Bro lets be honest, if your job is to run into danger, or to aid, those that are either unable to defend themselves, you need to be able to help them. No one should have to worry that a medic, or firefighter can't do their job because of their health. Stay safe, and active my friends.
32 yr career ff/pm been retired 4 yrs and still training as if the civil war is going to start tomorrow. Inspite of all DEI brainwashing we’ve been forced to endure, the “ Lindsey’s “ of fire/ems/Leo will never equally carry their corner of 200lb plus gurney, stokes basket, ladder or sled as well as ur fat dude partner with holes in the armpit of his faded class B uniform. Or do I owe The women of the secrete service an apology ? Yes I’m an asshole but I identify as someone who ran over 17k calls in a city of 1.4 million
I lost 180lbs. Changed my life. With pcos, it's not easy to keep weight off but it's absolutely necessary for a healthy life. If you're not in shape, you're absolutely a liability, both in physical condition and in health. Mobility is vital.Being heavier makes it harder for spinal taps, it's harder to be saved if you're stuck because you're heavy, it's harder sometimes to find veins and listen to noises in your stomach and other organs. Fitness is absolutely essential.
My cousins all had pcos (3 sisters). Going vegan for a year really improved their symptoms. Just throwing that out there. It helped their quality of life.
@@Wonky4925Yeah I don't think I believe "lead by example" applies so much as they say. Hilariously, tax benefits for being fit would go a lot further. People are mostly motivated by their own immediate self interest, and struggle to grasp how much better their lives would be if they were fit. It reads like sacrifice because you have to forego instant gratification. In short, the west is full of addicts. We need strong leadership and cultural change.
@caiman114 well, I've lasted 30 years.on the road without knocking the gym, I walk the dogs, eat well and find lifting punters all day keeps me fit....ish
@@Wonky4925 not knocking you at all sir, just saying we all get through most days without much real exertion. Its the one you don't see coming that gets you
I did highschool swim for 4 years and got into awesome shape. I've since fallen off the horse and lost all that progress I made. I also just started as a probie with a fire department so now I'm getting back at it
Great video. I’m an EMT here in Colorado too. I currently got a physical trainer to help me get stronger so I can do pass my physical agility test that I plan on taking in April/may
I’ve been military, wildland fire, and now getting into EMS. It blows my mind when I see people out of shape in these professions. If you can’t care for yourself, how are you going to care for your teammates next to you and for the people you’re trying to help? As a patient and your teammate, I wouldn’t trust you.
Big fear I have going into ems. I'm currently 6'0 290lb. But just 5 months ago I weighed 330. But I've changed my lifestyle and work strength training and cardio regularly. But I worry that despite my efforts I will be judged as dangerous, it's a great motivation to keep going. I just hope someone will see my determination.
I’m probably going to get a few jokes made about this post but I had to ditch the free weights for a while and started using the Total Gym after shoulder surgery. I found that it helped me stay in the game. I have been in Fire/EMS for 20 years and maintained good fitness throughout my professional career, just because we age doesn’t mean we let ourselves get out of shape and lose our edge. Even staying in shape, injuries can still occur, like I found out sometimes we need to change our routine and approach.
Thanks for the video. Well presented and great to have your guests' perspective as well. Everyone in the public safety space should watch this make an effort to do better with their personal health.
I don't normally comment on channels Just thought today was a good day I love your videos,you are a down to earth real person,and I appreciate your take on each topic and video you present Thank you for all your effort and information that you provide
Watched this while doing a treadmill incline walk/run. Great advice. Im a corrections officer (CERT/SRT) and fitness is paramount in the first responder field
Physical preparedness (fitness) is so crucial for first responders. This was the focus of my PhD and I developed a physical preparedness tool which assesses the essential components of fitness for emergency care providers engaging in rescue.
The first sentence says it all. As a retired Navy Chief (I retired out of the reserves after 9 years of active duty, in case someone tries to call me out with the math) and still going 21 year police officer turning 50 next month, I definitely echo what you say to my guys at work. It disgusts me when I see another officer who can’t take care of themself much less the public they are supposed to protect. I kick my own ass everyday because the bad guys stay the same age and I keep getting older. Great video.
It was a literal major gut check for me when I helped medics and police remove a deceased person from the scene of a double shooting homicide back in this past late November… he was about 6’2 pushing 300 lbs and had to be double bagged and tagged. We the 4 of us with I being the most muscular and second fattest carried them down 3 flights of stairs together and it was no simple task. Also, more recently handling my 80+ pound German Shepherd puppy who is not easy to maintain full control over on the leash has educated me that I can, and should, do better when it comes to fitness. What I have began with in recent weeks if cutting out tons of sugar, substituting in stevia sweeteners, increasing fiber, certain fats, carbs are about the same, and consuming more produce. A new mainstay for that and fiber intake is baby carrots by the handful. I’ll indulge in some of my old junk some days, but not all day long and I don’t crave it nearly as much! We’re making progress slowly but surely and I am a paying gym member beginning to get their money’s worth as of a few days ago 💪🏼 it’s lovely personal time just for me and away from everything and everyone else too 😮💨
Former prehospitalist (SAR), now a 62 year old caregiver to hospice & Alzheimers patients. Physical fitness, diet & supplements are prioritized more than ever, as they constitute my only health insurance.
