Pass The CPAT Your First Time Out
Strength & Conditioning Coach Dennis Barlotta
Former USAF Firefighter/ Crash Rescue
Vietnam War Veteran
Fire.Drills is for guys training for their CPAT and for guys who want to stay strong and safe on the job. The cost is a one time payment of $50.00. That includes the course, affiliate status, and membership into our Fire Fighter Community.
Your Training Manual comes in the form of pdf. files. No fancy apps. You can log in day by day and get your training for that day.
Complete 8-Event CPAT Training. StairMaster & Weighted Vest Protocols.
Heavy Compound Strength & Grip Conditioning Event-Specific Mechanics (Drag, Breach & Entry) Peak Performance & Recovery Strategies. This is old school training. Check the Table of Contents by schrolling down. Everything is included in a very naviable PDF. Files. Workouts including warmups, and descriptions of how to do each exercise properly, on a day by day basis.
Your training manual lists all of the major muscle groups 'worked' during your test and specific strength and conditioning exercises that target those muscle groups. There are 8 training Modules. They include smaller pdf. files, from the course pdf. file, that are relevant to that day of training, video, and addtional information about the day's training and how to prepare for the next days training.
I have also included quizzes, I want you to know what you are going to be faced with. You need to understand upfront!
In addition to your course, you become a memeber of the Fire-Drills community. A Members Only Portal for Fire Fighters. A place where you can communicate with other guys on the job. Maybe you learned something in a fire, and you want to pass it on. Maybe you want to move and want to know if there are jobs in another department. Whatever. I have also included an Affiliate Program. If a guy buys the course through you, you get $10.00. Sign up up two guys, and now your out of pocket for your course is $30.00. That's cool with me.
You need to prepare; mentally and physically
Do you know what the events are? Do you know is permitted, what is not permitted? Do you what would cause you to fail?
Do you know what muscles groups each event will challenge? Do you how to train those muscle groups for your test
Do you know how to train not only for strength, but for balance, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance and recovery?
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Solution #1
Your course includes detailed descriptions of all eight events, what you can do , what you can't do and what can casue you to fail.
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Solution #2
The events will work different muscles. You will learn why the suggested workouts will prepare you how to train those muscle groups .
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Solution #3
After each event, you have to walk 85 feet to the next event. That's your recovery time. This training also improves your ability to recover between events.
My name is Dennis Barlotta. Before we go any further, I have to tell you a story and I don’t want you to forget it.
I was a Unted States Air Force Firefighter / Crash Rescue Man.
After my tour in Thailand during the Vietnam War, I was sent to Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois. Chanute was a training base, for guys just coming out of basic, it did not have an active runway, so I was in a department that only responded to structural fires.
One night, the other shift caught a run, a fire in the basement of a barracks. A barracks is a rectangle. There are only two ways in and out, basement doors at the end of the building.
What the Pre-Fire Plans didn’t show was the basement of the barracks had all sorts of storage spaces slapped together with 2 by 4’s. It was like a jigsaw puzzle down there.
This Rookie and I will call him K, he was only 20 years old and his wife was pregnant with their first child. He goes in the basement with a 1 ½ inch hose, working line, that’s what we called it. He sucks up all the air in his Scot mask, panics, DROPS THE HOSE, and runs forward. He died.
We pulled him out of there hours later. It was a waste of life. That hose was a direct line back to the pumper. If he’d kept his head he could have dropped down, crawled on the hose and followed it out. There’s more about why this happened but I’ll end it here.
Being a Fire Fighter is no joke.
Yes, my course is designed to help you pass the fitness test but let me tell you this; being in an actual emergency is way different than working out in a gym. If you find yourself humping hose up some stairwell you’d better be in shape. You owe it to yourself, your family, and the other guys in your crew.
This Course is for guys that want to pass the test the first time and for guys who want to stay in shape after they are on the job.
What Categories Do We Focus On?
The course focus is on the exercises and warm-ups, that you need to do to keep you strong and safe.
Who Is This Course NOT For?
This is not a bodybuilding course, if you want to be the next Mr. Universe, cool, but this course is not for you.
Table Of Contents
Introduction
Written by a former US Air Force firefighter and Vietnam War veteran, this course combines decades of hard-earned tactical experience with specialized strength and conditioning protocols. By sharing firsthand memories and lessons from his time on the job, the author provides newcomers with a grounded, practical guide to building real-world performance, stamina, and resilience.
Chapter 1 breaks down all eight CPAT events, detailing performance requirements, warning triggers, and automatic failure criteria. It also highlights the primary muscle groups taxed in each event, providing the physical context behind the targeted exercise protocols that follow.
Chapter 2 includes two progressive 8-week training schedules—one with the 2-mile run requirement and one without—designed to build cardiovascular capacity, prevent burnout, and protect your joints.
Assuming a starting baseline of a continuous half-mile run, the program uses a structured Run/Walk method to safely progress toward continuous running and a target 16-minute pace (8:00/mile).
Customization: Dual 8-week tracks (StairMaster Only vs. StairMaster + 2-Mile Run).
Methodology: Progressive Run/Walk intervals transitioning into continuous, paced distance.
Performance Factor: Train for environmental conditions (heat and humidity directly impact cardiovascular performance and output).
