“ADAPT to Survive” is Orlando Gomez’s motto. A member of Portland, OR Local 43 and a physical therapist with 15 years of experience, Gomez has a unique perspective on the physical fitness needs and requirements of fire fighters. In addition to serving as a Peer Fitness Trainer (PFT) for Local 43 he is a physical therapist at Athletic Development and Performance Training (ADAPT) in Beaverton, Oregon.

“Before becoming a fire fighter, I never understood the demands of the job on the body,” says Gomez. “Only after being a fire fighter did I realize how much the rehabilitation world doesn’t know about injury prevention and return to work issues in the fire service.”

Injuries cost the fire service millions of dollars annually. As a therapist, Gomez would treat these injuries using traditional return to work requirements to allow fire fighters to go back to work. “As a result of my experience in the real world of fire fighting and injuries, I now realize that fire fighters are returning to work much too soon,” says Gomez. Discharge criteria allow a fire fighter to return to work at about 60-70 percent of their potential fitness level. As a result, fire fighters are often trying to do the job with residual pain and compensation that can significantly increase the risk of re-injury.

So how do you get back to 100 percent of your pre-injury fitness level? Returning to work at less than 100 percent reinforces bad muscular patterns and increases chance of re-injury. Due to a decreased fitness level or residual pains, a FF trying to get back to an old workout routine is all but impossible. They have to change his/her workout to try and get back to their former selves and may never be able to get there without the proper guidance and training. The other option is to stop working out altogether. Both of these scenarios leave the FF at risk. “I realized that fire fighters have to be treated and trained as the athletes,” says Gomez. “Our profession requires it.” According to Gomez, this disconnect in the return to work concept has not been addressed.

Brian Cassidy, Owner and Founder of ADAPT, has a philosophy that includes re-establishing the natural muscular balance and efficiency of movement that our bodies are designed with.

Based on a multi-level training program, each ADAPT training level represents specific physical requirements and exercises that do not exceed the fire fighter’s level of function. Each athlete/fire fighter is tested for muscular function in three areas: efficiency (joint articulation), strength balance and endurance balance.

Test results determine what level the fire fighter will be training in and what techniques can be safely used to achieve individual performance goals. This approach can take a fire fighter from an acute injury to a high level of performance with no re-injury.

ADAPT is committed to providing athletes/fire fighters with the opportunity to surpass their physical potential and achieve new athletic standards. “Everything we do is driven by the needs of our clients,” explains Gomez. “Our training programs are focused on developing muscular efficiency, while increasing performance. Muscular efficiency is the key component to maximizing athletic power, speed and strength.”

Many programs use specific training techniques to increase performance for an individual sport. The limitation is the inability to adjust to an athlete’s muscular compensations. Drills or exercises can be very damaging if the athlete does not have the muscular function to perform the move correctly. If an athlete attempts to perform the move, there is a possibility of developing a compensative muscular pattern that will reduce performance. This could place the athlete in a vulnerable position and increase the risk of injury.

“Training should always be productive and never produce a negative result,” says Gomez. “The ADAPT training progression ensures that you will always maximize your results, while never compromising any aspect of your training.”

ADAPT trainers work with clients both on a one-to-one basis and in groups. Workouts include an active warm up, stairs, parallel bars and beams, weights and running efficiency routines. This format fills in the gaps in fitness created by many traditional workouts. In addition, ADAPT instructors make modifications for all athletic abilities to ensure maximum challenge for all levels.

Below is an example of an ADAPT workout. Fire fighters who attended the 2005 IAFF Redmond Symposium experienced this type of workout, which works all major muscle groups in a balanced sequence of exercises that are done in a circuit. “One advantage to this type of workout is that it can be done individually or as a crew and with different levels of fitness,” notes Gomez, who recommends using heavy dumbbells (when indicated) so that the end of each set is at a difficult level of intensity. The active warm up and cool down can also be used with any type of workout.

For more information, contact ADAPT Physical Therapist Orlando Gomez at (503) 646 8482 or orlando@adapttraining.com. Or visit www.adapttraining.com.