This video reminds me of the time that I was a volunteer firefighter in my hometown. I can vividly remember two guys who were officers, one in the department that I was in and the other who served in the town next door. Both guys were huge, as in fat. I think they were both around 300 lbs. I can also remember that their gear was the same size too. I totally agree with Sam on this topic, overall fitness is crucial in general but in the first responder industry it is even more important. While I don't know what happened to those two guys, I hope they are doing well and that they hopefully lost a good portion of their weight.
I did a marathon last year without any training it was very difficult and put me in the mindset that you can do pretty much anything in life if you push yourself hard enough but 50 miles no way fuck that 😂
Most of the people at my agency WANT to be fit, but struggle to be consistent. The issues the general public struggle with regarding fitness are compounded for us. Having a plan is crucial, and I hope admins start pushing this and supporting it more than other things of less importance. At my agency, we're currently doing a mandated training for something that is much much less important than fitness. We have been doing sessions several times per quarter. Priorities could change a little for sure. It's always on the individual though at the end of the day.
I was a college athlete. Then I joined the Marine Corps. Being fit was a very important part of my life. Then I left the military... I was injured and just mentally done with the pain and struggle. So I got lazy. And fat. Really fat. I have never not exercised, but I went a long time without doing anything hard. I am a volunteer EMT, it isn't my job and never will be. But since I decided to fix myself I'm better at the job. I've lost 40 pounds, my endurance is higher, and I'm just in a better mood most of the time. I wouldn't have thought that being fit really mattered in EMS. But it does. A lot.
Easiest way to split time for exercise for ems fitness: 20% functional training such as crossfit, martial arts like jiu jitsu, olympic lifting, strong man, mobility work, etc 20% light to moderate cardio like walks, hiking, bike riding, dancing, etc 10% hard cardio/conditioning like running, sprints, fast bicycling, canoeing, rowing, timed circuits/crossfit, stairs, swimming, surfing, trampoline, burpees, rock climbing etc 30% strength and hypertrophy Get your compound lifts or similar in (bench squat deadlift) substitutions are fine like dumbell press, trap bar, leg press, lunges, machines, etc) then add in some other exercises that you like or that you ant the benefit from curls, tricep work, bodyweight stuff like pushups, pull ups, and situps, rows, leg extensons, glute work, whatever you like really The last 20% is anything you like doing that can be considered some type of exercise. It could be more of something mentioned above or it could even be things like adult sports teams, music festivals, going to amusement parks, ball room dancing, playing with your kids or nieces and nephews, parkour, gymnastics, water sports, desert sports, marathons, spartan races, mud runs, iron mans, triathlons, you name it There is a lot of overlap with these as well just putting some numbers to show the focus and examples to bring ideas to you. But ultimately find a mix of things you love doing and do them. If some areas are lacking, find some things you can tolerate to add in or incentivize yourself to do them more
I started walking during my lunch breaks. Before I'd walk mayne 1/4 of a mile, and i didn't really enjoy it. Now I'm up to 2 miles, and if i skip a walk, I miss it. Little changes really do add up.
Excellent video Sam! I believe that every single first responder organization should have fitness requirements. I have seen too many 500lbs medics and 100lbs EMT's who can't even lift the stretcher. Do you have any tips for us paramedic students? My time is obviously severely limited due to school and I feel like I have really lost a ton of muscle since I started, to the point of possibly becoming a liability. My only physical activity is hiking 4,000 footers in NH every other week or so. Thanks and keep up the good work!
Tactical Barbell is an amazing resource built specifically for people like us. Highly recommend. It's designed to fit into a demanding lifestyle and it's gear toward lasting results without destroying yourself so you cant perform at work.
In law enforcement, "mere presence" is an actual level of force and considered a crime deterrent. The fitness level for police officer is basically your first defense (or biggest weakness).
Do departments need to create or improve fitness standards for continued employment? The potential patients need to help as well. I enjoyed a t shirt that has two figures carrying a rotund patient with “support your local EMS - loose weight” 😁. Thanks for the video.
Another fantastic resource for self-coaching and specialized programs is Wenning strength, that man has shaped my workout regimes for the past 2 years and helped me cut weight from 260 to 190-205lbs while remaining relatively injury free doing things like awkward carries with sandbags as well as strength-based lifting
You can't out exercise a bad diet. Ketovore or carnivore is an excellent way to fuel your body for first responders as you don't eat as often and perform at your best. As a truck driver we face the same views of professionalism and I strive for a well dressed put together look and behaviors. I'm able to better perform my duties after losing 35 lbs and fueling my body with fat over carbs and sugar.
I always say a similar thing "You can't outwalk a bad diet", I see lots of people trying to lose weight by just casually walking on the treadmill thinking that will offset their bad diet. I used to read water meters for a living, typically walking 20,000 - 30,000 steps daily whilst carrying a backpack weighing about 6kg, I also only ate one meal a day, rarely ate breakfast or lunch. Yet despite this I still put on weight going over 100kg because I ate mostly fast food until one day I quit all fast food and sugar cold turkey and lost like 20kg in 4months just from a diet change. Eat mostly whole meats and eggs now, a modified paleo diet seems to work best for me, full carnivore diet leaves me feeling energyless after a few days personally.
