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TRAINERS » Workouts
OCCUPATIONAL ATHLETE
TRAINING THE
Emergency services professionals must train like athletes to guarantee job success and safety.
BY PETER TWIST
blast out of bed, rush to the truck and start put- ting on your gear. As you roll to the scene, the details of the fi re come in – it is a big one and you realize that it is going to be a long night. You will be performing very strenuous work for the next few hours. Are you physically prepared to win the fi ght, support your team, rescue others and stay safe? “Occupational athletes” fi ghting
I
fi res, chasing down suspects or leaping
34 Fitness Business Canada March/April 2009
magine it is 4:40 a.m. Asleep in your bunk at the station house, you are suddenly awoken by the sharp tones of a fi re alarm. You
over guardrails to reach critically in- jured passengers require top physical performance. But old traditional train- ing methods that improve fi tness and appearance fall short in the life-and- death world. Today’s elite athletes follow progres-
sive, scientifi cally-based programs to improve whole body strength, mobility and reactivity. This prepares them for the demands of their jobs by matching the urgency of the required response to each sport tactic. There is no time to think – reactions must be automatic and the body must respond immedi- ately and precisely.
Physical Preparation
Emergency services is a physical-
ly demanding job. Candidates must possess several physical attributes to be successful under extremely stress- ful circumstances. Success and safety hinge on the follow attributes:
© Mishkaki | Dreamstime.com
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