Abstract
Because firefighting often requires heavy physical work under adverse, potentially dangerous conditions, fitness is an important factor in effective job performance. Perceptions of fitness may impact the extent to which firefighters initiate or maintain a regular program of physical activity. PURPOSE: To describe the relationships between perceived and actual measures of fitness before and following a 6-week Certified Firefighter II (Academy) course which included a physical training regimen. METHODS: During the Academy course recruit firefighters (N=68, 27.1 yrs) performed 30 min of progressively challenging physical training 4 d·wk-1 for 6 wks. During Weeks 1 & 6, measures of muscular endurance (modified YMCA bench press test, push-up test, sit-up test), cardiovascular endurance (1.5 mi run time) and body composition [% body fat (%BF) determined from skinfolds, waist to hip ratio] were obtained along with perceptions of fitness [Perceived Physical Fitness Scale (PPFS); Abadie, 1988]. RESULTS: Significant (Ps ≤ 0.001) changes were seen for: (a) muscular endurance (30% increase), cardiovascular endurance (14% increase), and body composition (12% decrease in body fat); (b) resting heart rate, resting blood pressure, and hip/waist measures; and (c) perceptions of fitness (15% improvement). Correlations between perceived fitness and muscular endurance (bench press, push-up, sit-up), cardiorespiratory endurance, and %BF were (0.36, 0.54, 0.27), −0.42, and −0.24, respectively at Week 1, and (0.22 ns, 0.42, 0.21 ns), −0.36, and −0.28 during Week 6 (Ps ≤ 0.05 unless indicated by ns). CONCLUSIONS: A relatively brief Academy course that contained a physical training program resulted in significant improvements in performance related fitness parameters in recruit firefighters. There was a concomitant change in the perception of fitness levels, although the correlations between the perceived and actual fitness parameters were low-to-moderate.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
