FIT Responder

It’s TABATA day. So I threw in some for you! Tabatas are always a good call whenever you are lacking motivation. Try these out and happy to see you’re still going at it as we approach 2021!

Despite our stations’ ugly Christmas tree ....Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, & peace. (Now go run off that eggnog.)

Ok, let’s talk about the lungs and the heart. Something tells me if we could visually SEE them like we do our muscles, skin, or hair, we would give them way more attention than we do now. But they are hidden and often forgotten. Cardiac arrest is still one of the number one killers of firefighters. Today’s workout focusses on the ‘plumbing’. Buy plumbing I mean all the passages through our body which blood is pumped. By increasing blood pressure through HITT -style traini...ng we can feed our muscles/ tissues with much needed oxygen and increase the elasticity of our veins and arteries in the process. I wish we could warm up after we jump off a fire truck every time, but the reality is that rarely happens. This 2 part workout is designed to ensure your muscles and ‘plumbing’ aren’t forgotten and (hopefully) are a little more prepared for the next emergency. (PS: if you’re considering trying for the next recruitment ...this still applies!)

Cardio and chest/triceps/core.: Here’s a little workout I enjoyed... It’s a mixture of cardio via a treadmill. Beforehand I threw a little stretching with my crew at 58 -thanks to Boho Yoga on YouTube.(Can’t recommend this yoga enough fyi) Enjoy..and stay healthy.... PS: There’s a light ...I can see it now ...at the end of ‘the Covid tunnel’. Rob See more

I guess I’m a bit of a traditionalist.. It makes me shoot for the hard way, not the easy way whenever possible.I use an axe not a chainsaw, a push lawnmower...etc. But today I was schooled. Today one of my coworkers suggested o try a preworkout drink. (Something I really don’t use). It’s usually..stretch (yoga) , warm up a bit..take it easy on the first set..than dive right in. However lately it’s been more like ‘wade right in’. I am working out, but my energy (and enthusiasm...) level is not 100%. That changed today. I tried my buddies’ drink....and had a awesome workout. (See Below) I’d almost say I had 25% more energy throughout the whole workout! I guess the morrow of the story is... sometimes we have to be willing to flex.More of an open door. Try new things...(Why not?...as long as they are relatively safe.) You never know until you try. See more

The good the bad and the ugly (aka....circuits!) For the last 3/4 of a year I’ve been doing a lot of muscle confusion weights, high rep weights etc, and today decided it was time to pull out the circuits again....The end result was the inevitable feeling of tar in the veins as I call it. I’ve posted the work out below. It was quite simple but when it was over I was getting a heart rate of 170-180 BPM. (beats per minute)... It’s always a good idea to keep track of that, and then of course I did it a minute later to see what my recovery rate was. To do this, just place year middle finger under your jaw bone and count your heart rate for a period of six seconds. Then multiply that by 10. For example if you counted 17 beats in six seconds, your heart rate would be 170. Usually if you’re struggling or if you’re working out hard, your heart rate will be high. It goes without saying that I did not enjoy this workout, however just like muscle confusion workouts, it tells you where you’re lacking and I can see my cardiovascular system needs some upkeep! Start off simple, start off short. Don’t push yourself too hard too soon. But trust me....never lose touch with circuits!

After tiptoeing through a summer of strange times and uncertainty, here we are in September and more strange times! (Leaves a person a little bit off kilter.) Today I did a work out which supplemented my morning bike ride to work. (In other words no cardio involved since I did that already.) I didn’t want something too intense because my mind is elsewhere these days with back to school just around the corner for my three boys. As usual, I started off with a 20 minute yoga rou...tine led by YouTube’s Boho Yoga. Finally, I walked over to the whiteboard and created a workout based on 6 sets of the following exercises... Note: I didn’t push them all to 100% fatigue, but definitely pushed myself a bit more each set which usually happens as the workout progresses. No matter how upside down your world gets, try to stick to a schedule and a routine and you may find you’re a little more comfortable dealing with the eternal change. Go get ‘em Rob

Stuck indoors and only have a treadmill? Try this work out and you’ll work on your cardio as well as those pecs and triceps...all at the same time. Enjoy!

David Goggins said it really well. He said You don’t just need calluses on your hands..... but also on your brain. That helped push me through a work out today. Another thing I do is reward myself by giving every completed sat a ... This helps make sure I don’t forget any sets and, also gives me a little teeny reward of rest and gratification which comes with every completed sat. (Especially on a muggy day like today!) so if the Covid has got you working out away from an air-conditioned atmosphere think brain calluses. (most fitness testing does not take place in air-conditioned places.) PS this workout is commonly put to use on new recruits after they are hired AND in recruit training. FYI ;) Ps: thanks to my buddy Bruce M for this one! See more

I hope everyone who receives this is healthy both physically AND mentally. Looking back, I’d like to thank my various life long coaches who slowely but steadily took my fitness to a higher level, however a select few understood the following article I’d like to share with you all. It’s basically about how to DEAL with being fit in a competitive environment BUT still maintain a brain-body awareness when your body grows tired/fatigued. (Almost like pacing yourself throughout a... physically demanding trial, but still remaining ahead of the game) Being fit is undeniably important for our First Responders. I’ve witnessed the outcome of falling behind the eight ball, AND those who ran ahead of it, prepared for life challenges. Yes, sometimes physically demanding situations DO catch us unaware. But as we slowly come out of the Covid fog (fingers crossed), and recruitment possibilities slowly dust themselves off, we need to check ourselves to see if we are ready for the next chance to prove ourselves.... So I’d like you to check this article out. It comes with a few videos definitely worthwhile watching....should you ever chose to bring your game! Ps: A shout out to my coach Yan Kruk...YOU KNEW! Stay safe & healthy everyone! Looks like I can almost see you again through the dust! ‘Coach’ Rob Fit Responder https://www.8weeksout.com///the-truth-about-conditioning/

Another Covid workout at the station. (Washing my hands SO OFTEN) The goal these days is to try to stay in tune with our bodies as much as possible....to keep our minds healthy. #pushthestressawaytoday