Los Angeles City Fire Department PDF Physical Fitness Manual

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.- Phys%qa1'F i t n e s s h1anu.a.l A t t a c h e d i s a copy of t h e r e v i s e d P h y s i c a l F i t n e s s ' M a n u a l. R e s p o n s i b l e o f f i c e r s s h a l l remove-,t h e t 1. e , n t i r e c ' b n t e f t t s of t h e l o o s e l e a f copy o f t h e bLd JPhysic+i ~ i t n e s sP a n u a l and f o r w a r d i t t o Manuals ah4 0r'ders S e c t i o n. Keep t h e b i n d e r f o r t h e new c o p y. If y o u r copy o f t h e P h y s i c a l F i t n e s s M a n u a l h a s %. p e r m a n e n t p l a s t i c b i n d e r on t h e l e f t edge ("red c o v e r ) , f o r w a r d t h e e n t i r e manual t o a a h u a l s and O r d e r s Sect&on. O r d e r a new b i n d e r from S u p p l y a n d M a i n t e n a n c e , "Binder 3 R P h y s i c a l F i t n e s s Mani, Stock c o d e 554, 067,1975, EA. Albert B. D r y g a s Senior Administrative Assistant chief Administrative Assistant ,..  GOOD HEALTH THROUGH PHYSICAL FITNESS 1 LOS ANGELES CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT, LOS ANGELES, CALIF.  GOOD HEALTH THROUGH PHYSICAL FITNESS Copyright @ LOS ANGELES CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT 1971 All Rights Reserved  PHYSICAL FITNESS MANUAL LOS ANGELES CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT THE BASIC DUTIES O F A FIREFIGHTER REQUIRE: PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE CALLING FOR ABOVE-AVERAGE ABILITY, ENDUR- ANCE, AND SUPERIOR CONDITION, INCLUDING OCCASIONAL DEMAND FOR EXTRAORDINARY STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES IN EMERGENCIES, UNDER AD- VERSE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, AND OVER EXTENDED PERIODS O F TIME; REQUIRES RUNNING, WALKING, DIFFICULT CLIMBING, JUMPING, TWISTING, BENDING, AND LIFTING OVER 25 POUNDS; PACE O F WORK IS TYPICALLY SET BY THE EMERGENCY SITUATION.  PHYSICAL FITNESS MANUAL LOS ANGELES CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT Effective November, 1971, the Los Angeles City Fire Department is initiating a Depart- ment-wide physical fitness training program. It has long been assumed that firefighters are in physically good condition. This is not the case. Extensive testing has provided data that strongly indicates that the physical fit- ness of many firefighters is little, if any, above that of the average businessman. While some are in excellent condition, generally there is much room for impr'ovement. Members are required to pass a pre-employment physical examination and are given a periodic medical examination. Initial good physical condition is a requirement of this De- partment. A sustained physical fitness program will assure that the good condition re- quired to become a firefighter will be maintained during his years of service. Persons employed in the Fire Service are expected and frequently required to perform a t emergencies under extremely high levels of physical effort, and stressful conditions. Between these episodes of extreme effort there are periods of relative inactivity. The pos- session of physical strength, agility, and endurance will enable the individual to survive when required to perform at maximum capacity whereas the lack of fitness has spelled catastrophe in many cases. The Occupational Health and Safety Unit will assist field coordinators in the implemen- tation and continued development of the program. They will receive initial training from Dr. John Boyer and his staff. After training, the coordinators will select and train mem- bers to assume the actual direction of the routine physical training of members. The objective is a preventive program of physical fitness to achieve a higher level of health and to maintain a longer, more productive life for the members of the Department. - KENNETH R. LONG Chief Engineer and General Manager... Ill  PHYSICAL FITNESS MANUAL TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Page -01. PHYSICAL FITNESS -04. COMPONENTS OF FITNESS.O1 The Perpetual Pump --.---------.--------.-------------------.-----.----------.12 The Body's Transportation System --------.------.---.-..---.-------.24 Cigarette Smoking -------.----------.-----...--------.-.--.-----.-.--.-----..-.36 Low Back Syndrome ------------------------------------..------------.-.-----.48 Exercise and Weight Control -..----..---.--.--------------.-...--------- -04B. NUTRITION FOR FIREFIGHTERS -08. CARDIOVASCULAR MONITORING. O 1 Heart Disease Risk Factors ---------.-.------.--------.------.-----------.12 Heart Rate ---------.--.-----------------.--..--------------------.--.---..-----.48 How to Take Heart Rate -.-----------.--------.---------------------------.60 Heart Recovery Rate ------------------.--.------.--.-----.---------.---.---- -12. PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS -16. PREPARING FOR EXERCISE  PHYSICAL FITNESS MANUAL TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CARDIOVASCULAR STEP TEST.12 Kasch 12-inch Bench Test -.------------------.-------.-------------.-----.48 Kasch one-minute Recovery ------------------------------------------..--.60 Fitness Level Standard,~----.--.--------.-----------.-.-.---.-----------.--- PREPARING FOR THE PROGRAM.O1 Statistical Information --------------------------.----------.--------------.12 Conditioning Equipment...................................................24 Supplemental Exercise.......................................................36 Sickness and Participation.