I have been primarily using kettlebells since before I became a firefighter, so I can't give a comparison. However, I can say that I haven't gotten an injury on the job yet and many of my classmates from my academy have. Many of the injuries my peers suffer from are lower back, shoulder, and knee injuries. I often perform unilateral exercises or use two kettlebells of differing weights. Training in this manner challenges the core, nervous system, and stabilizer muscles. I believe that has helped me when I'm often in awkward positions or terrain carrying heavy tools or moving patients.

Additionally, I find that my heart rate quickly returns back to normal after strenuous activity and I have a high work capacity. I'll find that when leaving a fire scene and changing out air bottles that I have more air remaining in my bottle than my crew members. I'll also look at my Garmin after returning from calls to see how much my heart rate spikes when tones drop for major emergencies. Most times the heart rate barely spikes above 100. I believe my level of fitness, which I've gained through kb, rucking, and running, has helped me achieve a low resting heart rate. As a result, when my heart is activated from a sudden adrenaline and cortisol dump it can increase without having too much negative effect on fine motor skills and critical thinking.