Sledgehammer soldiers KO physical fitness goals

Photo By Sgt. Christopher Johnston | Capt. Hileen Mallory, a physician assistant assigned to 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division leads a TapouT Extreme Training session for Sledgehammer soldiers at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, Dec. 21. Sledgehammer soldiers who attend her workouts normally lose at least 4 percent body fat within the first four weeks and increase their speed, flexibility and endurance in order to meet the Army's height and weight standard and increase their physical fitness test score.  

KUWAIT

01.07.2013

Story by Sgt. Christopher Johnston 

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - Soldiers deployed to Camp Buehring, Kuwait, receive many opportunities to improve their physical fitness condition. While some run several miles a day or spend hours a day in the gym working out, a group of soldiers are taking a different approach that has similar end results.

Capt. Hileen Mallory, a physician assistant assigned to 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division has implemented a TapouT Extreme Training regimen to increase soldiers’ strength, speed, flexibility and endurance.

"TapouT XT is a fitness program created by Mike Karpenko and it combines mixed martial arts with strength exercises, core exercises, cardio and explosive power exercises to achieve a full body workout,” said Mallory.

Mallory and her team conduct the TapouT XT workouts twice a day, Monday through Friday, except Wednesday morning so soldiers can participate in the weekly 5K run.

The workouts began as a tool to help soldiers who have failed their Army Physical Fitness Test or who have failed to meet the Army's height and weight standard, but has grown in popularity with soldiers from the Sledgehammer Brigade.

"I have lowered my run time by almost a minute," said Sgt. Aaron Marrero, a wheeled vehicle mechanic assigned to 3rd BTSB, 3rd ABCT. "After two and a half months I have lost 13 pounds from doing TapouT."

"I see so many soldiers taking pre and post workout supplements and fat burning pills that in the long run do not help a Soldier,” said Mallory. "In the past most soldiers joined the Army at 18 or 19 years old. Now we have soldiers joining at the age of 30 or older. Their body does not work the same as the 18 to 20 year olds. Their metabolism is decreasing and their body requires more time to recuperate."

The program includes a warm up, followed by an intense workout incorporating Karpenko's rapid-fire, interval, precision and power, or RIPP, techniques. Soldiers use MMA style punching and kicking combinations with resistance and power training to boost their metabolism and burn fat, followed a cool down. As part of the Nutrition and Fitness Integrated Together (NFIT) program, Mallory also gives soldiers nutrition and healthy lifestyle tips at the conclusion of the workout to inform soldiers of ways to continue reaching their individual goals as well as lessons on how to keep the weight off.

Sledgehammer soldiers who attend the TapouT sessions normally lose at least 4 percent body fat within the first four weeks explained Mallory.

"It is such a reward to soldiers who thought they couldn't lose weight, lose the weight and see their pt score go up, and keep the weight off," said Malory.

"I am 41, and I enjoy this like crazy," said 1st Lt. John Acevedo, an automated logistical specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd BSTB. "The key to success is to like what you are doing. I enjoy this and I push myself here to get in better shape, and with everything I do."

With the success of the program, Mallory intends to continue the workouts when the brigade returns to Fort Benning, Ga.

• Date Taken: 01.07.2013
• Date Posted: 01.07.2013 10:35
• Story ID: 100047
• Location: KW