Warm Up
20x		Kneeling Elbow Curls –  (On knees with knees directly under hips, place knuckles on temples with thumbs pointing to shoulders, bring elbows together and apart)
20x		Kneeling Pullovers – (On knees, straighten arms and interlace fingers with palms facing your body.  Keeping arms straight raise arms above head as far as is comfortable then lower them back down toward waist; repeat up and down.)
30x		Crunches – (Lie on back with knees bent and feet flat on floor; place hands behind head, elbows back, and chin off chest.  Contract abdominal muscles while lifting shoulders off the floor and relax; repeat up and down.)
15x each leg		Wishbone Kicks – (Lie on back with knees together and feet apart with hips and knees bent at 90 degrees. Extend right leg toward the sky and lower back down to 90 degrees. Repeat, extending the left leg toward the sky and back down; repeat, extend and relax.
20x		Active Shoulder Bridge – (Lie on back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor and both knees and feet at hip width.  Squeeze glutes raising hips and lower back off the floor and back down; repeat up and down.)
1 min/side		Lower Spinal Floor Twist – (Lie on back with left leg straight and resting on the floor, lift and bend right knee so that your right knee and hip are at 90 degree angles, grab right knee with left hand and pull it across body towards the floor and hold.  Repeat on other leg)
10x		Kneeling Rollercoasters – (On knees, straighten arms and place palms flat on the floor in front of you, bend over bringing chest toward knees and sit back toward heels.  Starting in this position bend elbows, move face forward between hands just above the floor then drop hips to floor and straighten arms raising chest upward.  Lift hips up, return to the original position and repeat.)
20x		Spread Foot Glides – (With hands in middle, bend right leg and keep left thigh tight; as if you are sitting back into a chair.  Then switch by straightening right leg and bending left leg; alternate side to side)
10x ea. side		Static Lunges – (Stand with hands behind head, right leg out in front of you and left leg behind.  Bend both knees allowing your left leg to drop toward the floor, press feet into floor lifting hips and straightening legs.  Repeat up and down then switch legs.  Repeat other side.)
10x		Full Squats – (Standing with feet directly under hips and toes pointing forward, place hands behind head and pinch shoulder blades together.  Without letting heels come off the floor, squat down as far as is comfortable and back up; repeat up and down.)
Repeat each station 2-3 times
Station #1
50x		Flutter Kicks –  (Lie on back with legs straight, thighs tight and toes pulled back; raise head off the ground so you are looking at your feet.  Keeping legs straight and thighs tight, alternate kicking legs up and down 6” above the floor; ½ of reps are done with toes pulled back and ½ with toes pointed forward.)
8-10x		Wishbone Bench Press – 3x10 (Lie on a bench on back with knees together, feet apart keeping hips and knees bent at 90 degree angles.  Holding a dumbbell in each hand bend your arms and lower your elbows as far down as you can comfortably and in control.  Then lift weights back to original position by pressing them toward the sky and straightening your arms.  Be sure the motion is fluid and controlled, not allowing dumbbells to touch; repeat up and down.)
20x ea. Position		Kneeling Active Clock  – On knees with arms down by your side and thumbs pointing forward pull arms up to the 12 o’clock position, and back down.  Repeat start with hands in front of body and pull arms at 45 degree angles up and away from body with arms going to the 10 and 2 position. Finally, starting with arms extend in front of you at shoulder level and thumbs pointing away from each other.  Pull arms back and away from each other, pinching shoulder blades as you pull back to the 9 & 3 position.
Station #2
20x		Back Leg Elevated Static Lunges – (Stand with hands behind head, right leg out in front of you and left leg behind on a bench/step.  Bend both knees allowing your left leg to drop toward the floor; press feet into floor lifting hips and straightening legs.  Repeat up and down then switch legs.  Repeat other side.)
30 sec		Kneeling Bridge – (On knees with knees directly under hips and toes under feet, grab heels with hands so that thumbs are inside of heels, squeeze glutes and push hips forward into the air and hold.)
5x		Inchworms – (Stand with feet at hip width and toes pointing forward, keep legs straight, bend over at the waist until hands are flat on the floor.  In this position walk hands out in front of you as far as is comfortable then walk legs up to hands while keeping legs straight and thighs tight; repeat.)
