Hey everyone, I’ve been lifting for about 7 years, 3 of which enhanced.
Wondering if anyone recommends any exercises for “strength”, not just in the traditional sense, ie compound lifts, but the kind of strength that’s require for weirder situations in life.
I’m training to become a firefighter. There’s a lot of prying open doors and stuff like that. Smashing tools against each other, pulling, grabbing, twisting, etc. Grip is something I really have to look into. My “big” muscles are very powerful but my smaller muscles are weak in comparison. My grip doesn’t live up to my deadlift. And I know I’ll need a lot of these smaller muscles.
I feel like the unidirectionality of traditional weightlifting isn’t optimal for these types of situations. Even just working farmer’s walks, wrist curls, etc may not cut it. Do you guys have any suggestions ?
interesting question. I think shit like sandbags, slosh pipes, etc. would probably have a benefit and would compliment things like deadlifts and overhead presses nicely
Dan John calls it the anaconda strength, How to Build Anaconda Strength. Start flirting with strongman training. Personally think wrestling would serve you as well
Posterior chain strength is always a plus. Grop strength, rotational strength and the aforementioned “anaconda strength” are also good. Add specific grip training and strongman elements (heavy sandbag carries and rope pulls for time).
I’m a firefighter and have helped administer dozens of CPATs. If you are just starting your training, focus on the CPAT. The stair climb is a bitch and I’ve seen many big guys fail here. The dummy drag also trips a lot of guys up, especially if your legs are fried from the stairs.
If you’re in the academy, the PT you’re doing should be preparing you for these events, but you’ll still need to train events outside of PT. Drag a sled, beat on a tire with a sledgehammer, climb stairs with weights, and run. Then run some more.
If you’ve been training for 7 years, then you should have the strength base to do most things in the field. But you need to have a big gas tank and use your air efficiently. Most SCBA bottles will only last for 30-45 minutes, and if you’re sucking wind the entire time you’re working, you’re reducing the amount of time you can work.
Start dragging things, doing weighted carries, and running. Then run some more. Again.
I’ll be doing my training in BC soon. I have excellent cardio. I do HIIT, resting heart rate is 45. Also rucksack marches all the time with the army so I know what it’s like to carry weight on the back.