By Jason Ford
Captain, Houston Fire Department

“You Coach it or You Allow it to Happen” – Herm Edwards

I’ve liked this quote ever since I first heard Coach Edwards say it. It makes perfect sense that as the leader of my crew I would communicate my expectations followed by showing what I want to be done, and how (coaching). When my guys do the right thing without me pointing the way it would just be stupid for me to intervene (allowing it to happen).

Then for the next few years, I’d say it because it sounded good without always doing it. Probably at my best I have applied it half of my time as a Captain. My job is to make certain my crew is operationally ready for each shift, every call. The taxpayer expects this from me, 100 percent of the time. Being real with myself, I am only half of what the people who pay my salary expect for their money. Winning 50 percent of the time will probably get you into the NBA playoffs but for me, it means I’ve got work to do.

Throughout my adult life, I have always been fit. I’m a professional firefighter. If I were not fit, I would be derelict in my duty. Physical fitness is an expression of leadership. It can be visually noticeable and physically quantifiable to all observers. It seems that physical fitness is easily discounted in the qualities of a good leader. Your physical fitness communicates that you are capable and competent. It’s not a foolproof measure by any means but tends to be quite accurate. I’m not saying you need to be the most muscular, strongest, fit person on your crew. But I am saying you must be muscular, strong, and fit. If your crew sees that you don’t place a premium on physical fitness how can you expect them to be physically fit? Lead by example or model the behavior you expect. To have a crew that possesses a strong physical capacity, the officer must show them that this is what is expected. You can and must communicate this expectation verbally, however for it to stick you must show the way. It is not what we preach, it is what we tolerate that determines what gets done and doesn’t.

That’s how I see things. I’m not wrong.

But I’m a hypocrite. I may talk and set an example for other firefighters about the benefits of being physically fit, good eating habits, looking the part…but I’m a hypocrite. I’m a hypocrite because I tolerate undisciplined, out of shape firefighters. I allow it to happen. I put guys on the truck every day that aren’t physically prepared to do this job at the level it should be done. I have not created this problem, but I’m not fixing it either.

Firefighting is a dangerous, strenuous profession. We have got to prepare physically to handle the rigors and thrive. Once you put your gear on for a fire call your physical capabilities are cut by 25 percent and your energy expenditure increases by 50 percent. The job entails interrupted sleep cycles, missed meals, emotional, mental, physical stress, and the list goes on. We as a fire service are doing a much better job of putting our guys in safer positions with improved tactics and thus lowering traumatic firefighter fatalities. However, over the last ten years, more than half of all firefighter fatalities are from heart attacks or stroke. A fire scene is dynamic and we can’t control for every hazard but we can all control what’s on our plate and our physical fitness. This job can kill you even when you do everything right.

I don’t have a physical training requirement at my station. If I did I couldn’t enforce it anyway. In my crew, I have 5 guys and myself who put the work in each shift so others can see that it can be done. We invite the whole crew to join in, we encourage the whole crew to join in. No dice. It is frustrating to know that the piece of equipment that gets the most use in the firehouse gym is the TV. Many firefighters eat like a toddler without parental supervision. Cake and ice cream every shift.

I’m allowing this to happen. Why? It’s just easier to avoid that conversation. No hurt feelings and no dealing with HR. It’s unconscionable and cowardly on my part. It is a failure of leadership and lack of discipline to be laid at no one’s feet but my own.

I coach it then allow it to happen.

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Military

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U.S. military a potential big customer for satellite industry’s new low-cost terminals, Space News
Top Marine wants to lighten the weight carried by grunts, Marine Times
Rand Paul: Americans are Tired of Constant War, The National Interest
How Much do Nato Member Nations Spend on Defense, Real Clear Defense
10 Ways to Fix the US Military’s Close Combat Lethality, War on the Rocks
How the Military Plans to Win the next War: 1,000s of Tiny Drones Taking Over Your Cell Phone, The National Interest
Amid Little Scrutiny, US Military Ramps Up in Afghanistan, Small Wars Journal
The 7 Best Marksmen in US Military History, Real Clear Defense
Small Drone Threats to Infantry Require Countermeasures, Homeland Security Newswire

Homeland Security / First Responder / Wildland Fire

Trump’s Korean gambit could be a win regardless of the outcome, The Hill
NC Deputy Killed in Crash During Pursuit, Police One
Will US Join UK in Challenging Russia over Nerve Agent Spy Attack? The Cipher Brief
Calif. Mourns Officer Killed On Last Day of Training, Police One
2 Ohio Firefighters Injured in Separate Fires, Firefighter Close Calls
Oakland Cafe Won’t Serve Police, Police Mag.
What Does Police Work Smell Like?, LE Magazine
The Need for Tactical Trainer Professional Organizations, SSD