If you don't know where to start, there are plenty of plans for starting to run and lift. Or just run 30 minutes at a pace where you can still hold a conversation, 3x a week. This is very slow, you barely break a sweat. Do this for 3 months and then you could run 30 min 2x a week and 1x 40min for 3 months. Then add some fartlek once a week or add some more time to your long run. Just keeping the 30 min runs 3x a week would be good enough though. For lifting, there are plenty of calesthenics, weightlifting etc programs. If you don't know where to start and are in moderate shape already, start doing pushups every day. The first month, do 30 a day. However many sets or reps. Doesn't matter. Just do them. Do them every day next to your bed before you can go to sleep (no it shouldn't keep you awake, there have been studies done). You can use parelettes, gymnastic rings, different variations etc. After 1 to 3 months, you can start doing 50/day. Then 75. Then 100. Or stay at 30 if you just want to do the minimum. If you can, try to implement over time some - rows/pullups/inverted rows (gymnastics rings or Trx type system) - lunges or split squats or bulgarian split squats. You can do these with any weight. You can also do these every day for a certain amount, or start doing workouts 3x a week for a higher intensity instead of continuing every day. Try to use some sort of progressive overload over time. For weightlifting, a simple double progression on your most important lifts is great. Start very light, focus on technique and start adding reps or weight slowly. If you can't add any more, take a good portion of the weight off and start slowly over a month building up past your last max. If you can't get stronger despite training hard, you probably need some time off to rest. If that didn't work, you might want to look if you have some weakness or imbalance or bad technique.
Having overweight first responder is something you mostly see in the US. You don't see fat cops or firefighters in most parts of the world. In some countries you even have PT tests at the beginning of each shift every morning. If you can't do pulls up, in front of the whole squad, then you're not going out on calls. With firefighters who fail the test they can't answer fire calls, they are stuck to the ambulance.
Excellent podcast. I went to an EMS conference a year ago and attended a seminar on “The Well-Being of the First Responder.” I counted - 90 percent were over age 50, 40 percent of the EMTs in that session were obese, and I doubt that fully 10 percent could get to the floor to perform CPR. Most of the attendees are rural, volunteer EMS and basically are starved for volunteers and have to take whoever they can. But really, should volunteer status matter?
I've been trying to get into better shape myself. Crappy thing is though, can be somewhat difficult, because the service areas in my area have no gyms whatsoever, and the weather is pretty bad too (snows a lot) so it's a bit difficult, even though that is an excuse. Difficult with my current hours too, which I know is another excuse as well. I really don't know what to be doing to improve.
Obviously everyone’s needs are different so you are going to need to figure a lot of it out on your own based off of your own situation. I personally don’t have a gym membership and do almost everything at home, at work or on the trails. 70% of my weekly long runs are done at work running the same small .75 mile loop over and over again to get to 12-20 miles. I personally run all year long even with snow and just bundle up when I need to (some gortex road runners will do wonders for you). Other than that 1-3 kettlebells will do amazing things for strength and don’t cost an arm and a leg.
@PrepMedic Thanks for the reply, and yeah, I'd say at home is my best bet, and thank you for the tips! I'm brand new to EMS (started last week) but I want to improve fitness, not only for myself, but for the people I work with and the people I come across as well.
Kind of a predicament that I lost my gym membership right before I start EMT school lol. Just too expensive but I’m figuring it out. Did some time in the USMC so I figured out how to work out with nothing. I’ve just learned to HATE cardio 😂 Also a question, do you think a workout style that worked pretty well for me in the military would apply well to EMS? I really just got good at power lifting and doing strongman exercises. My goal was to pick up and move heavy and awkward objects.
I see you have a lot of kit reviews. Please, what is your number one recommendation for a medical kit to go on a battle belt or plate carrier? Thank you
I say this often; if you are certified in CPR for your job, you OWE it to your patients to have the physical fitness to actually perform CPR on a real person, for an extended period of time. 55 year old nurse Betty getting the slide on her CPR recert because she “can’t get on her hands and knees” is a disservice to the field.
Not only is the public depending on you your co-workers are too. Especially if youre a leo or firefighter. I wouldn't want to go into a structure fire with someone who isn't fit enough to drag myself or a victim out.
Am I the only one who watches the news, and videos on youtube and see SO many LE officers who need a bookmark to find their privates? I’m not talking about when wearing a duty vest - I mean there are so many public safety officers who couldn’t run after a catch’s a bad guy if the cop is given a head start.
The topic of this video shouldn't be controversial in the least. There are different types of "fit" in these jobs, but it's generally not hard to tell who will excel at the job and who is going to struggle. You don't need to be a super athlete, but when I see 300+lb obese firefighters or cops then you can draw some fairly reasonable conclusions about how they would perform when shit gets real.
