Strength Building 101: K.I.S.S.

Here we go.  So, by the time you read this it might be 2013 already...... HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I've put out a few emails and posts to start the build up for 2013..... the build up of strength.  It might not come as a surprise to you by now that I feel as though strength is a huge component of our day to day lives in the fire service and that I also think that we collectively need more of it- for self preservation and to excel at our duties.

So, instead of just saying I think ppl should be stronger and leaving it at that I am making a full attempt to help you all individually to improve your strength.  How this is going to happen:

1. We perform some basic strength assessments coupled with some screening tools I have picked up along the way.
2. I give some ideas on how to shore up some movement issues if identified- this could be in the form of an actual program if that is what you need.
3. I present some basic strength training programming that most should be able to adapt to their lives to make simple, progressive gains in overall strength.
4. We constantly re-assess strength and movements throughout the year to ensure there is the appropriate level of progress for each individual.

Since the way it works is that I need to travel to get all assessing done what I am going to do is open up #3 right away so that those that are reasonably ready are able to get on the wagon ASAP.  **Note- there are a few WFI assessments that need to be completed as well, these take priority and if you haven't done yours yet don't expect me to jump all over this process with you until your WFI one is complete..... I'm working on it.

THE PROGRAM

First off, no general program is "perfect".  They will all have pro's and con's and progress will vary from individual to individual.  Every guru or coach will have a set of biases, experiences and training (hopefully) that will lead him or her to lean in certain programming directions.  Ideally every person would have the perfectly designed program tailored directly to the individual's needs and goals.  With this in mind here is my rationalle/approach to this general program:

General Strength- the program that follows is basically a program that I have followed with success and have prescribed with a good level of success from participants.  I believe that it has been successful because it is simple, involves the big movements (which every true strength program should) and is progressive in a manageable and linear fashion.  By simply following the principles you can make necessary tweaks to your lifestyle and still get steady progress- obviously the progress will vary.

Individualization- To provide the most individualization possible and still work out potentially as a group the individual work will be presented as what you will do for your accessory work.  Conditioning will be considered accessory work as well, this will be the type of thing that your goals will/should dictate.  An example of this idea would be that everyone can get in their squats and/or presses for the day together rotating through the squat rack (changing the wts for each person) then once this is done each works on their specific target areas for injury prevention, conditioning etc.

General Strength Program Level 1
This is based on the book Starting Strength by Mark Rippitoe.  While it is called Level 1 I would advise that you try to milk it for as long as you get progress- advancing "levels" early will not make you a better athlete necessarily, it will most likely SLOW your progress.... Seriously.

3 Days a Week:
Aternate between these 2 workouts, adding 5-10 lbs to your squat each day, adding 5-20lbs to your DL each day and adding 2.5-5lbs to your pressess each day.  RECORD YOUR WORKOUTS TO ENSURE PROGRESS.

Day 1
Squat 3 sets of 5 reps (3 x 5)
Shoulder Press 3x5
Deadlift 1 set of 5 (1x5)

Day 2
Squat 3x5
Bench Press 3x5
Deadlift 1x5

For all movements the sets and reps indicated are termed "sets across" meaning that after you have warmed up with a few lighter (progressively heavier) sets your working sets would be completed with the same wt for all sets indicated.  If you were able to complete all sets at the weight you set out to use then simply add the 5 or so lbs to the next workout.  The DL indicates 1x5, so this means that you will warm up the movement until the point where you do the 1 work set and then if completed for all reps then be happy and move on, adding the appropriate weight the next workout not more sets this workout.

Too simple for you?  That's OK, just do some time and you will likely find it becomes quite challenging and rewarding as you go.  Progress too slow?  Really?  Just think, if you were to add 5lbs to your squat for 3x a week for a year and you started with just a bare barbell you would end up at an 825lb squat..... not going to happen.  Realistically you could find yourself at a point where you are squatting 3 sets of 5 at 275lbs in a matter of a 15-20 weeks.... that takes some work for sure but not unreasonable.

To give you an idea of how to make some simple adjustments to those that think they are too busy here is another format that will get you good results, just a little slower:

On Shift:
Squats 3x5
Press 3x5/Bench Press 3x5 (do press on first day of tour and BP on second)

Morning after work (wakey wakey):
Deadlift 1x5
Pullups/Chinups 3 sets of max reps

This is a nice option as it easily gets you 4 workouts in an 8 day period and can be all potentially done while getting paid..... not too shabby if wake up in time.
Another bonus to this option is that you spend a bit less time on your strength lifts per day and frees you up to get some conditioning work in, ask Fuhriman how it's been working for him.

Thats a big post and lots left that could be said.  Want some sweet resources on getting stronger?
http://startingstrength.com/- seriously, buy the book starting strength.
http://70sbig.com/- good stuff and great humor too
http://www.crossfitfootball.com/- for the power athlete in all of us, and where the second option for programs comes from

2013 Phase 1: January Assessments and Goal Setting

­Now that we know the Mayan calendar issue has past we can take a look at the year that will come after all- 2013! 

'Tis the season for goal setting, crash dieting and a full on assault of the public gyms.  If you are the type of person who is in the gym year round you probably know what I’m talking about- the January rush is hard to miss.  Chances are, if you are unaware of this phenomenon you are either: the January warrior and think that the gym is always that busy, or you are hardly in the gym and don’t notice.

If you are one of these 3 types of people then this post might be for you!

