Need help. I have ten weeks...

chuck eastwood

Hi people. I need a little help. I have ten weeks before I have to to do 2 weeks of training for the fire service as a new recruit which as far as i know expects a decent level of fitness. As it stands I'm weighing in at 68 kg which is my normal body weight. when going to the gym on a regular basis I'm about 8kg heavier. I haven't been doing a huge amount lately but from tomorrow I'm hoping to hit it hard. I don't eat crap or much high protein food when I'm not training so I always drop weight in muscle mass. Basically I would love some tips on what I should be doing to be in top form in ten weeks training and diet wise etc. I prefer to cook good foods and eat correctly rather than eat protein bars etc. I'm 68kg 5'10 so I'm not built like a tank. I know there are countless tips here but i am trying to keep in mind I only have ten weeks

Mellor

I think you are approaching his the wrong way.
There is a level of fitness expected for a reason, its not a case of being fit for the 2 weeks at the start then faling back. I imagine its a physical job, so I be looking at changing your whole lifestyle permanantly

Hanley

Find out what the test process is, train accordingly.

Going forward, assess the actual demands of the job, train accordingly.

Best thing you can do is talk to firemen now about it if you haven't already so you can gain a greater idea of what's expected.

chuck eastwood

Thanks for the advice but as far as my lifestyle goes I'm pretty happy with it. I don't smoke. Drink maybe once a month. Grow my own veg. Play five aside twice a week depending on what shift i work and try get to the gym 3 time's min per week so I'm starting at a good point. I didn't just decided over night that i want to be fireman sam. I realize to dedication it takes as I have an uncle and friend already doing it. So thanks for your ehhhh help mellor.

Good idea Henley, I chatted with two people and there telling me I need to be able to carry about 12 stone over distance so as well as a generally decent fitness level which I think I have. Basically what I need is a work out routine to build strength as in squats etc. I have my diet down already so that not an issue. When I'm in the gym I find I run out of things to do or more to the point I don't know what I should be doing next. My gym is small and there is no one there who can put together a program for me to get stuck into and I don't intend on giving it up after two weeks Mellor. I have been healthy all my life so why you assume it's a fad is beyond me

Spunge

Sounds like Starting Strength would be good. It's goal is in increasing overall strength by lifting heavy at low reps and there's a lot of squatting.

chuck eastwood

Ye I started today, have to build up slow with squats as i have problems with my knee but nothing to major. Its the first time i have ever recorded the weights i'm lifting and the food I'm eating. looking forward to the training but not the bland food. oh well cant be all fun and games

Constant

I'm not sure recording what you're lifting will help you improve. Switch around your routine for optimal results.

Mellor

chuck eastwood wrote: »

Thanks for the advice but as far as my lifestyle goes I'm pretty happy with it. I don't smoke. Drink maybe once a month. Grow my own veg. Play five aside twice a week depending on what shift i work and try get to the gym 3 time's min per week so I'm starting at a good point. I didn't just decided over night that i want to be fireman sam. I realize to dedication it takes as I have an uncle and friend already doing it. So thanks for your ehhhh help mellor.

Good idea Henley, I chatted with two people and there telling me I need to be able to carry about 12 stone over distance so as well as a generally decent fitness level which I think I have. Basically what I need is a work out routine to build strength as in squats etc. I have my diet down already so that not an issue. When I'm in the gym I find I run out of things to do or more to the point I don't know what I should be doing next. My gym is small and there is no one there who can put together a program for me to get stuck into and I don't intend on giving it up after two weeks Mellor. I have been healthy all my life so why you assume it's a fad is beyond me

Where did i say it was a fad?
I said you are looking at the test when you should be looking at the demands of the job imo, (i'm assuming here that the test is based around the demands of the job, reasonable I think)
Not smoking and little drink ing good for health, but by no means an indicator of strength and fitness.
5 a side could be anything, I know plenty in terrible shape who play 5 a side. Ditto for the gym 3 times a week, its no benefit if you aren't using your time well.

I'm not saying any of this applies to you, you haven't given us any info on the numbers you can lift, so i literally have no idea, maybe you are moving pretty big weights.
I imagine its a tough job, and you have to be pretty strong to become a fireman, all you have told us is that you are 68kg at 5'10", which is pretty skinny. It's roughly the same 12 stone you'll have to carry over distance. Putting on a bit of mass will make these tasks easier, and is what I'd suggest for you.

chuck eastwood

Mellor maybe it's best if you just leave the comments to people who might like to help me out a bit instead of have your little shots. I had no idea what i was lifting on a regular basis there was a fluxuation depending on how i was feeleing and thats why I'm recording it now. Oh and it's 5 aside button throwing where we have the odd burger just to keep us ticking over :rolleyes:. Do you give this much help to all the new posters.

Thanks constant. I have found three work outs online lat night which i will switch every week while heading up the hill's mountain biking every second day. Lots of places to ge near my home but good idea on switching it up. I used to do the same thing every week. Got a bit stale

Mellor

chuck eastwood wrote: »

Mellor maybe it's best if you just leave the comments to people who might like to help me out a bit instead of have your little shots. I had no idea what i was lifting on a regular basis there was a fluxuation depending on how i was feeleing and thats why I'm recording it now. Oh and it's 5 aside button throwing where we have the odd burger just to keep us ticking over :rolleyes:. Do you give this much help to all the new posters.

Thanks constant. I have found three work outs online lat night which i will switch every week while heading up the hill's mountain biking every second day. Lots of places to ge near my home but good idea on switching it up. I used to do the same thing every week. Got a bit stale

Oh jesus, grow up. Where did i take any shots?
Point out what you disagree with please.

I said you are skinny, you know this and pointed it out yourself. Ive also said adding mass will be a benefit. It clearly will. Take it what ever way you want, but its advice. It will help you.
Your situation is very different to weight lifting, or many other sports as its absolute strength that is important not relative strength. You have to carry the same weight as the guy who is 90kg etc

Hanley

chuck eastwood wrote: »

Mellor maybe it's best if you just leave the comments to people who might like to help me out a bit instead of have your little shots. I had no idea what i was lifting on a regular basis there was a fluxuation depending on how i was feeleing and thats why I'm recording it now. Oh and it's 5 aside button throwing where we have the odd burger just to keep us ticking over :rolleyes:. Do you give this much help to all the new posters.

Thanks constant. I have found three work outs online lat night which i will switch every week while heading up the hill's mountain biking every second day. Lots of places to ge near my home but good idea on switching it up. I used to do the same thing every week. Got a bit stale

If you're that sensitive to some good online advice, I'd hate to see how you'd react in a a high pressure situation like a fire :eek:

chuck eastwood

Lad's I am grateful for any advice given and Mellor I'm not here for a ding dong slagging match and I think both our time could be better spent than picking apart each other's post's. I take no offense by being told I'm skinny etc. Thats half my problem and Pressure or Stress haven't been a problem for me so far in my life and I fully understand whats expected of me if I do get offered the position .Again I will take on board any help or criticism once it's pointing me in the right direction

Michael 09

chuck eastwood wrote: »

Lad's I am grateful for any advice given and Mellor I'm not here for a ding dong slagging match and I think both our time could be better spent than picking apart each other's post's. I take no offense by being told I'm skinny etc. Thats half my problem and Pressure or Stress haven't been a problem for me so far in my life and I fully understand whats expected of me if I do get offered the position .Again I will take on board any help or criticism once it's pointing me in the right direction

I don't want to take sides but you may have taken Mellor up wrong cos he IS helpful! All he said was:

Bulk up and add mass because no matter what you weigh, you have to lift a certain weight.

Also, try to make being fit and strong your lifestyle rather than just aiming for the exam.

That's all so calm down and good luck with the training

metamorphosis

Mellor didnt mean to come across like you though he did. He gave you a reply based on what you gave us here.

Now lets move on ..

kevpants

Mellor wrote: »

I think you are approaching his the wrong way.
There is a level of fitness expected for a reason, its not a case of being fit for the 2 weeks at the start then faling back.

Exactly. I mean he needs to be in shape for the yearly calendar shoot as well.

chuck eastwood

kevpants wrote: »

Exactly. I mean he needs to be in shape for the yearly calendar shoot as well.