Great channel and great content. I can tell we agree on a lot of things, especially about survival medicine. If I may give one recommendation, is to try to consciously limit the amount of times you say “uhh” or “umm”. I remember being in speech 101 in college and having to do presentations, and I said umm SO much. I have to make a conscious effort to not say umm when speaking. I noticed when you were inserting that NPA in your other video you sounded a little nervous or off-script and said umm a ton. Just like being fat, saying umm too much can shake someone’s credibility. Great content tho!
I just started my EMT journey 2 days ago, had to do the physical test yesterday and the 3 minutes of CPR had me a little out of breath 😂 everything else felt fairly easy but that one killed me a little hahaha
As someone who who is 400lbs at almost 50 who keeps up with the 20 something’s in our squad. As for being physical fitness part, I’m as physically capable of doing these things. I understand that the “physically fit” folks in my field always seem to judge a book by its cover. I don’t need to run 15 miles when im rescuing patients. Sorry to sound like I’m pissy, but I get sick of this sort of crap.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the matter! This opens up a very interesting line of discussion on this topic and I appreciate your candor. Like I said in the beginning of the video, this wasn’t intended to fat shame or even promote weight loss necessarily. I’m discussing physical capability, but I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that for a lot of people ability does have a correlation to weight. In your case I am impressed that at 400 pounds and close to 50 you are still doing the job. As you said there are people in their 20s and 30s who weigh half that much and get medically retired. Are you the exception or the rule though? If we ran the numbers how many 400 pound people are in the fire service and how many of them will make it to a normal retirement age? When it comes to “keeping up” with your thinner counterparts, to what extent is that? Is it on the job during day to day calls? How many interior attacks are you doing with them? Can you do the 9/11 memorial stair climb with them at the same pace? I agree that distance running does not translate directly to the fire service but cardiovascular ability does. It also seems like you experience one of the down sides that I talk about in the video which is purely weight bias among your coworkers. This all ignores the significant amount increase in risk for heart disease, stroke and MI that comes with obesity. Obviously I have a channel with 500,000 followers and I make videos that give general advice so there will always be exceptions. I always like hearing different opinions and perspectives than my own so please don’t take anything above as judgement.
My man I can promise you at near 50 and 400 pounds you are not going to be keeping up with anyone worth while who is half your age and weight. Or anyone who is half your weight and any age who takes their physical fitness seriously. I can say that because I am both of those things and take physical fitness very seriously due to my jobs as a firefighter/paramedic. The goal isn’t to “keep up with the 20 something’s” at your particular squad, it’s to better yourself daily for yourself, your coworkers, and the people you serve. It doesn’t take any physical fitness to pick gramma up from dialysis, but what about when you need to go the extra mile on that difficult call? It’s also for your safety. If you go down, are your coworkers going to be able to pull you out of a bad spot? And if you’re a FF, add on the weight of gear and a pack? Unlikely. As someone who states they work on an ambulance, you have to recognize that obesity vastly increases the risk of many medical conditions as Sam has stated.
Sam, great stuff here. I’ve noticed that I hurt a lot more when I’m out of shape, like my lower back will hurt when I’m not lifting. It gets worse with age, too. As I approach fifty I MUST work hard enough to force my body to maintain muscle. It doesn’t need to be long killer workouts, but walking won’t do it, either. A good follow-up video would be on injury and illness recovery. When you do jack up your back or get pneumonia, for example, are there strategies for getting your health back to solid ground? I’m struggling with that at the moment, as last week during the winter storm I jacked up something in my back while replacing a car battery in the parking lot of the parts store. Now I’m in that negative cycle of hurting too much to exercise, but needing to exercise to hurt less.
Even if your aren't a first responder, general fitness just makes life better. If you can't enjoy the riches of life, at least enjoy the basics of it.
Bro lets be honest, if your job is to run into danger, or to aid, those that are either unable to defend themselves, you need to be able to help them. No one should have to worry that a medic, or firefighter can't do their job because of their health. Stay safe, and active my friends.
Saw that in prison, overweight Correctional Officerw.
32 yr career ff/pm been retired 4 yrs and still training as if the civil war is going to start tomorrow. Inspite of all DEI brainwashing we’ve been forced to endure, the “ Lindsey’s “ of fire/ems/Leo will never equally carry their corner of 200lb plus gurney, stokes basket, ladder or sled as well as ur fat dude partner with holes in the armpit of his faded class B uniform. Or do I owe The women of the secrete service an apology ? Yes I’m an asshole but I identify as someone who ran over 17k calls in a city of 1.4 million
I lost 180lbs. Changed my life. With pcos, it's not easy to keep weight off but it's absolutely necessary for a healthy life. If you're not in shape, you're absolutely a liability, both in physical condition and in health. Mobility is vital.Being heavier makes it harder for spinal taps, it's harder to be saved if you're stuck because you're heavy, it's harder sometimes to find veins and listen to noises in your stomach and other organs. Fitness is absolutely essential.
My cousins all had pcos (3 sisters). Going vegan for a year really improved their symptoms. Just throwing that out there. It helped their quality of life.
Thank-you to all the medical professionals who do stay physically fit. You inspire your patients to do better!
