The New York City Fire Department has a reputation for being the biggest and the best. So it's no suprise that when it comes to training new recruits, only methods that produce real results are employed. Every man and woman that leaves that academy, with it's boot camp-style training, is fit, lean, and ready for anything.

But intense training doesn't imply overtraining. Boot camp training naturally takes working out to a new level, without nearly as much risk for physical injury. However, it does necessitate a comprehensive and progressive approach that strikes a balance between intensity, recovery and improvement, without which you'll go nowhere.

Modifying the FDNY's boot camp approach to fit your life-style, goals, and current fitness level is a great way to buid real strength and endurance, but also mold a whole new you. Get one look at a class of recruits on graduation day, and you'll see a force of lean and mean, firefighting machines. .