Research project · Sport science
Physical fitness, health and training of firefighters: a job-specific training program, a practical field test battery and an intervention study with a professional fire department.
The program at a glance
Pilot feedback
17 firefighters
Emergency operations demand endurance, strength, speed, coordination and agility – often with breathing apparatus and in full protective gear. Yet there are still few standardized training programs and uniform fitness tests; both are often left to individual departments.
Internationally, overexertion is considered the leading cause of on-duty deaths and of musculoskeletal injuries.
Studies show insufficient fitness, overweight and cardiovascular risk factors in many firefighters; back pain is common.
The aim of the project: evidence-based training and time-efficient testing that work in the daily routine of a fire station.
A literature-based profile of operational demands and a High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) program for firefighters.
Strength & Conditioning Journal, 2022
17 firefighters rated the program as highly relevant to their work and would recommend it.
Sports, Medicine & Health Summit, 2021
Low-threshold preparatory training for less fit firefighters, tested in a pilot study with new recruits of the Göttingen professional fire department (“Fit fürs Feuer”).
Manuscript in preparation
Comparison of field tests of cardiorespiratory fitness; the 20 m shuttle run emerges as the most practical valid option for testing entire fire stations.
Ergonomics, 2026
A practical field test battery that can be completed at the fire station in a short time and, beyond endurance, assesses further job-relevant abilities such as balance, strength, power and muscular endurance. The endurance test is based on the review.
Manuscript in preparation
Does the HIFT program improve physical performance? Measured with the field test battery from step 3b.
Cooperation with a professional fire department · in planning
The training program
Two circuits (A and B), each with eight functional exercises performed as intervals: together they target all major muscle groups and provide variety. Short, intense, requiring little equipment and scalable to any fitness level.
For firefighters with low fitness or returning after a break: a gentle re-entry that leads up to HIFT. Without time pressure, preparatory movement patterns and whole-body exercises are taught with an emphasis on correct technique – to improve safety and prevent injuries. Tested in the project “Fit fürs Feuer” with new recruits of the Göttingen professional fire department.
The core of the project: High-Intensity Functional Training that addresses several job-relevant abilities in one session – aerobic and anaerobic capacity, strength and muscular endurance. The exercises mimic the muscular demands of typical firefighting tasks, from stair climbing to forcible entry.
Shown: circuit A. Circuit B varies the exercises, e.g. lat pull-down instead of rows or push-ups instead of overhead press.
Exercise model: Joachim Posanz
Adapted with permission from Wolters Kluwer Health, LLC: Sempf F, Thienes G. High-Intensity Functional Training for Firefighters. Strength and Conditioning Journal 44(2): 97–105, 2022. © National Strength and Conditioning Association. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000659
Next step · 2027
Together with a professional fire department, we will examine how the HIFT program affects the physical performance of firefighters.
Findings to date
Sempf, F., Jaitner, T. & Thienes, G. · Ergonomics · Open Access
Appraises field tests for specificity, validity, reliability, safety and feasibility. Recommendation: 20 m shuttle run for station-wide testing, every six months as a starting point.
Sempf, F. & Thienes, G. · Strength and Conditioning Journal, 44(2), 97–105
Rationale and complete protocol of the HIFT circuit, including mobility work, specific warm-up and progression.
Sempf, F. & Thienes, G. · Sports, Medicine and Health Summit 2021 · Dtsch Z Sportmed, 72
Pilot with 17 firefighters: satisfaction 4.7, relevance to work 4.5 and comprehensibility 4.8 out of 5.
Photos: © NSCA, adapted with permission from Wolters Kluwer Health, LLC (see credit in the training section).
Related to the project: studies at the Toughest Firefighter Alive, a competition with job-specific tasks, and on balance in professional firefighters.
Sempf, F. & Thienes, G. · Sports, Medicine and Health Summit 2023
71 injuries in the preceding twelve months among 69 competitors; ligament and muscle injuries were most common, the knee was most frequently affected. Few injuries during the competition itself.
Sempf, F. & Thienes, G. · Sports, Medicine and Health Summit 2023
Firefighter-specific reference values for the mSEBT in 49 professional firefighters. Notable: lower anterior reach and a side-to-side asymmetry of at least 10% in 36.7%. Balance tests are therefore recommended for fire departments.
Sempf, F. & Thienes, G. · Sports, Medicine and Health Summit 2021 · Dtsch Z Sportmed, 72
Heart rate and blood lactate in 39 participants of the 2018 open TFA European Championship were consistently in the “very hard” intensity range. The values show what is possible in job-specific tasks under maximal competitive exertion.
All publications, including those outside the firefighting context: Profile on ResearchGate ↗
About me
Sport scientist specializing in rehabilitation and prevention. He has been working on firefighter fitness since 2014, when he led the project “Fit fürs Feuer” at the Göttingen professional fire department.
Fire stations, officers and fitness coordinators are welcome to get in touch directly – for questions, an initial conversation or an on-site presentation.