Kettlebell Tees

Don’t Get Burned… Kettlebells To The Rescue Firefighters, Insure Your Career And Life With Kettlebells

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!

"I am getting to ld 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.

If cardio fitness is a concern, don’t worry. There are ballistic movements, such as the swing and the snatch, that will not only make you stronger from head to toe, but will jack your cardio through the roof. Hit these exercises for a while and see for yourself how much more time you will get out of an SCBA bottle. (For the layman, that is the bottle of air that firefighters breath out of in a fire. SCBA stands for self-contained breathing apparatus.)

Looking to make your back more injury-resistant? Again, it's the kettlebell to the rescue. Through proper technique and movements, which are explained in detail in Pavel Tsatsouline's books and videos, you will strengthen your back with every rep of every exercise. If you are looking to gain flexibility along with your strength, there is the windmill, an exercise that your back is yearning for. Get on board with this, don’t become a back injury “statistic”.

We cannot forget the shoulders in all of this. Kettlebells will give your shoulders the strength and endurance necessary to pull those ceilings and walls. Virtually every overhead exercise done with kettlebells will give your shoulders the strength needed to get thru the toughest of fires.

A lot of guys complain that they experience an “all over” body hurt after fires. Well, if an all over body exercise is what you’re looking for, I have 3 words for you… Turkish get up. That’s all I am going to say. This exercise makes everything else a party. Everyone I’ve ever taught these to hates them at first, but loves them when they see the return in strength that they are gaining. Check out Pavel's “Enter The Kettlebell” book or DVD for more on the Turkish get up.

I almost forgot to mention the added bonus of incredible hand strength that is a by-product of kettlebell training. Every firefighter knows how cumbersome the handling of tools becomes, once your firefighting gloves get wet. I found that doing some kettlebell drills with firefighting gloves on is a killer way to improve your grip on tools.

Here is another plus... kettlebells are virtually “firefighter proof”. In other words indestructible. Everyone knows that firefighters are famous for either “breaking it” or” losing it”.

As a recent graduate of the level 2 RKC training held in June 2006, it becomes apparent to me everyday that the fire service, in all its glory and old school tradition, should embrace the Russian kettlebell and the teachings of Pavel, as they both ooze “old school” in their simplicity and effectiveness.

My department puts on a firefighter safety and survival seminar every year, and a lot of the training has to do with rescue, whether it’s a victim or a downed firefighter. I always thought to myself, if you are not capable of saving yourself, how are you going to save someone else? Get yourself strong and agile enough so that you are part of the solution, not the problem. Don’t wait until you find yourself in a situation like that and then try to call on “life saving” strength. Pick up a kettlebell, Pavels “Enter The Kettlebell” DVD or book, start training, and be ready for any situation that might arise. Make kettlebells part of your “rescue training”... don’t become a statistic.

Written by:

Anthony Grokaitis Thirty nine year old fire lieutenant Anthony Grokaitis has served with the 500 member Worcester, MA Fire Department for the past thirteen years. Anthony also is a certified personal trainer (ACE) and a certified level 2 RKC instructor. His knowledge in physical fitness, combined with his background in the fire service, has allowed him to become a certified fire service peer fitness instructor (IAFF/ACE) as well. He has been training with kettlebells now for over 18 months (since 2005) and regulary competes in girevoy sport (competitive kettlebell lifting). When not putting out fires, rescuing kittens from trees, and doing kettlebell snatches, he trains the members of the local and state (MA) police, as well as SWAT, Vice Squad, and Gang Units

The kettlebell or girya is a traditional Russian cast iron weight looking somewhat like a cannonball with a handle. The kettlebell has become a popular exercise tool due largely to the efforts of strength and flexibility coach Pavel Tsatsouline and also by World Champion and world record holder Valery Fedorenko. Many companies produce their own brands of kettlebells and kettlebell exercise programs. Some modern kettlebells feature adjustable weights. Kettlebell workouts are intended to increase strength,endurance, agility and balance, challenging both the muscular and cardiovascular system with dynamic, total-body movements.

Kettlebell lifting has been nationally recognized and played throughout the world for decades, and its competitive exercises are the 'Two Kettlebell Jerk' and 'One Kettlebell Snatch; performed in that order for ten minutes each. The competitor with the highest overall score wins.