MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- Marines with Aircraft Recovery, a unit within Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron (H&HS), took part in a High Intensity Tactical Training workout at the HITT Center aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., Oct. 22.
The HITT Program is designed to challenge Marines’ cardiovascular systems while improving agility, speed, power, endurance and strength to improve operational fitness levels and optimize combat readiness.
“I’m always trying to better myself and I figure, coming in [three times a week] for an hour couldn’t hurt,” said Sgt. Jeremy Pillai, an aircraft recovery specialist with H&HS. “I can feel a difference in my body. I’m sore from pushing myself; you can definitely feel that you’re getting something out of this workout.”
The program is broken down into three different levels of workouts – athlete, combat and warrior.
Each level is designed with the individual Marine’s fitness abilities in mind. The athlete level is more of a beginning level of exercise, meant for Marines who are in shape but don’t necessarily have strong athletic abilities. Combat level is an intermediate level of exercise, and warrior level is designed to challenge Marines with strong athletic abilities.
Each workout is designed to push Marines and challenge their bodies in a safe way. While improving is important – safety is paramount.
“Our goal as instructors is to make sure Marines start with a good base in strength and stability and then progress with them from there so they can be the best tactical athletes they can be in a safe manner,” said Riana Rohmann, level-three HITT instructor and fitness specialist with the installation’s gymnasiums. “You never know what you’re going to face, either on deployment or even in a football game – you need to be prepared.”
Pillai and his Marines took part in a warrior-level workout. It incorporated Olympic lifts, plyometric exercises, battle ropes and other differing exercises to develop explosive power and agility.
“It was a great workout,” said Pillai. “My shirt is drenched in sweat, and my heart rate was up the entire time. It was only an hour-long workout, but I feel like it was really beneficial.”
The Aircraft Recovery Marines began taking part in the program’s workouts earlier in October and continue to go as often as they can, according to Pillai.
Trainers like Rohmann, try to vary their workouts and difficulty to keep Marines like Pillai coming back for more.
“We as trainers try to ensure the workouts are challenging, and they are because this program is all-encompassing,” said Rohmann. “Very few people have it all, but we try to give that to them.”
The installation’s HITT Program boasts different facilities for Marines to hone their physical prowess. The HITT Center operates Monday – Friday at differing hours and all three gymnasiums have trailers containing HITT equipment for Marines to use under supervision.
There are also websites that provide workouts and instructions.
“We’re trying to make the program available to everyone with the limited amount of staff that we have,” said Rohmann. “I like to come out to the trailer around 11 a.m. and sitting for a couple of hours to show people what is inside and give them another way to work out.”
The HITT Program also offers certification courses. According to Rohmann, she and her fellow instructors will offer a four-day course to Marines who want to become level-one HITT instructors in the beginning of November.
The course offers participants classes on Olympic lifting, proper form for exercises and agility training among other necessary skills to properly teach their Marines.
With the HITT Program and instructors like Rohmann who enjoy seeing Marines improve, Marines stationed at Miramar can get a safe, challenging workout to prepare them for whatever may come their way.
For more information on the HITT Program, call 858-577-9143 or visit http://www.mccsmiramar.com/hitt_program.html and to schedule morning training, call 858-577-4129.