No we dont
@@Wonky4925Yeah I don't think I believe "lead by example" applies so much as they say. Hilariously, tax benefits for being fit would go a lot further. People are mostly motivated by their own immediate self interest, and struggle to grasp how much better their lives would be if they were fit. It reads like sacrifice because you have to forego instant gratification. In short, the west is full of addicts. We need strong leadership and cultural change.
@caiman114 well, I've lasted 30 years.on the road without knocking the gym, I walk the dogs, eat well and find lifting punters all day keeps me fit....ish
@@Wonky4925 not knocking you at all sir, just saying we all get through most days without much real exertion. Its the one you don't see coming that gets you
@@caiman114 indeed.
I did highschool swim for 4 years and got into awesome shape. I've since fallen off the horse and lost all that progress I made. I also just started as a probie with a fire department so now I'm getting back at it
Great video. I’m an EMT here in Colorado too. I currently got a physical trainer to help me get stronger so I can do pass my physical agility test that I plan on taking in April/may
I’ve been military, wildland fire, and now getting into EMS. It blows my mind when I see people out of shape in these professions. If you can’t care for yourself, how are you going to care for your teammates next to you and for the people you’re trying to help? As a patient and your teammate, I wouldn’t trust you.
Big fear I have going into ems. I'm currently 6'0 290lb. But just 5 months ago I weighed 330. But I've changed my lifestyle and work strength training and cardio regularly. But I worry that despite my efforts I will be judged as dangerous, it's a great motivation to keep going. I just hope someone will see my determination.
I’m probably going to get a few jokes made about this post but I had to ditch the free weights for a while and started using the Total Gym after shoulder surgery. I found that it helped me stay in the game. I have been in Fire/EMS for 20 years and maintained good fitness throughout my professional career, just because we age doesn’t mean we let ourselves get out of shape and lose our edge. Even staying in shape, injuries can still occur, like I found out sometimes we need to change our routine and approach.
No jokes at all man. Good on you. Finding a way is what makes a professional, and the amateurs focus on the optics of it.
Stay at it.
As a bedside RN I believe that my ability to provide care in a hospital setting is enhanced by regular (especially resistance) training.
100%. Turning patients, pushing beds, carrying supplies, even sitting at a computer are made easier by a baseline of fitness
The back injury rate among bedside nurses is shocking
@@mattheweanfeldmanthey don’t work out or eat well along with taking overtime.
Thanks for the video. Well presented and great to have your guests' perspective as well. Everyone in the public safety space should watch this make an effort to do better with their personal health.
I don't normally comment on channels
Just thought today was a good day
I love your videos,you are a down to earth real person,and I appreciate your take on each topic and video you present
Thank you for all your effort and information that you provide
Just got 68 whiskey. This channel has been a big influence on me. I'm excited to do the exact thing I've looked up to you guys for so long😁
Watched this while doing a treadmill incline walk/run. Great advice. Im a corrections officer (CERT/SRT) and fitness is paramount in the first responder field
Physical preparedness (fitness) is so crucial for first responders. This was the focus of my PhD and I developed a physical preparedness tool which assesses the essential components of fitness for emergency care providers engaging in rescue.
Share please
@@DestinyKing-r5y please send me your email address and I will share my thesis with you
I like the direction that fitness is going and this video does a great job explaining that for everyone, not just first responders
As garand thumb says, if you are not fit, you will die lol
The first sentence says it all. As a retired Navy Chief (I retired out of the reserves after 9 years of active duty, in case someone tries to call me out with the math) and still going 21 year police officer turning 50 next month, I definitely echo what you say to my guys at work. It disgusts me when I see another officer who can’t take care of themself much less the public they are supposed to protect. I kick my own ass everyday because the bad guys stay the same age and I keep getting older. Great video.
Good luck on the 50 miler! Did my first one last year, was super fun. Push through the lows and ride the highs and you'll do great. Enjoy the run!
It was a literal major gut check for me when I helped medics and police remove a deceased person from the scene of a double shooting homicide back in this past late November… he was about 6’2 pushing 300 lbs and had to be double bagged and tagged. We the 4 of us with I being the most muscular and second fattest carried them down 3 flights of stairs together and it was no simple task. Also, more recently handling my 80+ pound German Shepherd puppy who is not easy to maintain full control over on the leash has educated me that I can, and should, do better when it comes to fitness. What I have began with in recent weeks if cutting out tons of sugar, substituting in stevia sweeteners, increasing fiber, certain fats, carbs are about the same, and consuming more produce. A new mainstay for that and fiber intake is baby carrots by the handful. I’ll indulge in some of my old junk some days, but not all day long and I don’t crave it nearly as much! We’re making progress slowly but surely and I am a paying gym member beginning to get their money’s worth as of a few days ago 💪🏼 it’s lovely personal time just for me and away from everything and everyone else too 😮💨
Your hook at the very beginning is perfect. Great work
Former prehospitalist (SAR), now a 62 year old caregiver to hospice & Alzheimers patients. Physical fitness, diet & supplements are prioritized more than ever, as they constitute my only health insurance.
