Effects of a Firefighter Training Academy on Lower-Body Strength

• Firefighting is a physically demanding profession requiring lower-body strength to safely perform critical and essential job tasks. (1),(2)
• Fatigue-related incidents such as slips, trips, and falls are one of the most common causes of fireground injuries.(3)
• Despite the importance of lower-body strength, limited research has tracked barbell strength progression in firefighter recruits across multiple academy timepoints.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this study was to examine lower-body strength progression across a 32-week firefighter training academy.

Data

• Demographic data was analyzed for 38 firefighter recruits
  • Females = 7; Age = 26 ± 4 yrs;
  • Body Mass = 86.0 ± 17.7 kg; BMI = 27.2 ± 4.1 kg/m2

Timeline & Testing Procedures

• 32-week firefighting training academy with 120 days of structed physical training.
• Strength testing occurred at four equally distributed timepoints:
  • Pre, Mid 1, Mid 2, Post
• Strength was assessed using barbell back squat and deadlift 3RM protocols.

Statistical Analysis

• Statistical analysis was completed using R.
• Linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts were selected to assess changes in squat and deadlift performance over time.
• Tukey’s post hoc comparisons were used to identify significant pairwise differences between timepoints.

Table 1. Changes in Squat and Deadlift 3RM Across a 32-Week Firefighter Academy

Pre data are presented as mean ± standard deviation. Statistical significance determined via linear mixed-effects models with Tukey’s post hoc comparisons. kg: kilograms, 3RM: three repetition max.

* p < 0.05; ^ Significant difference from Pre; ~ Significant difference from Mid 2 to Post.

• Fire academy resistance training led to significant strength improvements in both squat and deadlift performance.
• These results highlight the critical role of progressive resistance training in firefighter training academies.

This study demonstrates that progressive, barbell-based resistance training can significantly improve lower-body strength in firefighter recruits. Strength development during the academy may help prepare recruits for job-specific demands and reduce injury risk, supporting the integration of consistent resistance training across fire academies and fire departments.

1. Nazari, G., MacDermid, J. C., Sinden, K. E., & Overend, T. J. (2018). The Relationship between Physical Fitness and Simulated Firefighting Task Performance. Rehabilitation Research and Practice, 2018(1), 3234176.

2. Rhea, M. R., Alvar, B. A., & Gray, R. (2004). physical fitness and job performance of firefighters. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 18(2), 348-352.

3. Mota, J. A., Barnette, T. J., Gerstner, G. R., Giuliani, H. K., Tweedell, A. J., Kleinberg, C. R., Thompson, B. J., Pietrosimone, B., & Ryan, E. D. (2018). Relationships Between Neuromuscular Function and Functional Balance Performance in Firefighters. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 15328.

Payton Miller(1), Brian Newman(2), Mike Conner(3), Kealey Wohlgemuth(1),(4), Kornkanok Sophonsakulrat(1), Carina Velasquez(1), Jacob Mota(1)

(1)Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX

(2)Fort Worth Fire Department, Fort Worth, TX

(3)Front Line Mobile Health, Georgetown, TX

(4)Exercise Science School of Human Services, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH