Don’t Get Burned… Kettlebells To The Rescue

Firefighters, Insure Your Career And Life With Kettlebells

“I am getting to old for this job." If you are familiar with or are part of the fire service, you might have heard theses words uttered a few times... usually after a tough and grueling fire. Those words are usually said as protective gear is getting stripped off, and physical exhaustion sets in. As a 13-year veteran of my department, I have heard those words many times. They are usually said by the older firefighters, but surprisingly enough, I've heard them from a lot of the younger firefighters as well. These are people who aren’t physically preparing themselves properly (or at all, for that matter) for the rigors of firefighting.

Lets face it. Firefighting is tough enough as it is. You are wearing and carrying over 75 pounds of gear and equipment, which you usually have to carry as you climb stairs... nothing ever seems to happen on the ground floor! You are also hauling and handling charged (filled with water) hose lines, which can weigh over 100 pounds, and throwing (setting up) extension ladders of various sizes and weights. Then comes overhaul, which to the laymen is when the bulk of the fire is knocked down, and then walls and ceilings are breached and torn down, in search of hidden pockets of fire. The overhaul phase requires a lot of overhead work with tools of various sizes and weights (no easy task... ask anyone who has done it), and all this is done in some of the most horrendous of conditions: high heat, limited to no visibility, and the compromises made to the structure from the fire damage. And let's not forget to mention the “adrenaline monster” that goes along with the thrill of it all. Do you want to go into that kind of environment physically unprepared? It's no wonder that heart attacks are the number one killer of firefighters and the number one injury is sprains and strains of the lower back, with the shoulder following close behind.

Well, I'm here to attest to you, fellow brothers and sisters of the fire service, that the answer to these problems facing you is a lot simpler than you think. It’s nothing new. In fact, its “old school”. It’s nothing fancy, and to say it comes with no fluff would be an understatement. If you are not familiar or heard of Russian kettlebells and Pavel Tsatouline, the time is now.

If you, like just about every other department out there, are strapped for available space, cash, and time, your answer is here. The Russian kettlebell is the perfect solution.

If you have room in your firehouse to lay down a standard piece of plywood (4’x8’), then you have a decent size space to work out in. The space has to be clear of clutter and have overhead clearance, but you don’t need hundreds of square feet.

As for price, the money you will spend on, say, three kettlebells of various sizes, will be a mere fraction of what any of the new “infomercial” driven exercise gadgets that are out there that make promises as empty as your pockets.

The kettlebell is known as the “complete gym in your hand”. Pretty much every exercise you perform with a kettlebell uses total body strength to complete, thus cutting down on the long drawn-out body-part isolation, typical gym workout. The kettlebell is anything but typical. Kettlebells stress muscle integration, not muscle isolation, so your body gets stronger as a unit, instead of separate “mirror muscles”. The idea is to get all your horses pulling as a team. Make no mistake. This is tough stuff... but hey, it’s a tough job.

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Kettlebell.com staff writer Anthony Grokaitis is a fire lieutenant with the 500 member Worchester, MA fire department.

A certified level 2 RKC kettlebell instructor, Anthony regularly trains first responders, so that they can be in better physical shape to serve their community.

Click here to read more about Anthony Grokaitis and to read his other articles.