Performance Standards: Where do you stand?
By Eric Haskins, CSCS | TSAC-F
Head Coach - Firehouse Strength & Conditioning
The GBRS Performance Standards for firehouse strength & conditioning
You want to know where you stand?
Take the test.
Seven events. One session. No hiding behind excuses, gear, or titles. These numbers don’t care about your age, rank, gender, time on the job, or what you used to be able to do. They only reveal one thing — the truth about where you stand right now.
The GBRS Group Performance Standards, originally developed by Vernon Griffeth (NSCA Tactical Strength Coach of the Year, 2024) and former Tier-1 operators DJ Shipley and Cole Fackler, is a universal readiness test designed to measure what actually matters: Strength, Speed, Power, Endurance, and Capacity.
The test and the associated Performance Standards aren’t just for Tier-1 Operators and the like, but for all Tactical populations like Police and Fire as well — because what they measure applies directly to what we do. Every movement in this test is tied to a demand on the fireground. This isn’t bodybuilding. This isn’t a PR chase. It’s a measure of operational performance & readiness — of your ability to perform when lives are on the line.
Why It Matters
In the tactical world — whether you’re a SEAL, SWAT officer, or firefighter — your body is your equipment.
When you’re under stress, working on air, and getting beaten down by the heat, your performance doesn’t just magically rise to the occasion — it will most assuredly fall to your level of preparation. Or lack thereof.
The Performance Standards will expose that level.
They tell you how efficiently you can generate force, move your own bodyweight, lift with control, and sustain output under fatigue.
And they serve one purpose: to build better firefighters in our case, starting with you.
For firefighters, this test translates directly to the fireground:
Broad Jump: lower-body power for hose advancement and explosive movement.
Bench Press / Pull-Ups: upper-body strength and endurance for pushing, pulling, and forcible entry.
Trap Bar Deadlift: foundational lifting strength for capability and injury prevention.
Plank Hold: trunk stability and control under tension.
Farmer Carry: grip, posture, and composure under load.
800m Run: your engine — aerobic and anaerobic conditioning under pressure.
This is the kind of assessment that doesn’t just test fitness — it tests readiness.
How to Approach It
Treat each event like an evolution — with focus, intent, and discipline.
Warm up properly. Execute with precision. Stay safe, but give your best effort.
These numbers don’t define you — they guide you.
They’re not a measure of ego; they’re a measure of the truth.
For us at Firehouse Strength & Conditioning, your results create the foundation for the training ahead, as we test and retest these same standards to show proof of work.
Progress, not perfection.
Show up. Do the work. Set a standard you’ll surpass next time and then maintain for a career, a lifetime.
The Events
1. Broad Jump — Power
Purpose:
To measure lower-body power and explosiveness through the hips — exactly what drives hose advancement, stair climbs, and fireground movement.
The Standard: Equal to your height
Elite: Height + 12"
Pro: Height + 24"
Coach’s Note:
Explosive power = real-world strength expressed fast.
Load the hips, swing the arms, and commit. No hesitation, no half-send. Go for it.
2. Bench Press (Bodyweight for Reps) — Upper-Body Strength Endurance
Purpose:
To measure your ability to produce and sustain force through your trunk and upper body — from forcing doors to pressing out in front or overhead under load.
The Standard: 10 reps @ bodyweight
Elite: 15 reps
Pro: 20+ reps
Coach’s Note:
If you can’t move your own bodyweight under control for reps, you’re leaving strength on the table. Grip the bar tight, lock in your lats, and drive every rep with intent.
3. Pull-Ups — Upper-Body Pulling Strength
Purpose:
To test your ability to move and control your own body weight through space — the foundation for climbing, hauling, and rescuing.
Weak here? It’s a liability on the fireground.
The Standard: 10
Elite: 15
Pro: 20+
Coach’s Note:
Pull-ups expose your true strength-to-weight ratio.
As Jim Wendler said: “There are only three reasons you can’t do a pull-up — you’re weak, fat, or injured.”
Fix what needs fixing and let’s get to work.
If you’ve got a shoulder “thing”, supinated grip(Chin-Up) is acceptable.
4. Trap Bar Deadlift (5RM) — Foundational Strength
Purpose:
To measure maximal strength through your posterior chain — the power to lift, drag, and move weight safely and efficiently.
The Standard: 1.5× bodyweight × 5
Elite: 1.75× bodyweight × 5
Pro: 2× bodyweight × 5
Coach’s Note:
Strength is the base of the pyramid - the foundation.
If your legs and back aren’t strong, you’re on borrowed time.
Set up with intent, lift with control, and own every rep.
If you don’t have a trap bar, conventional or sumo-style is acceptable.
We lift from the floor, no risers. We differ slightly from The GBRS Group here.
5. Plank Hold — Trunk Stability
Purpose:
To test core endurance and control under tension. Every lift, crawl, and drag relies on your ability to maintain trunk stability.
Lose it here, and you leak energy everywhere else.
The Standard: 2:00
Elite: 2:30
Pro: 3:00+
Coach’s Note:
You can’t out-train a weak trunk.
Breathe, stay tight, and maintain position until you can’t.
When you do, take note — that’s your weak link.
This is a Prone Plank held on your forearms with elbows at 90 degrees.
6. Farmer Carry (Bodyweight for Distance) — Grip & Postural Endurance
Purpose:
To assess your ability to carry heavy loads — hose, equipment, tools, or victims — with control and composure.
The Standard: 175 ft
Elite: 225 ft
Pro: 250+ ft
Coach’s Note:
This is the fireground in its purest form: grip, posture, composure.
Move upright, stay tight, and carry the weight. Don’t let it own you.
Bodyweight is split between each hand. 180lbs = 90lb DB in each hand.
7. 800m Run — Engine
Purpose:
To test your aerobic power and anaerobic endurance.
This is your ability to push high-level effort for sustained time — like first-due fire attack or an immediate rescue upon arrival.
The Standard: ≤ 3:15
Elite: ≤ 3:00
Pro: ≤ 2:45
Coach’s Note:
Every second counts.
This is your engine test — your ability to deliver oxygen, clear fatigue, and keep working when others break down.
The Standard is for everybody
As DJ Shipley said:
“We wanted a universal standard — something that measures readiness across the board. Once you hit that level, the goal is to maintain it for as long as possible.”
That’s the mindset.
Not perfection. Not one-time effort. Longevity.
Being able to perform at a high level at 30, 40, or even 50+ because you trained like a professional for decades.
The Performance Standards aren’t about competition — they’re about accountability.
They reveal where you stand and what you need to fix.
They give you a target — one that doesn’t lie, doesn’t bend, and doesn’t care about excuses.
Test - Train - repeat
The GBRS Performance Standards are the benchmark for what matters: strength, speed, power, endurance, and capacity — the same qualities that define readiness and operational excellence on the fireground.
If you’re serious about your profession, start here.
Take the test. Record your results.
Then get to work fixing your weaknesses.
Test - Train - Repeat.
And when you do, there won’t be any guesswork — just proof of work.
Train hard. Train often. Train like a firefighter.
Capacity > Demand.