This video reminds me of the time that I was a volunteer firefighter in my hometown. I can vividly remember two guys who were officers, one in the department that I was in and the other who served in the town next door. Both guys were huge, as in fat. I think they were both around 300 lbs. I can also remember that their gear was the same size too. I totally agree with Sam on this topic, overall fitness is crucial in general but in the first responder industry it is even more important. While I don't know what happened to those two guys, I hope they are doing well and that they hopefully lost a good portion of their weight.
I did a marathon last year without any training it was very difficult and put me in the mindset that you can do pretty much anything in life if you push yourself hard enough but 50 miles no way fuck that 😂
Most of the people at my agency WANT to be fit, but struggle to be consistent. The issues the general public struggle with regarding fitness are compounded for us. Having a plan is crucial, and I hope admins start pushing this and supporting it more than other things of less importance.
At my agency, we're currently doing a mandated training for something that is much much less important than fitness. We have been doing sessions several times per quarter. Priorities could change a little for sure.
It's always on the individual though at the end of the day.
I was a college athlete. Then I joined the Marine Corps. Being fit was a very important part of my life. Then I left the military... I was injured and just mentally done with the pain and struggle. So I got lazy. And fat. Really fat. I have never not exercised, but I went a long time without doing anything hard. I am a volunteer EMT, it isn't my job and never will be. But since I decided to fix myself I'm better at the job. I've lost 40 pounds, my endurance is higher, and I'm just in a better mood most of the time. I wouldn't have thought that being fit really mattered in EMS. But it does. A lot.
Easiest way to split time for exercise for ems fitness:
20% functional training such as
crossfit, martial arts like jiu jitsu, olympic lifting, strong man, mobility work, etc
20% light to moderate cardio like walks, hiking, bike riding, dancing, etc
10% hard cardio/conditioning like running, sprints, fast bicycling, canoeing, rowing, timed circuits/crossfit, stairs, swimming, surfing, trampoline, burpees, rock climbing etc
30% strength and hypertrophy
Get your compound lifts or similar in (bench squat deadlift) substitutions are fine like dumbell press, trap bar, leg press, lunges, machines, etc) then add in some other exercises that you like or that you ant the benefit from curls, tricep work, bodyweight stuff like pushups, pull ups, and situps, rows, leg extensons, glute work, whatever you like really
The last 20% is anything you like doing that can be considered some type of exercise. It could be more of something mentioned above or it could even be things like adult sports teams, music festivals, going to amusement parks, ball room dancing, playing with your kids or nieces and nephews, parkour, gymnastics, water sports, desert sports, marathons, spartan races, mud runs, iron mans, triathlons, you name it
There is a lot of overlap with these as well just putting some numbers to show the focus and examples to bring ideas to you. But ultimately find a mix of things you love doing and do them. If some areas are lacking, find some things you can tolerate to add in or incentivize yourself to do them more
I'm in week 3 of the fire academy. I'm really glad I started squatting a lot the year prior, I wish I started sooner 😅
In my country while i was in paramedic school first thing they told us is that we have to be able to lift a 90 kilos person or its better to quit.
I started walking during my lunch breaks. Before I'd walk mayne 1/4 of a mile, and i didn't really enjoy it. Now I'm up to 2 miles, and if i skip a walk, I miss it. Little changes really do add up.
100%. It’s crazy how the mindset shifts too
Excellent video Sam! I believe that every single first responder organization should have fitness requirements. I have seen too many 500lbs medics and 100lbs EMT's who can't even lift the stretcher. Do you have any tips for us paramedic students? My time is obviously severely limited due to school and I feel like I have really lost a ton of muscle since I started, to the point of possibly becoming a liability. My only physical activity is hiking 4,000 footers in NH every other week or so. Thanks and keep up the good work!
Tactical Barbell is an amazing resource built specifically for people like us. Highly recommend. It's designed to fit into a demanding lifestyle and it's gear toward lasting results without destroying yourself so you cant perform at work.
you will not get canceled you can speak as your mind Sir. we like to listen your raw opinion
My favorite strongest man is Brian Shaw,his diet is shared and I have learned how to have a better diet though I don't recommend all of it.🤔
In law enforcement, "mere presence" is an actual level of force and considered a crime deterrent. The fitness level for police officer is basically your first defense (or biggest weakness).
Do departments need to create or improve fitness standards for continued employment? The potential patients need to help as well. I enjoyed a t shirt that has two figures carrying a rotund patient with “support your local EMS - loose weight” 😁. Thanks for the video.
Another fantastic resource for self-coaching and specialized programs is Wenning strength, that man has shaped my workout regimes for the past 2 years and helped me cut weight from 260 to 190-205lbs while remaining relatively injury free doing things like awkward carries with sandbags as well as strength-based lifting
You can't out exercise a bad diet. Ketovore or carnivore is an excellent way to fuel your body for first responders as you don't eat as often and perform at your best.
As a truck driver we face the same views of professionalism and I strive for a well dressed put together look and behaviors. I'm able to better perform my duties after losing 35 lbs and fueling my body with fat over carbs and sugar.
I always say a similar thing "You can't outwalk a bad diet", I see lots of people trying to lose weight by just casually walking on the treadmill thinking that will offset their bad diet.
