The fitness move that firefighters swear by

Follow these simple firefighter training tips and you'll be channeling your inner Bull McCaffrey in no time
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Firefighters get all the glory. They drive colossal red trucks complete with 20 foot ladders, they wear macho uniform and helmets and, most importantly, they are always ripped as hell. Since we can't get the firetruck, we thought we'd see if we could get a hint of that ripped physique. We spoke to the professions at the The Fire Service College as part of Deepwater Horizon's release, and according to them it's possible without having to spend a single penny on a gym membership or protein shakes.

What are the physical requirements of a firefighter?

According to the firefighters we spoke to, the main requirements are stamina (to carry out a detailed search of a smoke-filled building), strength (to carry bulky fire service equipment or pitch heavy ladders), endurance (to run out lines of hoses over long distances or drag unconscious people to safety from buildings) and flexibility (to work for long periods in confined spaces such as tunnels) - all of which need to be at an extremely high standard in order to pass the six National Firefighter Physical Tests.

How can candidates get in shape and ace these tests?

The answer lies in calisthenics, otherwise known as body weight fitness training a form of exercise which doesn't need any apparatus or equipment.

Fortunately, you won’t need a gym membership or expensive equipment, and best of all you can complete a comprehensive workout which hits all muscles in around 20 minutes.   "Crabbing" will certainly help improve your strength, endurance, flexibility and stamina.

Otherwise known as "the bridge" this routine consists of you lying on your back and then pushing off the ground so your back arches and your hands and feet are supporting your whole body, thus working every muscle of the body and greatly improving flexibility.

“It requires strength to push off the ground and as you hold the position for longer, the endurance in your muscles will improve,” according to Robert Whittington, Senior Training Manager at the College.

How to crab:

1. Stretch well. Avoid injury by taking 15 minutes to stretch your back, wrists and ankles.

2. Build up by doing a shoulder bridge. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor quite close to your hips. Slowly lift your hips, lower back and rib cage off the floor, keeping your head and shoulders firmly planted. Hold this position for 30 seconds then lower your body back down

3. For the full crab, resume the shoulder bridge position. Bring your hands behind your ears (fingers pointing towards your toes and palms flat) and push the palms of your hands, keeping your heels grounded. Give your glutes a squeeze and lift your head, shoulders and hips off the ground.

4. Once up, push your hips as high as you can. Straighten your arms to its full stretch capacity and hold for 20-30 seconds.

5. Resume a flat position. To lower yourself, first bring your chin towards your chest, bend your arms and make sure the back of your head and neck are on the ground first. Roll the rest of your spine down slowly.

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Deepwater Horizon is available to download now, and is available on 4K UHD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Lionsgate Home Entertainment.