Learn by Firefighter furnace
We’ve developed ‘Learn’ as a starting point to kickstart your journey towards better health and performance. Here, we’ll delve into the fundamentals of strength, conditioning, energy, health, nutrition, and exercise therapy, all tailored specifically for firefighter fitness.
Our content is delivered by a team of highly qualified college professors and holistic practitioners. Consider this our gift to you, and we wish you the utmost success on your path.
Feel free to explore the content or use it as training material for your department, as it may be relevant to your specific requirements.
conditioning
Lactate threshold
In this video, Professor Mack discusses lactate threshold, an indicator that examines lactate levels in the blood, its impact on conditioning and firefighter performance, and how to train to improve it.
VO2 Max
VO2max, or maximal volume of oxygen, is considered the marker of cardiorespiratory performance. In this video Professor Mack discusses VO2max, its application to firefighters, and how to improve it.
Heart Rate Zones
Measuring intensity by HR is an easy tool you can use to improve your conditioning. In this video you’ll learn how to find your HR Zone and what it means for your performance as a firefighter.
NUTRITION
protein
Dr. Brad dives into the importance of proteins in our diet, the myths/truths that are out there surrounding proteins, and how to structure your diet/nutrition at the perfect starting point to hit your goals easier.
FATS
Dr. Brad discusses what fats are, how they’re used in the body, and how to think about them in your diet. Not only does he break down nutrition labels and ingredient lists for strategies to think about when it comes to your health, but also how to use fats for good and continue to get results!
CARBOHYDRATES
Dr. Brad breaks down the “201” of carbohydrates—not only the “what”, but the “why” and “when” strategies used by functional medicine doctors in specific-nutrition protocols rather than what you may learn in a general nutrition 101 collegiate course. He uses real world data and research to teach you the truths behind carbohydrates.
Supplements
Dr. Brad talks about some of the best supplements for performance, recovery, and overall health/vitality. This is meant for generalized recommendations and not meant to help with any underlying health issues. If you’re plateauing in your progress or health, we highly advise looking into our OVERHAUL program.
strength
squat
The squat is a universal movement pattern. In this video Professor Mack discusses the importance of squatting, how to improve your squatting ability, and its direct application to firefighting suppression tasks.
HIP Hinge
In this video Professor Mack discusses the hip hinge movement pattern, the muscles used in the hip hinge, common exercises to improve this ability, and why it’s relevant to injury reduction and firefighter performance.
Upper Body Push//Pull
Upper body push/pull are common movement patterns used by firefighters. Mack discusses the muscles used in these movement, and what exercises that can be used to improve upper body pushing and pulling strength.
Exercise therapy
Shoulder function
Dr. Brad discusses rehab, injury prevention, and optimizing shoulder strength and mobility in this discussion. Rather than breaking down “anatomy 101”, this information will feature more practical applications specific to first responders and overall lifestyle improvements.
Knee Injury Prevention
The knees are some of the most injured body parts, especially in today’s society. Weight-bearing joints take on an extra load, and Dr. Brad in this video teaches on strategies to prevent injuries and strengthen your entire lower body to lower your chances or pain or injury.
Spinal Hygiene
Dr. Brad’s speciality is the spine, as his primary training and education is becoming a doctor in chiropractic. Not only does he talk about how to prevent injuries and optimize performance, but he uses real world examples and even X-rays from patients to illustrate the importance of the spine and the lower back.
Additional resources
Explore more resources including our FD Athlete membership, recognized as the top firefighter fitness program globally. Discover our comprehensive Overhaul program for professional nutrition coaching, and access our Firefighter Performance Supplement Guide.