I used to read water meters for a living, typically walking 20,000 - 30,000 steps daily whilst carrying a backpack weighing about 6kg, I also only ate one meal a day, rarely ate breakfast or lunch. Yet despite this I still put on weight going over 100kg because I ate mostly fast food until one day I quit all fast food and sugar cold turkey and lost like 20kg in 4months just from a diet change.
Eat mostly whole meats and eggs now, a modified paleo diet seems to work best for me, full carnivore diet leaves me feeling energyless after a few days personally.
If you don't know where to start, there are plenty of plans for starting to run and lift.
Or just run 30 minutes at a pace where you can still hold a conversation, 3x a week. This is very slow, you barely break a sweat.
Do this for 3 months and then you could run 30 min 2x a week and 1x 40min for 3 months.
Then add some fartlek once a week or add some more time to your long run. Just keeping the 30 min runs 3x a week would be good enough though.
For lifting, there are plenty of calesthenics, weightlifting etc programs. If you don't know where to start and are in moderate shape already, start doing pushups every day. The first month, do 30 a day. However many sets or reps. Doesn't matter. Just do them. Do them every day next to your bed before you can go to sleep (no it shouldn't keep you awake, there have been studies done). You can use parelettes, gymnastic rings, different variations etc.
After 1 to 3 months, you can start doing 50/day. Then 75. Then 100. Or stay at 30 if you just want to do the minimum.
If you can, try to implement over time some
- rows/pullups/inverted rows (gymnastics rings or Trx type system)
- lunges or split squats or bulgarian split squats. You can do these with any weight.
You can also do these every day for a certain amount, or start doing workouts 3x a week for a higher intensity instead of continuing every day. Try to use some sort of progressive overload over time.
For weightlifting, a simple double progression on your most important lifts is great. Start very light, focus on technique and start adding reps or weight slowly. If you can't add any more, take a good portion of the weight off and start slowly over a month building up past your last max. If you can't get stronger despite training hard, you probably need some time off to rest.
If that didn't work, you might want to look if you have some weakness or imbalance or bad technique.
Having overweight first responder is something you mostly see in the US.
You don't see fat cops or firefighters in most parts of the world.
In some countries you even have PT tests at the beginning of each shift every morning.
If you can't do pulls up, in front of the whole squad, then you're not going out on calls.
With firefighters who fail the test they can't answer fire calls, they are stuck to the ambulance.
I feel like this is mainly on a voluntary basis. all the departments i've worked for have had quite strict physical requirements.
Well that’s a bunch of bs. Working with foreign militaries I can tell you that you’re full of it.
@@Fat_Thor_1138my thoughts exactly. Pt tests everyday my ass lol
12:00 shout out to Jocko Molk... Love that stuff!
I use the pumpkin flavor 😂
Excellent podcast. I went to an EMS conference a year ago and attended a seminar on “The Well-Being of the First Responder.” I counted - 90 percent were over age 50, 40 percent of the EMTs in that session were obese, and I doubt that fully 10 percent could get to the floor to perform CPR. Most of the attendees are rural, volunteer EMS and basically are starved for volunteers and have to take whoever they can. But really, should volunteer status matter?
I've been trying to get into better shape myself. Crappy thing is though, can be somewhat difficult, because the service areas in my area have no gyms whatsoever, and the weather is pretty bad too (snows a lot) so it's a bit difficult, even though that is an excuse. Difficult with my current hours too, which I know is another excuse as well. I really don't know what to be doing to improve.
Obviously everyone’s needs are different so you are going to need to figure a lot of it out on your own based off of your own situation. I personally don’t have a gym membership and do almost everything at home, at work or on the trails. 70% of my weekly long runs are done at work running the same small .75 mile loop over and over again to get to 12-20 miles. I personally run all year long even with snow and just bundle up when I need to (some gortex road runners will do wonders for you). Other than that 1-3 kettlebells will do amazing things for strength and don’t cost an arm and a leg.
@PrepMedic Thanks for the reply, and yeah, I'd say at home is my best bet, and thank you for the tips! I'm brand new to EMS (started last week) but I want to improve fitness, not only for myself, but for the people I work with and the people I come across as well.
Kind of a predicament that I lost my gym membership right before I start EMT school lol. Just too expensive but I’m figuring it out. Did some time in the USMC so I figured out how to work out with nothing. I’ve just learned to HATE cardio 😂
Also a question, do you think a workout style that worked pretty well for me in the military would apply well to EMS? I really just got good at power lifting and doing strongman exercises. My goal was to pick up and move heavy and awkward objects.
This is spot on 🙌👍
I see you have a lot of kit reviews.
Please, what is your number one recommendation for a medical kit to go on a battle belt or plate carrier?
Thank you
You colleague Samantha is one TH-cam "Wings over Rockies Air and Space Museum", 10 months ago
Chapeau bas👍🏻
I say this often; if you are certified in CPR for your job, you OWE it to your patients to have the physical fitness to actually perform CPR on a real person, for an extended period of time.
55 year old nurse Betty getting the slide on her CPR recert because she “can’t get on her hands and knees” is a disservice to the field.
