In this issue:
Video of the week: firepower round 2
The rounds in Firepower "ladder up" in length. Round 1 is 1 minute, round 2 is 2 minutes, round 3 is 3 minutes, and so on. This week, you get a full preview of round 2. If you have 2 matched kettlebells, give it a try!
Remember, today is your last day to pre-order Firepower at a $10 discount.
Quote from Pavel Tsatsouline
As I have expected, you have done a great job! Here is a heart felt endorsement:
An excellent workout. The drill #13 alone is worth the price of the DVD. 'AOS Firepower' to you!
-Pavel Tsatsouline, the author of Enter the Kettlebell!
Kettlebells in the media
Lt. Anthony Grokaitis has published several articles about the effectiveness of kettlebell training for first responders. Anthony has made it his mission to improve the health, strength, and performance of firefighters everywhere through kettlebell training.
Firefighters, Insure your Career and Life With Kettlebells
published on www.kettlebell.com
Don't become an Injury Statistic: Kettlebells to the Rescue
published on www.firehouse.com
The birth of Firepower
Firepower was designed for anyone who is called to duty in an instant as a first responder. Firefighters are one of the best examples. I had the pleasure of working with members of the Worcester, MA Fire Department and got to see first hand what these brave men and women go through everyday to keep us and our families safe.
I met Lt. Anthony Grokaitis on September 9th 2006 at a Girevoy Sport cross-world meet at Punch Gym in Rhode Island. I told him of my idea to work with firefighters and create a kettlebell workout that would correspond to the life saving drills they perform everyday. Anthony G had the same vision. We discussed the basic protocol of what a FF goes through when a call comes into the station. The physical and mental demands of the job amazed me.
I took the protocol sheet and wrote a program that corresponded to all of the movements and planes that these folks endure. The thing that I really wanted to grasp was the mental focus and readiness. Imagine times in your life that you have been startled and woken up in the middle on the night. You heart starts racing, adrenaline starts pumping, maybe you break out in a cold sweat, and that was because your phone rang at 3am…wrong number. Now imagine if you were woken up and had to be ready for anything. That’s what I had to capture and build into the training.
After discussing in great detail as well as training with firefighters, Anthony G, Rich, John, Pete, and Shamus (guys who challenge themselves daily to be the best)-- it hit me. The intensity of the workout must build in the same way as the intensity of the protocol.
Here is how it works: The first round on Firepower (lasting only one minute) simulates the call coming into the station and putting on 50 pounds of gear, jumping in the truck, and imagining what lies ahead. More importantly it trains you to control the rush of adrenaline with controlled tension and mental focus.
Round 2, today’s MOS video simulates some of the many tasks required once you arrive on the scene-- from dragging hose to carrying ladders. Try staying hunched over a charge line for a while: Your back starts to ache, your muscles start to burn, and you just got on the scene! The drills in round 2 will make this task effortless, leaving you with strength and endurance to conquer what lies ahead.
Answer this question: How long does you tank of air last on a typical call? I watched three guys go into the burn house at the Worcester Fire Station. Two where very fit and had been working with kettlebells and the Firepower workout for quite a while. Their tanks lasted 30 minutes. The third guy was overweight and deconditioned. His tank lasted 10 minutes. A victim’s life may depend on every breath you take, so make them last.