The main thing I want to look at today is goal setting and achieving those goals.  Achieving your goal that you set out for is probably the most rewarding and encouraging experience you can have when it comes to your fitness, and really work and life too.  So no matter where you sit with the 3 types of folks it is always good to be working in the "right" direction- whatever that is for you.

Hitting that IV, ET tube placement….. squat or run PR (personal record)…. They are all potentially the same when you get down to it.  All 3 took work, focused work, to achieve.  While hitting benchmarks on the job is typically a straight forward task it seems as though we get lost sometimes on how to get the job done in the gym- whether its hitting that PR or losing weight etc.

Check this out:

CF PORTLAND SHEET PDF

This is a “Skills” chart put out by CrossFit Portland.  At first glance it is just a bunch of boxes and numbers but if you look at it closely it gives us a pretty good idea of what a “balanced” fitness could look like.  Across the top there is levels 1 to 4, level 1 being a rounded “Beginner”, and 4 being an “Advanced” athlete as far as CrossFit is concerned.

Where are you on the page?

You will notice that for some things you might be in a level 2, 3…. Even 4.  But for others you might not even come up as a level 1!  So what does that mean?  This chart would suggest that if looking for priorities to train you would hit those that are lower on your scale, and the things that are more advanced don’t need as much attention until your other physical abilities catch up.

Look at it again, what are your strengths and what are your weaknesses?  Write them down, each in a column.

A simple recommendation for your 2013 goals- "I will be able to complete all Level 1 items by the end of 2013".  This should be plenty of time to get this done, again as long as you are focused on your approach and you work with your physio or doctor if needed.

As firefighters my view is that we should all be strong.  The stronger we are the easier our tasks are- lifting pts, dragging hoses, or even just getting reps in the gym with a good weight- consider that if you are doing 3 reps with 45lbs or you do the same reps with 95lbs and both are done in same amount of time…. Which one do you think would be more effective at burning calories, stressing your cardiovascular system, earning the kind of grit it takes to drag that guy out of the house at 4 in the morning….. You decide.

Add the strength movements into the weaknesses column.

Now, how do I get there?  You ask.  Well here’s the list:

1. Don’t get hurt.  Plain and simple.  No rep is worth a shoulder, knee or back injury.  Save that for the critical moments on the fire ground…. And hopefully never.
2. Get strong.  This is far simpler than most think; it’s just logging time under the bar and being consistent.  The last few people I’ve put on a basic strength program are squatting 225lbs for sets…injury free and still progressing.
3. Add conditioning that is appropriate to you.  As a firefighter we should have elements of heavy, short duration conditioning in our repertoire but if you have endurance aspirations then go for it.  Key here is that for the time being strength is a top priority until you top the chart at a level 3 or 4 across the board strength wise.

Simple right?  Well I will help out.  In the previous post I put that there will be some assessments done during January, well this will include testing the Level 1 strength movements.  This will identify where your technique is and your strength levels.  From here I will give some direction for any corrective stuff if need be to get you on track but the main thing is that you will know where you sit. 

How can you know where you are going if you don’t know where you are?

At any time if you want help going through any of the other components of the Skills Chart or any other aspect of your health/fitness let me know and I’ll do what I can or refer you to the right people!

The 2013 Plan!

Hey people, as indicated in my email I have some plans in the works for 2013.
I would like to take a minute to outline what I'd like it to look like- to make sure you know what I'm up to and also to give you as much prep time as possible for each step along the way.  Obviousy we aork in an environment where we have to be a bit flexible in our scheduling so this schedule will be flexible and possibly altered to fit the ebbs and flows the year will throw at us.

In a nutshell here it is:

Month	Assessment/Activity
Jan 2013	- Finish WFI assessments for 2012 - CFD Assessments - Get out to each member of our shift and use simple movement       screens to identify any areas of immediate need - Assess base levels of strength (will elaborate in another     post/email)
Apr 2013	- Assess Body Fat % and VO2 using WFI treadmill protocol - Re-do movement screens to ensure progress and perform new     ones to those that have progressed - Assess Max Strength in basic lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press)
Jul 2013	- Assess Body Fat % and VO2 using WFI treadmill protocol - Re-do movement screens to ensure progress and perform new      ones to those that have progressed - Assess muscle endurance and strength relative to bodyweight in     a firefighter specific format (will elaborate later)
Oct 2013	- Full WFI Protocol assessment - Re-do movement screens to ensure progress and perform new     ones to those that have progressed
Jan 2014	- Assess Body Fat % and VO2 using WFI treadmill protocol - Re-do movement screens to ensure progress and perform new     ones to those that have progressed - Assess Max Strength in basic lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press)

All steps along the way are completely voluntary.  However, participation may look like a daunting task right now but will you will probably find the timelines (approx 12 weeks each) to be good for benchmarking yourself and continually moving toward improved firefighter fitness.

You will notice that the format is:
Annually- Full WFI Protocol, FF Specific Strength and Muscle Endurance assessment (6months apart from WFI)
Semi-Annually- Max Strength assessed
Quarterly- Body composition and VO2 max assessed

As we go through the year I may find that there is a better way to go about this but for right now my aim is to complete these as close to the schedule as possible and then revise for 2014 if needed.

This is quite brief I know.  I will be putting out info on this process and how to prepare for it on an ongoing basis in bite sized peices.  For now what I would like from you is questions and comments.  Let me know what you think, what your concerns are and what you are looking forward to!