Academy Prep

[Guest truckiehand]

Hello, I was looking for some information about preparing for a career fire academy, specifically for the Westchester Career Fire Academy. I was recently canvassed and have been preparing for the CPAT for about a year and was trying to find out more information about any academy requirements, I know FDNY makes you run 1.5 miles in a set amount of time and also have pull-up, sit-up, and push-up requirements, does Westchester have any of these requirements? As I said I have been getting ready for the CPAT, but want to make sure I am getting ready for the actual academy as well. Thanks in advance for any help.

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

Your on the right track, Good luck !

[jd783 64]

Jog,Ears open,Mouth shut you'll do fine

[weaselff 6]

Do lots of deadlifts, squats and kettlebell swings. If you can afford it go to a CROSSFIT affiliate...if you can't follow their workouts as best you can on the crossfit.com website. Cardio is OVERATED, take a run through the woods every now and then or jump on stairmaster with a waited vest once or twice a week. Also climb ropes and do lots of pull ups and push ups...when you get tired do some more. Eat natural food..don't eat processed crap made in a science lab. Follow this advice and you will be a beast at the academy.

[Raz 14]

Quads are your most important muscle, work on them until it burns. Everything else is secondary.

[Tanker 10eng 140]

Quads are your most important muscle

geeee my Mom always told me your brain was the most important muscle, guess not here .

lol

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Do lots of deadlifts, squats and kettlebell swings. If you can afford it go to a CROSSFIT affiliate...if you can't follow their workouts as best you can on the crossfit.com website. Cardio is OVERATED, take a run through the woods every now and then or jump on stairmaster with a waited vest once or twice a week. Also climb ropes and do lots of pull ups and push ups...when you get tired do some more. Eat natural food..don't eat processed crap made in a science lab. Follow this advice and you will be a beast at the academy.

Great advice. I have some information about nutrition that was given to me from Cenegenics Medical Institute in Charleston, S.C. This can be very helpful for everybody;

1. Never skip meals; This will force your body into starvation mode and cause your metabolism to slow down, basically hoarding whatever calories you eat. Rather, eat smaller meals more frequently, based on the following suggestions. Think of food as fuel for your body.

2. Base each meal around a lean protein source: fish, chicken, turkey, lean beef (occasionally), yogurt (plain, unsweetened), cheese, cottage cheese and legumes (including soy). The serving size of protein should be about the size of the palm of your hand and the height of a deck of cards.

3. Cut out high glycemic carbohydrates: Bread, pasta, rice, cereals, candy, baked goods, pretzels, sweets, etc.

4. Eat at least 3-5 servings of fresh vegetables and 1-2 servings of fresh fruit every day: Vegetables are an excellent source of phyto-nutrients and fiber. Choose whole fruits instead of fruit juice because juicing removes the fiber and increases the glycemic index. Avoid corn, potatoes, bananas, dried fruit and tropical fruits (pineapple, mango, papaya, etc.).

5. Add healthy fats to your diet: Essential omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids are crucial for the prevention of heart disease, arthritis, joint problems and immune system weakness. Good sources include salmon, sardines, almonds, walnuts, avocados, olive oil, canola oil and fish supplements.

6. Drink lots of water: Drink 6-8, 8 ounce glasses of pure(distilled) water daily. Drink one extra glass for every caffeinated beverage and when you exercise.

7. Keep alcohol intake to a minimum: While 4-8 ounces of red wine daily provides health benefits, more than that can increase your health risk. Dry red wine is the best choice. Hard alcohols are also low glycemic. Everything in moderation.

8. Choose natural products: Avoid refined foods, hydrogenated oils, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives. Avoid fat-free products, which usually make up for a lack of taste by adding artificial ingredients and sugar. Shop the perimeter of your grocery store.

9. Take your suppliments daily: Studies show reduced calorie diets without supplementation lower metabolism, but with supplementation the metabolism is unchanged.

