Problem: No matter how hard you train for the stair climb, your legs will feel like rubber when you're through. The time it takes to recover from this depends on your fitness level and your V02 Max. VO2 Max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can process in order to feed your muscles to do work. In tests like the CPAT, if your VO2 Max is not high enough, you simply fail. Your legs may give out, or worse, you may become injured.

Solution: Proper training, gradually pushing up the limits of your VO2 Max over time can allow your body to compensate a little bit each time. This allows your heart and lungs to get stronger each time, thus preparing you for more, harder work the next time.

This is an event that is really easy to train for. You simply need a road-map of how much weight to use when, and a plan of how to safely increase resistance and duration. You really do need a weight vest for this. They are sold at weightvest.com. The Fire it Up System gives you this road map, with fill in the blank charts on how to progress!

Warning! Many people train with a back pack full of sand, or by carrying a weight plate. Don't do this! It changes the biomechanics, and puts your spine at risk! It causes small amounts (micro) of injury each time you do it. These add up, and will cause you problems in the future. As you age, you are much more likely to hurt your back. These sorts of injury are often career changing, if not career ending! Use a weight vest!

Problem: After the Stair climber, you will be out of breath. In the heat of the moment, and the rubber legs that come with it, you can have real problems if your legs are not strong enough. As soon as you step off the stair machine, turn and face the line that takes you to the hose pull. The proctor will remove the sandbags from your shoulders. MOVE IT! Pick up the nozzle, shoulder the hose, and GO! This is not the time to have rubber legs. And you shouldn't have them if you have trained properly. Nor is it the time for your abs, your traps, or your oblique's to be weak or de-conditioned!

Solution: Proper sport specific training can prepare you for this. MOVE! GO as fast at you can. Your quads may start to burn and you make fast, explosive movements in the proper direction -- unless you have trained them to work just like this! The drum may offer you some resistance. That's why you need to be moving at a fast pace when you round it! Step into the box, turn around, get (carefully) down on one knee, and pull the hose. Now you can catch your breath. Is your grip strong enough? Have you been training by pulling just like this? Because if you've trained properly, this will be much easier! PULL that hose hand over hand as fast as you can. 

The exercises in the Fire it Up Program that apply here are: Decline Leg Press, the One Handed Rope Lat Pull, and the Over the Shoulder Pull. The road map to success, is once again clearly planned out in the Fire it Up Manual.

Problem: This event is not actually that difficult, except for grip strength and prevention of back injuries from improper lifting.

Solution: When you get to the equipment carry, you'll be glad you worked on your grip strength with me. Just face the cabinet, and remove one saw at a time. Lift with your legs, not your low back. Pivot with your feet, not your trunk. Aren't you glad you have worked on core and trunk stabilization properly so these types of movements are safe and naturally performed by your abs, gluts, low back and oblique's? Your oblique muscles should be tight to prevent excessive rotation of your low back, and possible injury. Turn around, THEN, pick up both saws. This will ensure that both saws are touching the ground before you begin moving down the line.

The exercises appropriate for these exercises are: Lateral Flexion on the hyperextension bench, the Bicycle abs, and grip exercises with the a hand gripper. The fill in the blank format of the manual takes you step by step toward making this event a walk in the park.

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 Problem:

When you arrive at the ladder raise, you'll see why the squat thrust exercise I use in training is so important. Get down, use your legs and your upper body, grab the rungs, and raise the ladder. You have to push the ladder up rung by rung as fast and you can. Good thing your deltoids are ready for this! Now move over to the fly extension and just do it. Don't hesitate!

Solution:

The anterior delts are heavily employed here. The Squat Thrust and the Bicep Upper Cut are key in training for this event. Practicing the actual ladder raise is experience you can’t do without either! Keep your abs tight to protect your low back. Hold your shoulders back while standing straight to protect your mid back!

This can be a very exhausting portion if you are tired, and you haven't properly trained for JUST THIS action. Catch your breath as you follow the line and pick up the sledgehammer. This should not feel heavy to you if you are properly trained. Start swinging as soon as you can in short choppy strokes. Departments may set the forced entry device at a level that fits their needs. When the alarm sounds, let go of the hammer, but don't fling it, or you're out! Move to the tunnel crawl.

The Fire it Up System trains specifically for this event, with the cable pull/ax chop exercises. The Lateral Flexions on the hyperextension bench doesn’t hurt either.

Get in and get out! You do not have to move like a greased pig at the fair, but you do need to move! This where you can lose valuable seconds! Know this event! It is actually fun as long as you aren't claustrophobic. Be aware of the obstacles inside. Otherwise you might get disoriented and confused. There are no sharp or abrupt edges. All of the edges are tapered, so as long as you keep your head down, you can really move through here. The practice sessions really come into handy here, so use them! It will remove any doubt from your mind about where the obstacles are. This event is a good time to catch your breath before the dummy drag.

 At the dummy drag, size up where your handles are before you get there. Once again, the practice sessions are perfect for this! Grab them quickly and get going! Your legs may begin to burn! You must have proper  strength and VO2Max to get this done. Keep your abs and your low back  tight to prevent injury here!

 Decline leg press and 1-leg ups are essential training here to have leg strength in the lower ranges of motion. Back extensions and lateral flexion (both on the hyper extension bench) are essential ingredients to protecting your low back.

If you are taking this test for the first time you need to prepare. The Bicep Upper Cut and the One Armed Rope Lat Pull are essential training tools to maximize your effectiveness here. 

The Fire it Up techniques will give you the edge to pass with flying colors.  If you have tried it and failed before, don't be hard on yourself.  It is more common than you think.  The best thing you can do is to learn from your mistakes.  Your mistake was lack of proper training.  Let me assist you so that your CPAT test is a success! 

Obtaining a great time on the CPAT can be pretty intense. Training intensity, coupled with the proper exercises will maximize your performance. However, overdoing it can result in  injuries.

 Whether or not you think you're healthy, it is necessary to see your doctor for a checkup to be sure that this type of training will be safe for you.  If you have ever done any illegal drugs, or have hypertension or any history of cardiovascular disease in your family, this kind of training could be very dangerous. Go to your physician, get a physical. Get permission to train where your heart rate will get up around 180+.

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