-.--.-----.--------------.--.---...------.--.-- EXERCISES.12 Flexibility and Warm-up ---------------------------------.--------------.24 Cardiovascular -----------------------.-----------------------------------.36 Conditioning ----------------------------------------------------.--.-- CONDITION LEVELS AND PROGRAMS.O1 Three Conditioning Levels -------------------.-.-.--.---.--.-.---..-------.20 Level I Beginning Fitness ---.---------------------.----...--.--------------.40 Level I1 Intermediate Fitness ----------------------------..-..-------.---.60 Level I11 Advanced Fitness -------.---.------------------------.-.------- PERIODIC MEDICAL EXAMINATION REFERENCES.01. References ------------------------------------------------.-------.  INTRODUCTION GOOD HEALTH THROUGH PHYSICAL FITNESS John L. Boyer, M.D., Cardiologist, Associate Professor of Physical Education, member President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and nationally renowned expert on physical fitness, has been retained to assist in formulating and implementing a physical conditioning program for members of the Los Angeles City Fire Department. Dr. Boyer and his staff are working with the Personnel Department, Medical Services Di- vision Director, Dr. R. R. Sachs, Department administration and members, to monitor the entire program. Dr. Boyer gives the Fire Department expertise in both medical and exercise physiology to assist all members and their families in living a happier, healthier life. People working in the fire service have a history of developing significant disabilities in three categories. The first category is musculoskeletal disability involving the spine and adjacent fibrlomuscular structures of the back. The second category of significant disa- bility is the cardiovascular system. The two major cardiovascular disorders are coronary heart disease and hypertensive vascular disease. The third category of involvement is emotional and environmental strain and stress. The only known practical way to cope with this increasing problem is to physically, med- ically, and emotionally equip members to prevent or build in a reserve to better overcome these disabilities. There is n.o easy way to fitness. It is attained only after many months of regular exercise and fitness is maintained only by commitment to a regular program. The Fire Department Fitness Program will be done on duty and all members will parti- cipate. Members with medical restrictions as indicated in this Manual will be excused until the restrictions have been either altered or removed by a doctor. Under certain circum- stances due to special assignments andlor working conditions members may n,ot be able to participate in the program. Performance evaluations will be performed a t specific time intervals using the Kasch Step Test. These evaluations will show members' progress, give a continuing insight to fitness levels, and indicate needed changes to keep the program on a beneficial level. The goals of the Fire Department Physical Fitness Program are: Provide members with a comprehensive, periodic medical examination, including follow-up of indicated abnormalities. To tailor a program of progressive conditioning for all members. T,o establish physical fitness standards for firefighters. For all members to feel better, look better, function better, and have a happier, more productive life during City service and in retirement. vii  PHYSICAL FITNESS MANUAL R 315-01.01 -01. PHYSICAL FITNESS PF 1-72.O1 DEFINED: Physical Fitness can be described as a measure of the body's strength, stamina, and flexibility. It is a reflection of your ability to work without undue fatigue, and for meeting unforeseen emergencies. It relates to how you look, feel, and act during everyday living. The human body contains more than 600 muscles; overall it is more than half muscle. Muscles make possible every overt motion. They also push food along the digestive tract, suck air into the lungs, and tighten blood vessels to raise blood pressure to meet an emer- gency. The heart itself is a muscular pump. Muscles are meant to be used. When they are not used, or not used enough, they deteriorate. Medical research supports the fact that regular physical activity is essential for healthful and vigorous living..I2 AN OBVIOUS EFFECT: An obvious effect of regular exercise is the firming of flab- by muscles. Exercise produces beneficial changes in the functioning of internal organs - especially the heart, lungs, and circulatory system. The heart becomes stronger and steadier, breathing becomes deeper and circulation improves. A systematic conditioning program offers the following benefits: Increased joint flexibility Increased endurance Increased strength and coordination Reduction of minor aches, pains, stiffness and soreness Co,rrection of remedial postural defects Improvement in general appearance Increased efficiency with reduced expenditure of energy in performing both physical and mental tasks Improved ability to relax and to voluntarily reduce tension Reduction of chronic fatigue  PHYSICAL FITNESS MANUAL R 315-01.24 -01. PHYSICAL FITNESS PF 1-72.24 THREE CATEGORIES OF EXERCISES: Warm-up exercises, cardiovascular (endur- ance) activities, and conditioning (strength) exercises. A. The warm-up exercises stretch and limber up the muscles and speed up the action of the heart and lungs, thus preparing the body f'or greater exertion and reducing the possibility of unnecessary strain. B. The cardiovascular activities