It's not easy to keep to these guidelines. If you have to cheat, it's better to have one big blowout day per week, than to keep nibbling here and there. If anyone is interested I have a comprehensive list of the glycemic index of specific foods and a protein reference list. You can PM me here on the site, or e-mail me at efdcapt115@aol.com. Best of luck.

[Guest jcnyc]

If you dont do cardio you are going to sell yourself short. This job is balls to the wall for 10-20 minutes. If you are useless after the first 6 flights of stairs what good are you when you need to force that door and make a search or move a handline. Run intervals and do stairs, with weights if you have a vest or with dumbells in your hands. I went through the academy before this BS CPAT test, if you didnt run you were going to be forced out or put in the spotlight, two things you never want.

[weaselff 6]

I don't think you understand exactly what I'm talking about. If you have a minute look up crossfit on youtube. Any serious crossfitter would have no problem climbing 6 flights of stairs and going to work. I rarely run but when I do I still post ridiculous times. Crossfit is fast becoming the workout program of choice for military special ops and emergency services personell all over the country because it works. Unfortunately it hasn't caught on as much here in the northeast but it is gaining poplarity everyday.

If you dont do cardio you are going to sell yourself short. This job is balls to the wall for 10-20 minutes. If you are useless after the first 6 flights of stairs what good are you when you need to force that door and make a search or move a handline. Run intervals and do stairs, with weights if you have a vest or with dumbells in your hands. I went through the academy before this BS CPAT test, if you didnt run you were going to be forced out or put in the spotlight, two things you never want.

Edited December 29, 2009 by weaselff

[Guest Firediver]

First off, what is your current fitness level? HS/college athlete? Do you have a regular fitness routine? if so, what is it? When are you going to start the academy? Q's to answer before you jump on any type of balls to the wall routine. If you want PM me and I will try to get you going in the right direction. - Hurley

[efdcapt115 1,511]

First off, what is your current fitness level? HS/college athlete? Do you have a regular fitness routine? if so, what is it? When are you going to start the academy? Q's to answer before you jump on any type of balls to the wall routine. If you want PM me and I will try to get you going in the right direction. - Hurley

You're right to ask these questions; what is the baseline from where it would be appropriate for the prospective probie to begin a physical fitness program. I should have added to the nutrition info I posted that it is for building a stronger physical foundation to be able to tackle the testing and maintenance program he wants to develop.

[Guest Firediver]

Everyone is different Capt. without speaking to him I could not offer anything specific. This is not something that can be done over email or reading Muscle & Fiction mags. Someone could work on a farm and have that "Country strength" where he could pull ceilings for days. Not to say someone couldnt get there. Everyone has their own baseline and some will be higher/lower on the same scale. I hope this somewhat answers your question Capt. -Hurley

[Guest Firediver]

Oh Yeah Capt., you and weaselff are spot on about the nutrition aspect!!

[efdcapt115 1,511]

I hope this somewhat answers your question Capt. -Hurley

Yes, thank you brother. I hope all the input helps the guy succeed.

[Guest truckiehand]

I would like to thank everyone for the great response, I currently go to the gym 5-6 days a week and focus mostly on cardio...30 min w/ 25 pound weight vest, then jog a mile on the tread mill. I also do full warm-up with sit-ups, push-ups, lite jog, and stretching. I work as a carpenter so I am pretty all around strong, but I am looking to lift some more so I think I will be trying to find a trainer to help me make a program up. I have little knowledge of weight lifting except what I remember from high school sports, which isn't much. Thanks again for the great response.

[wraftery 1,275]

Try on line to Chesapeake, VA Fire Dept

They used to have a downloadable video of the CPAT.

I'll look for it too and let you know

Good Luck

Here it is: cityofchesapeake.net >fire department >CPAT

You will get a streaming video

Edited December 30, 2009 by wraftery

[x635 4,066]

This was one of the best investments I made ever for fitness purposes, especially CPAT and academy preparation:

http://www.weightvest.com