Mountain

Low Snow Years Cost Ski Towns $1 Billion, Powder Magazine
Two Ultra Runners Attempting FKT on Great Himalayan Trail, The Adventure Blog
There’s More to Instant Coffee than Starbucks Via, Adventure Journal
New Broadheads for 2018, Bowhunter.com
This Old Ambulance Is the Perfect Ski Rig, Powder Magazine
THE TRENDSETTER: HOW DINY HARRISON, THE FIRST NORTH AMERICAN WOMAN TO EARN AN INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN-GUIDE CERTIFICATION, HAS FORGED HER PATH, Basecampmagazine.com
Is North American Wildlife Management Science-Based?, Outside Magazine
Skier numbers dropped by 10 percent on average during low snowfall years over the last 15 years, Powder Magazine
Squaw Valley Academy Is The Big Mountain Boarding School Dreams Are Made Of, Unofficial Networks
Video: Mountain Fever -Crisis on a Mountaineering Expedition, The Adventure Blog

Fitness / Nutrition

What We Can Learn from Roger Bannister, Outside Magazine
TREATING LOW BACK PAIN USING DEADLIFTS, The Barbell Physio
Have A Plan For Your Comeback From Injury, Breaking Muscle
Why the Type of Folate You Take Matters, Mark’s Daily Apple
Why Popping Too Much Ibuprofen Can Mess With Your Muscle Gains, Men’s Health
The 5 Biggest Mistakes People Make Returning to Training After a Shoulder Injury, Mike Reinold
Probiotics and Fish Oil During Pregnancy May Curb Allergies in Kids, The New York Times
Can we turn back time? Muscles’ own protective systems could help reduce frailty, Science Daily
Can a green smoothie cleanse put you in the ER? Robb Wolf

By Rob Shaul

In March 2018, I had three US Ski Team athletes, all injured at or just prior to that year’s Olympics, training with us at MTI for a short, hard, 3-week cycle.

Male downhillers Steven Nyman and Tommy Biesemeyer, and female slalom specialist, Resi Stiegler are the working through the cycle.

Steve and Resi both suffered knee injuries. Tommy popped his achilles tendon in a violent crash. All three were still in physical therapy for their respective injuries, and this cycle was not designed as a rehab to their injuries, but rather to train the rest of their body around the injury.

It’s a short, 3-week “base fitness” cycle, focused on general conditioning and strength-based durability. I’m actually “lab ratting” these elite athletes for a coming update to our current Training Plan for Athletes Suffering a Leg Injury.

The “wounded skier” cycle concurrently trains 4 fitness attributes:

– Lower Body Strength (single limb)

– Upper Body Hypertrophy (mass)

– Chassis Integrity (MTI’s core strength programming)

– Work Capacity (gym-based, multi-mode)

Strength Training

I deployed assessment-based, density strength training with the skiers. Below are the four strength assessments they completed on Session 1:

6RM 1-Leg Box Squat (15″ Box) with Good Leg

We used kettlebells for the loading, and I decided to go with a 6 Rep Max assessment for this cycle. These athletes, as you can imagine, are super strong, and I simply would not have had heavy enough kettlebells for them to find a 3RM, let alone 1RM max. My intention was to deploy a version of our Big 24 programming for the follow-on progressions in density format. Simply, I’ll drop down one kettlebell size from their 6RM load, and have them complete 6 Rounds of 6 reps every 90 seconds. Over the course of the cycle I’ll progress the loading, hopefully having them finish the cycle 1 kettlebell size larger then their initial 6RM assessment. With the box squats, I’m targeting their good-leg quad.

1RM 1-Leg Hinge/Dead Lift with Good Leg

These ski racers are all familiar with this exercise, and I decided to use the barbell and proceed with a 1RM effort. I’ll deploy our standard Density Progression – and for the first level, have them complete 6 Rounds of 4x Reps at 80% of 1RM every 90 seconds. By the end of this short cycle, I’ll hope to progress them to 90 or 95% of 1RM for 6 Rounds of 4 reps.

1RM Bench Press

While conducting this assessment, Steve – a 15-year US Ski Team veteran said he’s never completed a 1 Rep Max bench press assessment! Ski racing, unlike ski mountaineering, does not have an uphill element and thus, in my mind, ski racers can benefit from upper body mass – not only to enhance gravity’s effect, but also to have upper body muscle for durability. Although we conducted a 1RM assessment, I’m using 6 Rounds of 8 Reps for the density progression. Sets of 8-15 reps train hypertrophy. We began the progression at 60% of 1RM, but I found it light for these athletes, and will jump to 75% for their level 2 effort. I’d hope to progress them to 6 Rounds of 8 reps at 85% 1RM by the end of cycle. For high bench press training age athletes, this would be too ambitious, but these athletes have a relatively low upper body strength training age – and it may be possible.

