How To Prepare For OFAI Stage 2 – The Treadmill Test

Posted by MichealH Alexander on November 12th, 2019

This post is for candidates in Ontario who plan to, or have already attempted to go through the OFAI testing, stage 2 (the treadmill test).

 The encapsulated treadmill test during stage 2 of the OFAI testing can be rather difficult for some people.

That’s why I’ve decided to make a post dedicated to this specific testing protocol, to make it easier for you to pass.

 Evaluating yourself

 I want to redirect you to the OFAI pre-assessment guide for stage 2. Click on the link and read pages 6-7, then come back to the post.

Now that you’ve read the pre-assessment, it’ll make things a little easier to explain to you how I passed this test.

I wanted to ensure I passed the first go around, because the last thing I wanted to do was have to come back and pay more money! How to Become a Firefighter in Toronto

So I started to follow exactly what the pre-assessment guide mentions to do to prepare for this test.

What they state here is actually pretty crucial…

“Physical Preparation for the Test

•          Understand the Physical Aptitude Test – Read the descriptions carefully so you know what you are preparing for.
•          Self-Evaluation – review your training history and honestly evaluate your personal strengths and

weaknesses. Try to simulate the test and use that result as a personal baseline for future comparison.

•          Consider your performance relative to the minimally acceptable performance.
•          Set training objectives – Based on your self-evaluation, you may wish to place more emphasis on some elements (e.g., cardiovascular fitness) and less on others (e.g., musculoskeletal strength).

Now I don’t know how fit each one of you are, so it’s important you give yourself an honest evaluation of your fitness level.

For me, cardio is not my strong suit. I dedicate most of my time Olympic Weightlifting so hopping on a treadmill isn’t always the most fun for me!

You’ll need to evaulate how well you think you would stand up against the test, then go from there. For me, I knew I would be able to pass the test if I just brushed up on my cardio a month prior to testing. For some of you that time may be less, or may be more, it all depends on how fit you are to start out.

Beginning your training

The first workout I did was by doing the full 18 minutes (minimum time on treadmill to pass) with the same incline and speed required during the test, but without any added weight. Firefighter Requirements

After, I progressively added more weight onto my back using a backpack and weights from the gym, until I reached 60 pounds added.

Once I got to the point of feeling comfortable with 60 pounds,  I decided to do the full test but without any weight, only at a higher speed (roughly around 5.5 – 6.5 mph) and man was it a lot tougher! The difference of 2 mph means you’ll be jogging rather than walking, which makes it harder.

I did the increased speed for about 3-4 weeks, 3 times a week.

Depending on your fitness level, this could take a longer or shorter amount of time so go at your own pace.

Come test day, it ended up feeling like a breeze compared to what I was doing at the gym. I’m a firm believer of training harder than what will come on test day (yes it’s a little cliche). Because come test day, your nerves will be jacked up, you’re focus will be all over the place and the last thing you want is the negative thought of “am I going to pass this thing?!”

A few notes

-I’ve had friends who are on the shorter side that have said it was tougher for them due to their legs being shorter. They had to jog the entire test due to the 3.5 speed being too fast for them to walk. So if you fall into this category than I would suggest training at a jogging pace.

-I found my calves were definitely worked pretty hard due to the severe incline. So I would recommend stretching/foam rolling them frequently.

 To conclude

I hope this acts as a building block for you guys to start your training off on the right foot. Again, it’s best to modify this to your fitness level and give yourself enough time to train before attempting the test.

This is only a template on how to train for the test, you still have to take care of your nutrition and other fitness components (strength, muscular conditioning, etc.). I plan on posting more blogs related to nutrition and other subjects in the health & fitness section soon so hold tight!