Current Workout Plan

When someone falls into the sea, miles from land and rescue personel, the coast guard dispatches a chopper team to the last known position. Within minutes, a rescue swimmer plunges from the helicopter into the water to search for the victims of whatever maritime diaster percipitated their call out.

The swimmer is equiped with either a dry suit or wet suit depending on water temp and weather conditions. No scuba gear is issued, only a mask, snorkle, fins, and CO2 vest. Swimmers are expected to be able to swim and survive in any sea for a half an hour at the least.

Training for this position is intense to say the least. In addition to being nationaly registered paramedics the swimmers need to be in peak physical condition.

The following is the manditory fitness plan for US Coast Guard rescue swimmers. It is also the premier workout for public safety dive teams and the work out that I currently follow.

Day One
Chest:
Bench Press-- 4x5
Incline Press-- 4x5
Butterfly or Cable Fly-- 4x5

Shoulders:
Military Press-- 4x5
Shrugs--any combination of 20
Plate or Dumbell Raise-- 4x5

Day Two
Biceps:
Straight Bar Curls-- 4x5
Preacher Curls--4x5

Triceps:
Tricep Extensions-- 4x5
Tricep Raises--4x5

Forearms:
Gripper--20
Day Three
Legs:
Squat alternating with Deadlift-- 4x5
Leg Raises-- 4x5
Leg Curls--4x5
Calf Raises-- 4x5

Back:
Standing Row or Lat Pulldown--4x5
Seated Row--4x5

Day Four
Cardio
Swim one Mile
or
Run one Mile
or
Bike for 30 minutes


All days have thirty to thirty five minutes of low impact cardio in addition to an ab routine consisting of 50 crunches and 100 alternating crunches