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Physical fitness is essential to acquire and sustain a career in this industry. Lifting patients, carrying equipment, and moving around with heavy gear are common tasks that require high physical demands.

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Maintaining a high level of fitness improves job performance and reduces the risk of injuries, fatigue, and burnout. Additionally, staying fit enhances overall well-being, ensuring responders are ready to meet the challenges of their profession while safeguarding their long-term health. A commitment to fitness is a commitment to saving lives, including your own.

Fitness

First Responder Fitness

Resources for First Responder fitness

Basic Life Support renewal for emts
First Responder Fitness Resources

Ways to Train

If you have access to a gym or to personal equipment, here are some exercises for each muscle group to do consistently to optimize strength, speed, agility, and endurance. 


If you don't like going to gyms, a lot of these exercises can be achieved by purchasing some basic equipment, such as dumbbells, a plate, or a kettlebell.   

Compound Exercises/ Full body

  • WALL BALLS

  • TURKISH GET-UPS

  • POWER CLEANS

  • SLED PUSHES

  • TIRE FLIPS

  • WALL HANDSTANDS

  • MUSCLE UPS

  • CLEAN AND PRESS

  • THRUSTERS [DUMBBELL OR BARBELL]

  • KETTLEBELL SWINGS

  • SPRINTS

BICEPS

  • CHIN-UPS

  • BICEP CURLS, STANDING OR SITTING [DUMBBELL OR EZ BAR]

  • HAMMER CURLS

  • CONCENTRATION CURL

  • PREACHER CURL [DUMBBELL OR EZ BAR]

  • ZOTTMAN CURL

  • CROSS-BODY HAMMER CURLS

  • CABLE BICEP CURLS [USING A STRAIGHT BAR OR ROPE ATTACHMENT]

  • CABLE REVERSE CURLS

  • CABLE SPIDER CURLS [FACING AWAY FROM THE MACHINE, USING HANDLES]

Ways to Train for EMS Careers- FItness at home or in the gym

A list of Comprehensive Exercises

First Responder Fitness-Fully Body Workout/Exercises
Upper Body Workouts/Exercises for EMS Personnel and Training

Upper Body

  • PUSH UPS + VARIATIONS

  • BENCH PRESS [DUMBBELL OR BARBELL]

  • INCLINE & DECLINE BENCH PRESS [DUMBBELL OR BARBELL]

  • CHEST FLY [DUMBBELL]

  • SQUEEZE PRESS CLOSE-GRIP BENCH PRESS

  • CHEST FLYS [CABLE CROSSOVER MACHINE]

  • CABLE LOW-TO-HIGH & HIGH-TO-LOW FLYS

  • CABLE STANDING CHEST PRESS CABLE SINGLE-ARM CHEST FLY CHEST PRESS MACHINE INCLINE CHEST PRESS MACHINE PEC DECK [CHEST FLY MACHINE]

ems training

TRICEPS

  • DIAMOND PUSH-UPS

  • TRICEP DIPS [USING PARALLEL BARS OR A CHAIR/BENCH]

  • SKULL CRUSHERS [DUMBBELL OR BAR]

  • TRICEPS EXTENSIONS

  • TRICEP KICKBACKS

  • CLOSE-GRIP BENCH PRESS [DUMBBELL OR BARBELL]

  • CABLE TRICEP PUSHDOWNS [USING A STRAIGHT BAR OR ROPE ATTACHMENT]

  • CABLE OVERHEAD TRICEPS EXTENSION [USING A ROPE OR BAR ATTACHMENT]

  • CABLE REVERSE-GRIP

  • TRICEP PUSHDOWN [PALMS FACING UP]

  • SEATED OVERHEAD TRICEPS EXTENSION

  • MACHINE CABLE ROPE TRICEPS OVERHEAD PULL

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BACK

  • PULL UPS

  • BENT-OVER ROW

  • RENEGADE ROWS

  • DEADLIFTS

  • SHRUGS

  • REVERSE FLY

  • INCLINE ROWS

  • FARMER’S WALK

  • T-BAR ROW

  • SEATING OR STANDING ROW [CABLE MACHINE]

  • LAT PULLDOWN

  • LAT PULLOVER

  • CABLE FACE PULLS OR CABLE SEATED HIGH ROWS

  • CHEST-SUPPORTED ROW

LEGS

  • BARBELL BACK SQUATS

  • UNWEIGHTED SQUATS

  • GOBLET SQUATS

  • JUMP SQUATS

  • SUMO SQUAT

  • BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUATS

  • PISTOL SQUATS

  • WALL SITS

  • STATIC DUMBBELL LUNGES

  • REVERSE DUMBBELL LUNGES

  • CALF RAISES

  • STEP-UPS [DUMBBELLS]

  • WALKING LUNGES

  • BARBELL LUNGES

  • ROMANIAN DEADLIFT

  • DEADLIFTS

  • HIP THRUSTS

  • SINGLE-LEG GLUTE BRIDGE

  • DONKEY KICKS

  • FIRE HYDRANTS

  • LEG PRESS

  • HACK SQUAT

  • LEG CURLS

  • LEG EXTENSIONS

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EMS Fitness Workouts/Exercises
Cardio and Fitness for First Responder

SHOULDERS

  • CURL TO PRESS [PLATE]

  • HIP TO HIP [PLATE]

  • AROUND THE WORLD [PLATE]

  • FRONT RAISES [PLATE, DUMBBELL]

  • OVERHEAD PRESS, SEATED OR STANDING

  • ARNOLD PRESS

  • LATERAL RAISE [DUMBBELL]

  • REAR DELT FLY [DUMBBELL] SHRUGS

  • PUSH PRESS [DUMBBELL OR BARBELL]

  • CABLE LATERAL RAISES

  • CABLE FRONT RAISES [USING A STRAIGHT BAR OR HANDLE]

  • CABLE REAR DELT FLYS

  • CABLE OVERHEAD PRESS [ONE-ARM OR TWO-ARM WITH PULLEY AT SHOULDER HEIGHT]

  • SEATED SHOULDER PRESS

  • MACHINE SEATED LATERAL RAISE

  • MACHINE SEATED REAR DELT FLYS 

Cardio

  • RUNNING

  • BURPEES

  • JUMPING JACKS

  • STAIR RUNS

  • JUMP ROPE

  • ROW MACHINE

  • STATIONARY CYCLING / SPIN BIKE

  • BATTLE ROPES

  • SKI MACHIN

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