have a special purpose. That is, the training of the heart, circulatory and pulmonary systems. These activities must be sustained over at least a 15 minute period. C. The conditioning exercises are systematically planned to tone up abdominal, back, leg, arm, and other major muscles..36 A PLANNED CONDITIONING PROGRAM : A planned conditioning program should gradually stretch your tolerance. It should give unused or little-used muscles moderate tasks a t first, then make the tasks increasingly more demanding so you become able to achieve more and more with less and less fatigue and with increasingly rapid recovery. As you move from level to level, some exercises will be modified so they will call for more effort. Others will remain the same but you will build strength and stamina by in- creasing the number of repetitions. Your progression in the program is carefully planned so that you will be able to develop at your.own pace, competing with yourself rather than with anyone else - and this is of great importance for sound conditioning. From workout to work,out, you will gradually speed up and increase repetitions until you reach your desired level.  PHYSICAL FITNESS MANUAL R 315-01.48 -01. PHYSICAL FITNESS PI? 9-71.48 PERSONAL CAPACITY: There is no need to set a goal for yourself when you start on the program. Not everybody is physically constituted to play par golf or run a mile in under four minutes. Other factors in determining what your peak level will be is your body's built-in capacity, your age and previous conditioning. One other factor is most important - "the desire to want to improve your general body conditioning.".60 TRAINING INTENSITY: It is better to exercise for longer periods at a low intensity than to attempt to squeeze in exercise at a high intensity in a short pe,riod. Time is in your favor, permit it to work in your benefit.  PHYSICAL FITNESS MANUAL -04. COMPONENTS OF FITNESS.O1 THE PERPETUAL MOTION PUMP: The heart is a bundle of muscles about the size of your fist. These muscles are contracting and relaxing a t an average rate of 72 times per minute a t rest, which adds up to about 100,000 times a day or nearly 40,000,000 times a year. The only rest the heart gets is the fraction of a second pause between beats. This heart pumps more than 4,000 gallons of blood each day. A. Oxygen supplied by the lungs is used in large quantities by the heart muscle fibers in burning the fuel (food) that allows the muscles to contract. The contraction that squeezes the blood from the heart is called systole and the relaxation of the heart mus- cles is called diastole. B. The heart is actually a double pump. Blood flows from the right atrium into the right ventricle (the first pump) which squirts the blood into the lungs. The left ventricle (or second pump) squeezes the blood into the arteries a t a normal 72 times per minute at rest. This action may increase to as high as 200 times per minute during maximal exer- cise..12 THE BODY'S TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM: Blood is the vehicle that transports food, waste, and oxygen over a 70,000-mile network of roadways inside the b,ody called arteries and veins a t speeds of up to 40 miles per hour in the main arteries under a normal systolic pressure of 120. The body contains about 5 quarts of blood. From the heart, blood surges through the aorta to the arteries throughout the b,ody. From the arteries, smaller vessels called arterioles branch o,ut. From the arterioles, the blood flows to the smallest vessels, the capillaries. The capillaries carry the blood to the indi- vidual cells of the b'ody where oxygen and other chemicals are delivered and waste prod- ucts are collected. The capillaries then connect with venules, which run into veins, which  PHYSICAL FITNESS MANUAL -04. COMPONENTS OF FITNESS.12 THE BODY'S TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM (Continued) in turn, flow into the Venae Cavae (large vein entering the right side of the heart), com- pleting the circuit..24 CIGARETTE SMOKING: For a heavy cigarette smoker, (.over 20 cigarettes a day), there is a 3-112 to 1 greater chance of having a heart attack as compared to a non-smoker. Very little is heard about smoking and coronary heart disease ; only about lung disease and cancer. Even if lung cancer and other sm~king~related diseases have yet to catch up with you, you are partially disabled as soon as you smoke your first pack. According to infor- mation compiled by the American Medical Assocation, just ten inhaled puffs on a cigar- ette increase resistance in the air pathways of the lungs. This choked-up condition persists for an hour after each cigarette. Your physical performance is affected when you smoke because the body loses some of its ability to transport oxygen from the lungs to the muscles. Carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke is a potent poison that rapidly enters the blood, combines with the hemoglobin in the red corpuscles and renders many of them incapable of carrying oxygen. The lung capacity of habitual smokers gradually shrinks; the membranes of their air passages thicken and become less efficient in oxygen exchange. Moreover, the cilia (tiny hair-like filaments acting as brooms to sweep out the windpipe and bronchial tubes) be- come paralyzed and coated with nicotine by cigarette smoking. Without this natural de- fense, the lungs are vulnerable to dust particles and other pollutants.  