Effect of 12 weeks of complex training on occupational activities, strength, and power in professional firefighters.

This study examined the effects of 12-week complex training (CT) programs on professional firefighters' occupational activities, strength, and power. Thirty men professional firefighters were randomly assigned to the CT group ( = 15) and control group ( = 15). The CT group performed complex training and the control group completed resistance training (RT) twice a week over 12 weeks. The occupational activities, strength, and power were assessed at baseline and immediately after the intervention by measuring the performance of 100 m load-bearing run (100 m LR), 60 m shoulder ladder run (60 m SLR), 5 m × 20 m shuttle run (5 m × 20 m SR), 4th-floor climbing rope (4th-floor CR), countermovement jump with arm swing (CMJas), seated medicine-ball throw (SMT), one-repetition maximum bench press (1RM BP), and one-repetition maximum back squat (1RM BS). The results showed that compared to RT, CT induced significantly greater improvements in 60 m SLR ( = 0.007), 4th-floor CR ( = 0.020), CMJas ( = 0.001), and SMT ( < 0.001). These findings suggest that CT is a novel intervention with great promise of improving professional firefighters' occupational activities, strength, and power.