Max Rep Body Weight Pull Ups

I’m balancing the upper body press (bench press) in this cycle with simple bodyweight pull ups for an upper body pull exercise. We conducted a max rep effort Day 1, and used 6 rounds at 40% of max reps on a 75-second interval for their level-1 progression. We’ve used this progression several times with success.

Progressed Density training based on these assessments will be trained two times per week. Each strength 1/2 session the skiers train Lower and Upper body strength.

See the video below for a quick clip of the density 1-leg box squat and 1-leg hinge lift density rounds.

Chassis Integrity

Four, 1/2 sessions/week which means the wounded skiers will train their midsection every day. Monday/Wednesdays will be a circuit consisting of a Anti-Rotation. Rotation, and Total Core exercises (ART). Tues/Thursdays they’ll train the low back/extension exclusively. This cycle has a heavy and intense mid-section strength component.

Work Capacity

Multi-mode, gym-based, working around their injured legs. Three Durations … 10 + 10, 20 minutes and 30 minutes. Think 1-leg rowing, 1-leg airdyne, 1-leg burpees, 1-leg sled pushes, sit ups, push ups, etc. 

This week they completed a 10 + 10 work cap hit on Tuesday and a 20 minute work cap hit on Thursday. 

Tuesday’s efforts: 

(1) 3 Rounds

• 1 Minute 1-Leg Row
• 1 Minute 1-Leg Airdyne
• 1 Minute EO’s
• 20 seconds to move between stations

(2) 10 Minutes ….

• 1-Leg Sled Push (Men, 60 Feet, Resi 30 Feet)

Thursday’s Effort:

(1) 20 Minute Grind …

• 3x Seated Sandbag Clean & Press @ 20/40#
• 20 Foot All-4’s Forward Sandbag Drag
• 3x Seated Sandbag Clean & Press @ 20/40#
• 20 Foot All-4’s Backward Sandbag Drag

Weekly Schedule:

• Monday: Strength, Chassis Integrity (ART)
• Tuesday: Work Capacity, Chassis Integrity (Low Back)
• Wednesday: Strength, Chassis Integrity (ART)
• Thursday: Work Capacity, Chassis Integrity (Low Back)
• Friday-Sunday: Rest

Wounded Leg Work

We’re using big rubber bands to train the skiers’ wounded legs two times/week. Using bands, and laying the athletes on the floor, on their backs, we’ve been able to get in some wounded leg work without affecting the injured joints.

We can train both a pull and a push using the bands and I’m deploying a simple interval format. Today they completed three rounds 40 seconds of work pulling or pressing against the band with their bad legs, and 20 seconds rest. Simple but hard. The goal is to safely, but directly work the wounded leg’s muscles. One of the major issues is muscle atrophy, and any direct work we can sneak in will hold a little of this off.

Questions, Comments, Feedback? Email coach@mtntactical.com

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2. APFT Training Plan
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4. Humility
5. Military On-Ramp Training Plan 
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7. FBI Special Agent PFT Training Plan 
8. USMC PFT PLAN
9. 3-Week Push Ups & Pull Up Improvement Plan
10. Running Improvement Training Plan
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12. Fortitude
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17. Ranger School Training Plan
18. Ultimate Meathead Cycle (Strength, Hypertrophy)
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Learn more about our Plans and Subscription HERE

We recently published an article on the FMS Screen where Rob goes in on the “holes” of the screening system.  We’ve received some interesting comments/feedback from the MTI Community on social media which we wanted to share with you. If you too have questions, comments or thoughts on this matter, email us at coach@mtntactical.com.

COMMENT

Good article. But I think one thing you’re forgetting about is the FMS is not a be all end all screen. It’s one tool in a toolbox full of other assessments and screens. The FMS does not measure fitness so that’s why it was not a good predictor for fitness like you mentioned. It only measures movement patterns. You should be including other strength and aerobic tests in your overall assessment of an athlete as well. Also for those athletes that you mentioned who scored poorly but were able to handle dings along the way … I think it’s important to look at why they can handle it and if they are compensating somewhere else. Something may be “working” for them now but it’s important to think about the long term side affects to what they are doing now. If we’re only thinking about our athletes in the short term and not the long term then we are doing them a disservice.