Station #3
8-10 x		Single arm Dumbell Row – place one knee and same side hand on a bench. With the other arm dangling holding a DB, bring the DB to your hip, focusing on the scapula pulling back and repeat.
10x		Spread Foot Rollercoasters – Walk hands out in front of you and spread hands so they are slightly wider than shoulders.  Bend arms and pull face just above floor in a “U” motion.  Drop hips toward floor and press arms straight.  Return to original position by lifting hips into air and shifting weight back into feet; repeat.
20-30x		Full Squats – 10x (Standing with feet directly under hips and toes pointing forward.  Place hands behind head and pinch shoulder blades together.  Without letting heels come off the floor, squat down as far as is comfortable and back up; repeat up and down.)
Station #4
Up to 10x		Kneeling Dumbbell Military Press – 3 x 10 (On knees with knees directly under hips.  Start with dumbbells in hand, palms facing forward just above shoulders; press dumbbells upward over head then lower back down. Do not allow weights to touch above head, repeat.)
10-20x		Kneeling Alternating Bicep Curls –Kneeling on a bench, shoulders back, arms hanging down with dumbbells in hand.  Keeping elbows pinned to your sides curl arms up toward chest and then back down.
30-50x		Frog Abs – Lie on back, place soles of feet together, relax and spread knees apart letting them fall towards the floor.  In this position place hands behind head keeping elbows back; squeeze and hold glutes while contracting abdominal muscles and lifting shoulders off the floor and back down; repeat up and
Cool Down
20x		Clappers – Lie on back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, arms straight out from shoulders with palms facing up. In this position gently press back of hands into floor and draw arms together gently pressing palms together above chest; repeat back and forth.
20x		Overhead Extension Pullovers – Lie on back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, extend arms above chest and interlace fingers, palms facing away. Keeping arms straight lower hands toward the floor above your head as far as is comfortable then pull them back toward your waist; repeat back and forth.
20x		Crunches – Lie on back with knees bent and feet flat on floor; place hands behind head, elbows back, and chin off chest.  Contract abdominal muscles while lifting shoulders off the floor and relax; repeat up and down.
20x ea. leg		Leg Lifts – Lie on back with left leg straight along the floor and right knee bent so that your right foot is flat on the floor.  Keeping left leg straight and thigh tight, lift leg up as far as is comfortable then lower back down towards the ground; repeat up and down.
20x		Active Shoulder Bridge – Lie on back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor and both knees and feet at hip width.  Squeeze glutes raising hips and lower back off the floor and back down; repeat up and down.
20x		Static Back Splits – On back with legs resting on a block at 90 degrees with legs held in the air, bring knees and feet together then open legs up spread knees and feet apart; repeat back and forth.
1:00 ea. side		Lower Spinal Floor Twist – Lie on back with left leg straight and resting on the floor; lift and bend right knee so that your right knee and hip are at 90 degree angles; grab right knee with left hand and pull it across body towards the floor and hold.  Repeat on other leg.
10x		Cats & Dogs – On hands and knees with hands under shoulders and knees under hips, arch back up and pull chin to chest, then lower back toward floor and raise head up; repeat back and forth.
30 sec		Downward Dog – On hands and knees, with hands in front of and slightly wider than shoulders, knees under hips and toes curled under feet.  Straighten legs by lifting knees off the floor, pressing heels towards the floor and lifting hips towards the sky; keep thighs tight and press chest toward legs and hold.
30 sec		Kneeling Bridge – On knees with knees directly under hips and toes under feet, grab heels with hands so that thumbs are inside of heels, squeeze glutes and push hips forward into the air and hold.
1-2 minutes		Air Bench – Stand with back against a wall, knees and ankles at hip width.  Keeping back against the wall lower yourself into a seated position against the wall so that knees are at 90 degrees and thighs are parallel with the floor; keeping weight in heels, lightly press lower back into the wall.  Make sure that your knees do not go out past ankles.