Jesus I don't think I would sell to many calenders. Most of the lads are close to retirement so there wouldn't be to many six packs on show at the best of times. Pm'd Mellor already to clear the air so I hope thats the end of it. Just to say I have been fit all my life playing football, squash off road mountain biking etc and my diet is good. I don't eat junk food which is why I'm not carrying any weight but never had a reason to concentrate on strength training until now. I have been going to the gym on and off for years and try to keep good form not lifting more than I should. So there's some info on where I am now. I have a slight knee issue which I am seeing someone about this week. Nothing major but heavy squats are an issue for a week or two. Can you suggest anything else I could do in the meantime

JayRoc

I'm presuming you're training with the fire brigade out in Wicklow (as opposed to the Dublin Fire Brigade) given your location.
I have no personal experience of the standards for the Wicklow lads, but certainly as far as the DFB testing and training process goes, you can find out details of almost everything that will be expected of you in advance.

The physical requirements are of a very high standard, but if you know what to train for it can make a huge, huge difference. The lads I know that were a bit more on the ...slim...side did have a harder time in training, no doubt about it.
Mostly because everyone lost a fair bit of weight during it and the lads who had less to lose were suffering by the end.

I know one particular girl who basically credits Mark Rippetoe with getting her through some of the more demanding parts of the physical but really any half-decent strength program would have done the trick if applied properly.

Best of luck.

chuck eastwood

Cheer jay. I just got off the phone to a guy I half know who went through the training a couple of years ago. He say's the wont expect you to lift crazy weights. Most of the two weeks is aimed at seeing if your able to follow drill's, learn safety standards while doing basic equipment training. I still want to be in the best shape I can for it

ray jay

There are some fitness standards listed here for the Dublin Fire Brigade. I'd imagine deadlifts would be a useful exercise to train, if they don't bother your knee that is.

SanoVitae

ray jay wrote: »

I'd imagine deadlifts would be a useful exercise to train

Not as useful as Fireman Carries

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBMuGvgfMbA

chuck eastwood

Dead lifts are ok on my knee its just fully bending then coming back up under weight is an issue but hopefully not for long. The vid's on that guy's you tube page are pretty good for conditioning. Have to throw the missus over my shoulder and bring her up the hill's...might leave her up there

SBWife

Years ago I used to take a firefighter's fitness class at Crunch in NY given by members of the FDNY. Emphasis was on plyometric exercises, working with sandbags, and good old fashioned burpees etc. Given this I wonder if cross fit would be a good route to take for more functional fitness prior to the evaluation?

chuck eastwood

What do you mean by cross fit ?

SBWife

http://www.crossfit.com/

chuck eastwood

Ah now thats what I need.

Mellor

I think Chuck just took me up wrong, PM sorted it.

The Irish Fire Brigade site links to this book/site http://www.firefighterfit.com/. Seems a bit gimmicky, but the descriiption is very Crossfit like. I think crossfit has it flaws, especially when talkingabout sports specific stuff, but tbh its probably pretty close to whats expected of you.

One thing not yet mentioned on thread was grip strength. The link above suggests it needs to be 35kg, but I don't know how that is calculated,

chuck eastwood

I do need to work on my forarms but hoping that doing lats chin up's etc will help that . Not sure if i want to do dedicated forarm workout if I'll be covering it already in general workout

ads1980

What station county you going for

chuck eastwood

Went for a medical in wicklow town Last thursday got notice today that failed it but it now seem's I have bigger things to worry about than the fire service.

ads1980

chuck eastwood wrote: »

Went for a medical in wicklow town Last thursday got notice today that failed it but it now seem's I have bigger things to worry about than the fire service.

Sorry to hear that , may I ask what they found , I failed a medical for the navy bout 12 years ago , on the hearing , went to the hospital to see could it be sorted , they found a growth in my ear which if spread could of killed me , I got it in time so I think the medical was a blessing because I would not be here today ,

chuck eastwood

Well would you believe I would have failed on being colour blind as well as my other problem, I didn't know there was a colour vision test in the medical until the day before when i found in on an Irish firefighter forum but I said at that late stage I might as well go for the medical anyway, a free check over is no harm. Really disappointed but I'll keep up the training anyway