Sir – I didn’t write that the FMS was a predictor of fitness. What I wrote is that the FMS score has been marketed as a predictor of durability, but this simply hasn’t proven out in the research. Fitness, however, has been proven as a predictor of durability.

ANSWER

Interesting point you make about long term and short term. This may be true for recreational athletes, but it’s a serious risk for mountain and tactical athletes. The problem with FMS and other examples of excessive emphasis on mobility is time spent doing this stuff instead of getting mission-direct fit. Poor fitness is a clear and present danger for injury or worse for mountain and tactical athletes, right now. Not only is poor fitness a danger for the individual athlete, but because of the nature of their work/sport, one team member’s poor fitness can be a danger to other teammates and for First Responders, the public they serve. So I disagree that the emphasis on the short term is nearsighted, especially for military SOF and First Responders, who can be frequently in harms way at work.

– Rob

COMMENT

Thanks for the write up! Over the last decade of training both the general population as well as adventure athletes, I would concur that their initial fitness level is a great indicator of durability/injury. 

However, I’ve also been using the FMS for the last 5 years as a test/re-test on specific mobility restrictions. It’s been a great indicator of specific issues and allows us to individualize our programming. For example, if someone can’t touch their toes and they score a 1/1 on the ASLR, their risk of back pain/injury during exercise is extremely high. 

Similarly, If they have a large (3/1) asymmetry in their shoulder mobility, dumbbells or kettlebells have proved a much safer bet than the barbell when it comes to overhead work. 

Contrary to some of the FMS protocols, we’ve also seen that strength training will improve these numbers as well. This further validates your point about strength being a great indicator of fewer injuries. 

My point is that there’s definitely merit to these tests but that they’re also not the end all be all. The truth is that everything works, nothing works forever and there’s always room for improvement. 

I love MTI and the Mountain Athlete purpose and drive. I also recognize the fact that as health professionals, we have a responsibility to do no harm. 

As far as your point on warming up, I get it, a SWAT team member is not gonna do glute bridges before he has to clear a house. A Navy Seal isn’t going to o Ys, Ts and Ws before they jump in the ocean. 

However, what most fitness professionals do is TRAIN our students right? That’s why we call it training. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the purpose of training outside one’s work environment is to increase performance through strength, conditioning, agility, speed, balance, power and a number of other domains. But the one caveat is that you may get hurt on the mountain and you may get hurt on your job. You shouldn’t get hurt training for those things. Then you’re screwed. 

Our goal in training should be to help create the strongest, most capable humans on the planet. I love what you guys are doing, and if you’re not having any training related injuries, then awesome! Keep doing what works. 

I’m going to continue to screen new students coming in, individualize their programming and get them as strong as possible with as little risk as possible. (Minimal effective dose). This involves a few FMS tests, strength tests and thorough warm-ups and cool-downs. 

Keep on keepin’ on!

ANSWER

Copy all. Interesting on the ALSR and inability to touch toes as an indicator of potential low back issues. In my experienced low back/hamstring flexibility has not been an indicator of low back durability, but pay more attention moving forward.

Training-related injuries here? Our programming is high impact, and we’ve had a few, but I doubt no more or less than facilities who deploy more tame dynamic warm ups.

If the FMS is working for you, keep doing it. My bigger point is that the FMS has been marketed as an indicator of durability, and this simply has not proven out. Next is there’s a cost to excessive mobility training – especially at the expense of mission-direct fitness.

– Rob

COMMENT

Hi Rob. Agree with most of you on the “validity” of the “FMS product” because as you state: it’s a business. I do know about FMS and did the CF Mobility course and a few more by different organisations. I myself do not use FMS basically on my athletes for the reasons you state. A yoga practioner or dancer would score high on FMS but scores low on external load activities fe. A combination of an FMS score and a CF Total score would be more interesting imo.

When it comes to a warmup, I kinda agree with you, as a CF affiliate owner and head coach I warmup my athletes in every class. CF is a sport so I believe a warmup is appropriate. 

Bút as a tactical athlete myself (yes MTI and other programs) I also agree with you that as a sheepdog you don’t get a warmup, prehab or movement prep when it’s go time. 

On the other hand, training is training and real life is real life.

So in training I dó warm up by using Dynamic Movement Prep to fire up the CNS and some sort of activity to just get the body warmed up like a 500m row, jog or some shadow boxing… to maximize recovery and help keep injury at bay. As a 46-yo athlete who trains 7 days a week this is a real concern.

I believe this helps me to keep on training consistently so that when the time comes I can, without warmup, call on my abilities and conditioning to get the job done.

ANSWER

Copy All. I’m 49, and still do our warm ups …

Read The Entire Original Article Here: “The Tyranny of the FMS”