Ben Waldo 2010

TRX Lower Body Strength

In many scientific studies, fire-fighting tasks have been shown to require strength and resilience (see
references). This lower body strength routine is designed to target the muscular system and overload it
to help build strength in your legs, glutes and core. This will give you more resilience on the job and
decrease your risk of injury when performing strenuous tasks such as climbing a long flight of stairs in
full gear.
Equipment:

TRX Straps

Warm-up:
Jog for 5 min

Jog at a pace that increases your heart rate and makes you break a sweat.

High knees in place: 20 each leg

Standing with your hands on your hips raise each knee above your waist and back to the ground.

Lunges in place: 10 each leg

When you lunge, you should drop your back knee, and your front knee should not go in front of
your toe

Arm circles: 30 each direction

Holding your arms as a T rotate you arms in circles so you are making a circle with your hands,
rotate forward and backward.

Ben Waldo 2010

Push-ups: 10

In a plank position, start with your arms extended in push-up position, drop your chest to the
ground and extend back up.

Wall sit: 30 sec

Sit against a wall with your knees and hips flexed at 90 deg and hold.

TRX Workout:
(You can change the difficulty of each of these exercises by changing your body angle)
3x Wide Squats holding the straps

Holding the TRX straps, stand with your feet wide, lean back and squat as low as you can

12

3x Rear foot suspended lunges

Place your back leg in the handle of the TRX strap and execute a lunge, make sure your knee
does not go in front of your toe

8
each

3x Single leg suspended lateral lunges

Stand so your leg is extended laterally and put your leg in the strap, execute a lunge

8
each

Ben Waldo 2010

3x Suspended hamstring curls

Lay on your back with your heels in the straps, raise your hips off the ground and pull your
heels toward your glutes, then extend back out

12

3x Suspended abductors

Lay on your back with your heels in the straps, raise your hips off the ground and spread
your legs as wide as possible, then back together

12

3x Single leg suspended squats

Standing on one leg holding the straps, lean back and squat to the floor

8
each

Cool down:
Light jog for 7 minutes

Jog at a light pace that allows you to catch your breath and decrease your heart rate.

Ben Waldo 2010

High knees in place: 20 each leg

Standing with your hands on your hips raise each knee above your waist and back to the ground.

15 crunches

Place your hands behind your head and find a spot on the ceiling that is slightly behind you,
crunch your abs so that you just bring your shoulder blades off the ground.

5 lunges each leg

When you lunge, you should drop your back knee, and your front knee should not go in front of
your toe

10 full squats

Start standing, squat down bringing your knees to 90 deg and stand back up; make sure not to
let your toes go in front of your knees

Ben Waldo 2010

Hamstring stretch: 45 sec

Standing straight up, hinge at the hips keeping your back flat as possible; hinge over to a point of
mild discomfort, you should feel this down the back of your leg.

Quad stretch: 45 sec

Standing, hold a wall for stability, flex your knee, and hold your ankle and pull it away from your
body, when doing this flex your glute, you should feel this in the front of your upper leg.

Adductor stretch: 45 sec

Standing, spread your feet apart as far as possible, lean to your right ankle, then switch and lean
to your left ankle.

1. Naclerio, F., Colado, J., Rhea, M., Bunker, D., & Triplett, N. (2009). The influence of strength and

power on muscle endurance test performance. Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research /
National Strength & Conditioning Association, 23(5), 1482-1488. Retrieved from MEDLINE database.

2. Kong, P., Beauchamp, G., Suyama, J., & Hostler, D. (2010). Effect of fatigue and hypohydration on

gait characteristics during treadmill exercise in the heat while wearing firefighter thermal protective
clothing. Gait & Posture, 31(2), 284-288. Retrieved from MEDLINE database

3. Peterson, M., Dodd, D., Alvar, B., Rhea, M., & Favre, M. (2008). Undulation training for development

of hierarchical fitness and improved firefighter job performance. Journal Of Strength And
Conditioning Research / National Strength & Conditioning Association, 22(5), 1683-1695. Retrieved
from MEDLINE database.