Personal Fitness Program

Rockingham County Department of Fire and Rescue

Captain Pat Trimble, PFT
Brogan James, Health Sciences Assistant Technician
Laura Bartley, Wellness Coordinator

Objectives
Completion of these assessments will
allow an individual to recognize current
health and fitness levels.
Will help an individual create a
personal fitness plan to achieve their
personal health and fitness goals.
Reevaluation after a period of time will
allow individuals to recognize progress
and make improvements to or maintain
their personal health and fitness plan

Assessments
5 simple categories:
Body Composition
Aerobic Capacity
Strength
Endurance
Flexibility

Body Composition
Skinfold Assessments
Seven sites assessed in a rotation:
Subscapular
Chest
Abdomen
Suprailiac
Triceps
Midaxillary
Forearm

Tools: Skinfold Calipers

Aerobic Capacity
VO2max Treadmill Graded Exercise Assessment
This assessment is a series of 1-minute
intervals, alternating between increases in
speed and percent grade
Tools:
Treadmill
Calculator
Height Scale
Stopwatch
Heart rate monitor
Weight scale

Time

Speed MPH

% Grade

0:001:00

3.0

1:012:00

3.0

2:013:00

3.0

3:014:00

4.5

4:015:00

4.5

5:016:00

5.0

6:017:00

5.0

7:018:00

5.5

8:019:00

5.5

9:0110:00

6.0

10:0111:00

6.0

11:0112:00

6.5

12:0113:00

6.5

10

13:0114:00

7.0

10

14:0115:00

7.0

12

15:0116:00

7.5

12

Strength
Hand Dynamometer
Procedure:
Squeeze the device for 3 seconds while exhaling
Total of 3 evaluations per hand

Strength
Arm Dynamometer
Procedure:
First trial: 50% of maximal force for 3 seconds
30 second rest period
Second and third trials are done at

maximal force

Strength
Leg Dynamometer
Procedure: evaluates the maximum isometric
strength of the lower body by performing a
static dead lift.

Strength
Vertical Jump Power Test
Procedure:
Record the highest distance in inches after a series
of three jumps

Endurance
Static Plank
Test completed when:
Reach 4 minutes or
Unable to maintain proper form after second
warning

Endurance
Push-ups
Test completed when:
Reach 80 push up or
Fails to maintain continuous motion with the
metronome cadence

Flexibility
Modified sit-and-reach
Procedure:
The greatest distance of reach will be recorded
after three trials with 30 second rest between each
trial

Nutrition
6 major classes of nutrients:
Water
Vitamins
Minerals
Protein
Carbohydrates
Fats

Water
Most important nutrient next to oxygen
Water is used for most body functions
It is required to: transport nutrients to and
remove waste from cells and for regulating
body temperature
Failure to consume adequate water results in
fatigue, faulty regulation of body temp and
increased risk of heat exhaustion and heat
stroke
By the time you feel thirsty you are already
dehydrated

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins
Play a key role in energy production, growth,
maintenance and repair
Only needed in small amounts
Must be obtained from the diet; body cannot
manufacture them
Provide no calories and therefore cannot be
used for fuel
Minerals
Vital for regulation of heart beat, transportation
of oxygen to every cell, formation of
hemoglobin, building of bones and teeth and
muscle contraction

Protein
Made up of amino acids
20 different amino acids, 8-10 of which can be
made by the body if all parts available
The rest are deemed essential amino acids
because they must be obtained from the diet
Protein is the bodys major building material; the
brain, muscles, skin, hair and connective tissue
are all composed primarily of protein
Needed to make the enzymes and hormones that
regulate body processes such as water balance
and are critical components of the immune
system
Protein can only be used as an energy source
when the diet is limited in carbohydrates and fats

Carbohydrates
Bodys best source of energy
Two types: complex and simple
Complex carbohydrates or starches take longer
for the body to break down
Simple sugars, are rapidly digested and
absorbed
Fiber
Indigestible part of carbohydrates
Two categories: soluble and insoluble
A high-fiber diet (25 to 35 grams a day) may help
reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes
and diverticular disease
High fiber foods help control weight because they
swell and fill the stomach increasing satiety

Fats
Source of energy (fatty acids needed for many
of the bodys activities)
Only a small amount of fat is needed in the diet
Recommended that fat intake be limited to no
more than 30% of total calories
People looking to lose weight may limit their
intake to 20% of total calories
Cholesterol
Three types: saturated, polyunsaturated and
monounsaturated
Recommended to keep total blood cholesterol and
LDL levels at less than 200 mg/dl and 130 mg/dl
respectively, with HDL levels greater than 30
mg/dl

Exercise Recommendations
Pre-work out
Carbohydrates should be the dominant nutrient
consumed within an hour before competition or
training (approximately 1 to 4 grams of
carbohydrate per kg of body weight)
Start hydrating the night before exercising to
ensure properly hydrated state
During
Consume 6 to 12 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20
minutes when exercising less than an hour
Consume 6 to 12 ounces of a 6 to 8%
carbohydrate beverage with sodium every 15 to
20 minutes of exercising when exercising for over
an hour
Post-work out
Replacing carbohydrate (glycogen) stores and
protein for muscle tissue repair are the top
priorities

Nutrition
MyPyramid

Did you know

Structural fire suppression has the highest
percentage of line of duty injuries (52.2.%)
Strains/sprains and lacerations/contusions
are the most common line of duty injury
each at 23.9%
Heart attack is the most common line of
duty cause of death at 35.3%
The three most common musculoskeletal
injuries fire fighters experience are: back,
shoulder and knee.
Life expectancy of a fire fighter post
retirement is 5 years

We all go home at the end

of the shift!!