New Jersey City University
Emergency Personnel Fitness
Firefighter Fit Training Principles
Exercise 1
Section I: Knowledge & Comprehension
A. What is the first important step in the training process?
1. __________________________________________________________________________.
B. Briefly explain with the use of an example, the principle of “training specificity”.
2. __________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
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C. As important as all of the other components of your training program may be, the only way that
you’re going to progress, improve and achieve your training goals is by doing what?
3. _________________________________.
D. Why do most people fail with their initial training attempts? What action can you take to ensure
your training progress and success?
4. __________________________________________________________________________
5. __________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________.
E. To successfully build upon your initial gains, you should gradually increase the frequency (number
of sessions each week) of your workouts, progressively building to the point where you’re training
aerobically nearly every day and/or strength training three or four times per week. Once this has
been accomplished, what changes to your training routine should you make in an effort to
effectively promote further development?
6. __________________________________________________________________________
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F. Once consistency, increased frequency, duration and a sound training foundation have been
achieved, what modification(s) should you make to your training routine in an effort to further
enhance physical and physiological development?
7. __________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________.
G. In using an “intelligent” approach to progressive training, what type of steps (incremental increases)
ultimately lead to the largest gains? Explain why.
8. _________________________________. ________________________________________
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H. The human body is an amazing bio-machine, miraculously responding to vigorous challenges by
improving its ability to better handle them in the future. All you have to do is support it by doing
what three things?
9. _______________________________, ________________________________________ &
__________________________________________________________________________.
I. Explain how you should design your training schedule/program in an effort to optimize development
and minimize the potential for either staleness or injury.
10. _________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________.
J. One safe and productive way to maintain proper balance in your progressive training is to employ a
“hard-easy” approach. Using specific examples, please explain how the “hard-easy” principle of
training can be employed with both aerobic and resistance forms of training.
11. Running Program: __________________________________________________________
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12. Resistance Training Program: _________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
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K. If you do not supply your body with the appropriate nutrients and/or allow adequate time for
recovery with your training, the exercise stress that could and should have been constructive winds
up instead being absolutely what? Imbalanced overtraining will is very likely to produce what?
13. ___________________________________.
14. _______________________, ________________________, ________________________,
________________________, ______________________ & ________________________.
L. Explain what is meant by “balance muscular development. Why is it of critical importance?
15. _________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________.
16. _________________________________________________________________________
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M. Why are lower back injuries so common amongst firefighters, and what action can you take in your
training to minimize the potential for suffering a debilitating lower back injury?
17. _________________________________________________________________________.
18. _________________________________________________________________________.
N. What should you do prior to launching into a vigorous training program, especially if you are
significantly de-conditioned and /or more than 40 years of age?
8. __________________________________________________________________________.
O. Why is it so important to conduct a pre-test assessment of your fitness levels in the capacities that
you wish to develop prior to beginning your training program?
9. __________________________________________________________________________.
P. Describe an appropriate training outfit for the following types of workouts:
10. Weight lifting: ____________________________________________________________.
11. Running: _________________________________________________________________.
Q. Should people who are just being introduce to resistance training use free-weights or resistance
machines and why?
12. _______. ________________________________________________________________.
R. What are some of the added values of resistance training with the use of dumbbells and barbells?
13. _________________________________________________________________________.
S. Why is it a good idea to use a journal to record your training and diet?
14. _________________________________________________________________________
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