What was the app you showed that your friend Daniel programmed your run plans into? I definitely want to try that!
She didn’t program into any apps for me but the app you saw was the Garmin wearable app
Not only is the public depending on you your co-workers are too. Especially if youre a leo or firefighter. I wouldn't want to go into a structure fire with someone who isn't fit enough to drag myself or a victim out.
Nobody:
Prepmedic's intro going unnecessarily hard:
Am I the only one who watches the news, and videos on youtube and see SO many LE officers who need a bookmark to find their privates? I’m not talking about when wearing a duty vest - I mean there are so many public safety officers who couldn’t run after a catch’s a bad guy if the cop is given a head start.
Get some.
Definitely changed my life when I lost 186lbs. My tip to anyone that eats fast food…stop.
bro just called out 50% of first responders and 40-50% of the army 💀
"I'm PrepMedic and if you don't chew Big Red then f*ck you!" You need to be fit because people are relying on you.
The topic of this video shouldn't be controversial in the least. There are different types of "fit" in these jobs, but it's generally not hard to tell who will excel at the job and who is going to struggle. You don't need to be a super athlete, but when I see 300+lb obese firefighters or cops then you can draw some fairly reasonable conclusions about how they would perform when shit gets real.
Great channel and great content. I can tell we agree on a lot of things, especially about survival medicine.
If I may give one recommendation, is to try to consciously limit the amount of times you say “uhh” or “umm”. I remember being in speech 101 in college and having to do presentations, and I said umm SO much. I have to make a conscious effort to not say umm when speaking.
I noticed when you were inserting that NPA in your other video you sounded a little nervous or off-script and said umm a ton. Just like being fat, saying umm too much can shake someone’s credibility.
Great content tho!
The police should watch this. Maybe it would encourage them to adhere to some sort of fitness standard.
My fitness goal is to be able to do 5 mins of CPR without looking like I need CPR myself haha 😂
I just started my EMT journey 2 days ago, had to do the physical test yesterday and the 3 minutes of CPR had me a little out of breath 😂 everything else felt fairly easy but that one killed me a little hahaha
As someone who who is 400lbs at almost 50 who keeps up with the 20 something’s in our squad. As for being physical fitness part, I’m as physically capable of doing these things. I understand that the “physically fit” folks in my field always seem to judge a book by its cover. I don’t need to run 15 miles when im rescuing patients. Sorry to sound like I’m pissy, but I get sick of this sort of crap.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the matter! This opens up a very interesting line of discussion on this topic and I appreciate your candor. Like I said in the beginning of the video, this wasn’t intended to fat shame or even promote weight loss necessarily. I’m discussing physical capability, but I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that for a lot of people ability does have a correlation to weight. In your case I am impressed that at 400 pounds and close to 50 you are still doing the job. As you said there are people in their 20s and 30s who weigh half that much and get medically retired. Are you the exception or the rule though? If we ran the numbers how many 400 pound people are in the fire service and how many of them will make it to a normal retirement age? When it comes to “keeping up” with your thinner counterparts, to what extent is that? Is it on the job during day to day calls? How many interior attacks are you doing with them? Can you do the 9/11 memorial stair climb with them at the same pace? I agree that distance running does not translate directly to the fire service but cardiovascular ability does. It also seems like you experience one of the down sides that I talk about in the video which is purely weight bias among your coworkers. This all ignores the significant amount increase in risk for heart disease, stroke and MI that comes with obesity. Obviously I have a channel with 500,000 followers and I make videos that give general advice so there will always be exceptions. I always like hearing different opinions and perspectives than my own so please don’t take anything above as judgement.
My man I can promise you at near 50 and 400 pounds you are not going to be keeping up with anyone worth while who is half your age and weight. Or anyone who is half your weight and any age who takes their physical fitness seriously. I can say that because I am both of those things and take physical fitness very seriously due to my jobs as a firefighter/paramedic. The goal isn’t to “keep up with the 20 something’s” at your particular squad, it’s to better yourself daily for yourself, your coworkers, and the people you serve. It doesn’t take any physical fitness to pick gramma up from dialysis, but what about when you need to go the extra mile on that difficult call? It’s also for your safety. If you go down, are your coworkers going to be able to pull you out of a bad spot? And if you’re a FF, add on the weight of gear and a pack? Unlikely. As someone who states they work on an ambulance, you have to recognize that obesity vastly increases the risk of many medical conditions as Sam has stated.
Sam, great stuff here. I’ve noticed that I hurt a lot more when I’m out of shape, like my lower back will hurt when I’m not lifting. It gets worse with age, too. As I approach fifty I MUST work hard enough to force my body to maintain muscle. It doesn’t need to be long killer workouts, but walking won’t do it, either.
A good follow-up video would be on injury and illness recovery. When you do jack up your back or get pneumonia, for example, are there strategies for getting your health back to solid ground? I’m struggling with that at the moment, as last week during the winter storm I jacked up something in my back while replacing a car battery in the parking lot of the parts store. Now I’m in that negative cycle of hurting too much to exercise, but needing to exercise to hurt less.