PHYSICAL FITNESS MANUAL -04. COMPONENTS OF FITNESS.24 CIGARETTE SMOKING (Continued) SMOKING SEVERELY INHIBITS THE BODY'S ABILITY TO ABSORB AND DISTRIBUTE OXYGEN TO SUSTAIN NORMAL BODY FUNCTIONS. Through a systematic exercise program and abstaining from smoking, the damage already done to the lungs can, in m.ost cases, be reversed toward normal function..36 LOW BACK SYNDROME: Low back syndrome accounts for approximately 20% of all medical expenses and disability pensions incurred by the Fire Service not to mention personal trauma. Musculoskeletal back disorders are the result of wear and tear of everyday living, degen- erative changes of aging, the repeated major and minor trauma which is a hazard of the Fire Service and poor physical conditioning and improper weight control. Many low back ailments are caused by weakening of the abdominal wall muscles, due to weight increase, causing shifting of body alignment and poor muscle tone of stomach and trunk muscles. Proper weight control and muscle c,ondition are benefits derived from good physical fit- ness. The man who has low back problems is miserable, and should welcome any oppor- tunity that will assist him in returning to normal activities.  PHYSICAL FITNESS MANUAL R 315-04.48 PF 9-71 -04. COMPONENTS OF FITNESS.48 EXERCISE AND WEIGHT CONTROL: Obese individuals have twice the chance of succumbing to a fatal heart attack, ten times the chance of dying from diabetes and also have a greater tendency to suffer high blood pressure and other physical as well as some social problems than individuals who maintain their normal body weight. What are the causes of obesity? While several sorts of disorders are often blamed for the overweight problem, the simple fact is that obesity is in 95% of the cases, the result of OVER EATING AND LACK OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. The cal.ories consumed in the diet must not exceed the calories expended or body weight will increase. Each of us has what is called a basal energy requirement; the calories of energy required to keep him alive. Some people can eat more than others and still remain slim. Again, some people retain more usable energy than others; everyone must determine the balance to maintain proper body weight. As we grow older, our basal energy require- ment declines. Physical activity and a realistic diet are positive ways to achieve physiological fitness and weight control. Diet alone will result in a weight loss that is 60 percent fat and 40 percent lean body tissue. Diet AND exercise result in a weight loss of 75 percent fat and 25 percent lean body tissue. Contrary to popular belief, exercise will not significantly increase the appetite. In fact, exercise can diminish the appetite in addition to increasing caloric expenditure. Remem- ber, you must expend 3500 calories to lose one pound of weight. NUTRITION FOR FIREFIGHTERS  PHYSICAL FITNESS MANUAL -04B. NUTRITION FOR FIREFIGHTERS Nutrition - why bother, why be concerned? People have survived for thousands of years without any great concern for dieting or proper nutrition, so why is it important now? During the past fifty years our Western civilization has developed into an affluent society with labor-saving devices. These changes have resulted in a sedentary population which is generally overweight. In addition, life expectancy has greatly increased due to improved sanitation and medical services. Fewer people die from infectious diseases. Instead, dis- eases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and 'other diseases associated with aging are common. Diet and exercise are thought to be important factors to help delay the early onset of these diseases associated with aging. The City.of Los Angeles feels that nutrition is so important that the Medical Services Divi- son has established a clinic with certified nutritionists to assist firefighters who have pro- blems with obesity, cholesterol, triglycerides, or other factors which may be controlled by proper nutrition. This section on nutrition has been added to the fitness manual to edu- cate the firefighters, and hopefully delay the early onset of the diseases associated with aging. Not only is proper nutrition important for controlling diseases, it is also important to provide adequate energy to meet the physical demands of firefighting.  PHYSICAL FITNESS MANUAL -04B. NUTRITION FOR FIREFIGHTERS.O1 NUTRITION PRINICIPLES : An adequate diet is comp.osed of the various nutrients which the body needs for mainten- ance, repair, and growth or development. It is a diet which meets in full all the nutritional needs of the person. There is no "ideal" diet, since such a diet is a matter of individual requirement. The nutrients needed to maintain proper nutrition include carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. These nutrients are obtained by including foods daily from four basic food groups. They are: (1) milk and dairy products, at least two serv- ings; (2) meat, fish, and poultry, two servings ; (3) fruits and vegetables, four or more serv- ings; (4) breads and cereals, four or more servings. If an adequate diet is eaten there is no need for vitamin pills. Excess fat soluble vitamins are stored in fatty tissues by the body, and actual overdose cases of vitamin A and D have been reported. As a result, these two vitamins now have legal restricti#onson their capsule size. In addition, taking vitamin pills in place of eating is of little value since most vitamins require the presence of other food substances to be absorved frondensedMilk measurements are level. Most f