Chapter 3: The 6-Week StairMaster Protocol
This intensive six-week training protocol is engineered specifically to help CPAT candidates pass Event 1: The StairMaster Challenge. By simulating the exact test demands, this routine builds target cardiovascular stamina, leg endurance, and mental toughness needed to crush the 3-minute, 60 SPM (steps per minute) test while wearing a heavy weighted vest.
Week 1–2 (Foundation): Base-building sessions at 50–55 SPM with moderate vest weight to master rhythm, foot placement, and breathing control.
Week 3–4 (Overload): Interval training pushing speeds up to 65–70 SPM and introducing target 75 lbs. total test weight to build lactic threshold and quad stamina.
Week 5 (Specific Simulation): Full-dress timed simulations matching exact CPAT cadence (60 SPM for 3 minutes) directly following a 20-second warm-up without handrail support.
Week 6 (Taper & Peak): Low-volume, high-intensity priming workouts to ensure peak leg strength and full central nervous system recovery for test day.
Chapter Four: The 5-Day Tactical Training Blueprint
Chapter Four provides a complete, day-by-day roadmap for the 5-day training system, taking candidate preparation from fundamental movement prep to maximum force output:
Dynamic Warm-Up Sequences: Comprehensive step-by-step warm-up protocols—including both bodyweight dynamic mobility drills and targeted resistance band activation routines—designed to prep joints, prime the nervous system, and prevent injury before every session.
Day-by-Day Prescribed Workouts: A clear, workout-by-workout breakdown detailing exact exercise selection, set and rep schemes, and target intensity protocols for each day of the program.
Multi-Modality Strength Matrix: Full instructional breakdowns and technical guidelines covering all prescribed weighted exercises using barbells, dumbbells, cables, kettlebells, and weighted medicine balls.
Everything is structured for immediate gym execution so candidates can move through each session with purpose, precision, and peak efficiency.
Part II: Comprehensive Course & Workout Manual
Below is the condensed outline for Chapters 6 through 10, including the full step-by-step exercise guides, visual form cues, and printable workout logs.
Chapter 6: Day 1 – Heavy Hinge & Lower Body Posterior Power
Focus: Building explosive hip drive, hamstring torque, and glute activation needed for mannequin drags, equipment carries, and heavy equipment hoists.
Chapter 7: Day 2 – Tactical Upper Body Press & Overhead Mechanics
Focus: Shoulder overhead capacity, chest drive, and tricep extension strength for ceiling breaches, pike pole operations, and ladder raises.
Chapter 8: Day 3 – Core Anti-Rotation & Dynamic Trunk Stability
Focus: Midsection bracing, rotational strength, and anti-rotational stability to protect the lower spine during offset hose pulls and heavy tool handling.
Chapter 9: Day 4 – Grip Endurance & Forearm Bulletproofing
Focus: Direct forearm flexor and grip conditioning so your hands do not fail during long equipment carries, rescue drags, and tool manipulation under fatigue.
Chapter 10: Day 5 – Event-Specific Conditioning & CPAT Stamina
Focus: Replicating CPAT event demands through weighted conditioning and metabolic stamina protocols.
Fire Drills: Additional Training Modules
Introduction to Kettlebell Training: Core fundamentals of dynamic hip-hinge power, ballistic movements, and unilateral stability using kettlebells to mimic awkward equipment carries and heavy tool work.
How to Exercise the Neck Safely: Progressive isometric and targeted neck strengthening protocols to reinforce spinal alignment, absorb impact, and support high-load head gear.
The Importance of Stretching: Pre-workout dynamic mobility to prime movement patterns alongside post-session static stretching to maintain joint range of motion and prevent tight hip flexors/hamstrings.
The Benefit of Exercise Bands: Utilizing continuous variable resistance for joint-friendly warm-ups, progressive overload, anti-rotational core work, and localized muscle activation.
Dealing with Injuries: Immediate triage protocols (R.I.C.E./M.E.L.T.), load modification strategies, and rehab progressions to maintain work capacity while protecting healing tissues.
Nutrition: Tactical fueling strategies focusing on clean macronutrient ratios, hydration protocols, and nutrient timing to build lean power and sustain endurance during multi-event physical demands.
The Big Five Functional Movements: In-depth breakdowns of the foundational strength pillars: Squat, Hinge, Push, Pull, and Loaded Carry—and how each directly translates to physical performance test success.
Irradiation (How to Use Your Entire Body): Techniques for total-body tensioning (squeezing non-working muscles, bracing, and grip pressure) to instantly recruit more motor units and generate maximum force.
Suggestions on Where to Buy Gear: A recommended vendor guide for high-durability resistance bands, kettlebells, chalk, supportive joint sleeves, and home gym essentials.
Final Thoughts: Mental conditioning strategies, test-day mindset preparation, and long-term athletic durability guidelines as candidates step onto the fireground.
Your course includes Eight Modules, 34 pdf. files, Diagrams of recommended exercises, Printable Daily Workout Logs, and suggestions of where to buy the necessary equipment.
You are automatically enrolled in the Members only Fire Drills Community, where you can communicate with other Firefighter members. You are automatically eligible to become and Affiliate and earn commissions for signing up firefighters, if you want to.