Your “Fitness Action Plan”: Strategy and Tactics for Firefighter Peak Performance
By Ryan Provencher
Just as an Incident Action Plan (IAP) ensures effective emergency response, the Fitness Action Plan (FAP) Framework provides a clear, systematic approach to improving firefighter readiness, maximizing performance, and minimizing injury risk.
Every firefighting incident brings unique challenges. Effective emergency operations rely on a structured Incident Action Plan (IAP), which includes Size-Up, Strategy, Tactics, Tasks, and After-Action Review to guide decisions and actions.
The Firefighter Peak Performance Methodology applies these same principles to firefighter fitness programming. Just as an IAP ensures an effective fireground response, the Fitness Action Plan (FAP) Framework provides a structured approach to improve firefighter readiness, maximize performance, and minimize injury risk.
1. Size-Up: assessing your firefighter fitness
A proper Size-Up is the foundation of every successful incident response. It helps us assess conditions, identify hazards, evaluate resources, and determine the best course of action.
Firefighter fitness programming follows the same principle. You must first understand your current fitness level to reach your performance goals. A baseline fitness assessment helps you “size-up” physical abilities essential for firefighting.
Three Approaches to Firefighter Fitness Assessment:
General Fitness Assessment – Measures aerobic capacity, strength, endurance, power, mobility, and body composition. The IAFF/IAFC WFI Fitness Assessment is an example.
Job-Specific Fitness Assessment – Evaluates performance in specific firefighting scenarios and fireground tasks. Examples include the CPAT, Firefighter Challenge, and other custom firefighting evolutions.
Tactical Fitness Assessment – Uses a workout-based approach to assess key movement patterns and energy systems for firefighting, with both subjective and objective scoring for tracking progress. The Firefighter Peak Performance Tactical Fitness Assessment falls under this category. Download “The Firefighter’s Guide to Tactical Fitness”.
Assessing your fitness capabilities allows you to track progress, target key areas for improvement, and develop a training plan that enhances your performance where it matters most—on the fireground.
2. Strategy: Selecting Your Firefighter Fitness Program
Success in emergency operations depends on a clear strategy. Whether attacking a fire or defending exposures, every decision must align with the incident’s needs. Without a solid plan, even the hardest work can be ineffective—or even dangerous.
The same principle applies to firefighter fitness. Peak performance isn’t just about working hard—it’s about training with purpose. Your fitness program serves as your strategy, ensuring that every workout moves you closer to your performance goals.
Three Approaches to Firefighter Fitness Programs:
Conventional Fitness – Focuses on muscle strength, general fitness, and body composition targeting muscle groups and steady-state cardio. While it builds a solid foundation, it lacks direct application to firefighting. It is best suited for a General Physical Preparedness (GPP) Phase, where the goal is to improve baseline strength and endurance.
Functional Fitness – Emphasizes movement patterns and energy system development rather than isolated muscle training. While it improves overall performance, it doesn’t fully address the unique demands of firefighting. This approach fits well within the Specific Physical Preparedness (SPP) Phase of a structured training program.
Tactical Fitness – Designed for firefighters, this approach builds high-intensity work capacity through job-specific movements and varied-intensity interval training. It emphasizes operational readiness, active recovery, and reduced injury risk to optimize emergency response. This method is best suited for the "Sport-Specific" Physical Preparedness (SSPP) Phase of training.
A well-rounded firefighter fitness plan incorporates all three approaches across different phases, adapting to individual needs and performance goals.
3. Tactics: performing your daily workouts
On the fireground, tactics put strategy into action. Whether executing an aggressive interior attack, performing ventilation, or conducting search and rescue, every action has a clear objective designed to support the overall mission. Without well-planned tactics, even the best strategy falls apart.
The same applies to firefighter fitness. Your Workouts should be intentional, each designed with a specific goal. Every training session serves a purpose within your broader fitness strategy, ensuring you develop the physical capacity required for the job.
Firefighter workouts fall into four general categories:
Low-Intensity Dynamic Mobility - Prepares your body for higher-intensity work with dynamic movement, soft-tissue mobilization, and light activity like walking. Intensity stays below 4 RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) and 40% HR Max. Low-Intensity Steady-State (LISS) cardio may be included based on your goals.
Moderate-Intensity Training - Focuses on strength development, skill refinement, and movement efficiency. Intensity ranges from 6 to 8 RPE and 60-80% HR Max.
High-Intensity Training - Metabolic conditioning that pushes your limits without sacrificing movement quality. All-out effort with strict attention to form. Intensity reaches 8 to 10 RPE and 80-100% HR Max.
Low-Intensity Flexibility Recovery - Similar to rehab and overhaul on the fireground, this session restores readiness and prevents burnout with low intensity aerobic training, soft-tissue work, and flexibility circuits. Intensity stays below 6 RPE and 60% HR Max.
Click on this link for access to a library of Free Firefighter Workouts.
It’s important to ensure that occupational training, recreational sports, and other activities integrate into your daily workout schedule. Managing intensity is key to avoiding burnout and optimizing performance.
If you have any questions about balancing workload and recovery, check out this blog post: Balancing Stress and Performance: The Role of Allostatic and Total Training Load.
4. tasks: choosing your training exercises
On the fireground, every action serves a purpose. Whether advancing a hose line, forcing entry, or deploying a ladder, each task supports a Tactical Objective that contributes to the mission. Without a clear understanding of these tasks, efficiency and effectiveness suffer.
Training exercises are the “tasks” of your workout, each selected to achieve a specific training goal.
Exercise selection depends on your F.A.P. Strategy:
Conventional Fitness Exercises - Focus on isolated muscle groups using machines and free weights, often prioritizing aesthetics and general strength over functional movement.
Functional Fitness Exercises - Emphasize multi-planar movement over muscle isolation, often targeting joint strength, stability, and movement efficiency.
Tactical Fitness Exercises - Designed around real-world firefighting movements, incorporating simple tools like kettlebells, sandbags, steel clubs, and med balls.
5. after-action review: tracking your scoring metrics
Every fireground operation ends with an After-Action Review (AAR)—a critical process where firefighters assess what went well, identify areas for improvement, and refine strategies for the next response. This ensures continuous learning and improved performance over time.
Your fitness journey should follow the same principle. Tracking performance through Intentional Training and Scoring Metrics allows you to check progress and adjust your approach as needed. Just as an AAR enhances tactical effectiveness, tracking workout scores and key performance indicators provides a clear measure of how your training translates to real-world readiness.
By using both Objective Scoring (rounds completed, weight lifted, times recorded) and Subjective Self-Assessment (movement quality, perceived effort, discomfort rating), you create a feedback loop for improvement. This ensures that each training session builds towards greater strength, endurance, and resilience, keeping you response-ready for the unpredictable demands of the job.
train with purpose, be response ready
Just as an Incident Action Plan ensures an effective fireground response, your Fitness Action Plan provides the structure needed to build strength, endurance, and resilience for the job. Without a plan, training becomes inconsistent and ineffective—just like an uncoordinated fireground operation.
The Firefighter Peak Performance Fitness Action Plan (FAP) Framework eliminates the guesswork, aligning your training with job demands. By assessing your fitness, selecting the right approach, executing purposeful workouts, and tracking progress, you create a clear, strategic path to peak performance.