during the academy.