High Intensity Tactical Training (HITT) prepares Marines to be "combat fit and combat ready"

QUANTICO, VA, UNITED STATES

03.24.2016

Story by Adele Uphaus-Conner 

Marine Corps Base Quantico

Charles Yackle, High Intensity Tactical Training (HITT) Coordinator for Marine Corps Community Services Quantico, said that many Marines who attend his classes have limited flexibility.
“All Marines should be able to squat, bend over, rotate their arms in a full range of motion,” he said. “These guys can’t do it.”
In a combat situation, a Marine might need to change direction rapidly, move fluidly while crouched down or lunge forward to peer around a corner without being seen. Many of these movements are similar to those football and soccer players must perfect in order to be successful athletes.
“There is a strong correlation between Marines and athletes in terms of what’s needed,” Yackle explained. “They have to compete at a high level like an athlete but have these additional combat requirements as well. The HITT program trains Marines as both warriors and athletes.”
Yackle said that in the Marine Corps—and the military in general—there can be a focus on appearance as opposed to performance. A Marine might run to keep weight down or lift weights to build muscles, but ignore other aspects of fitness such as stretching, movement and flexibility.
“HITT is comprehensive,” Yackle said. “It tries to cover all the bases so that in a combat situation, the Marine will be ready for anything.”
The idea that Marines should be “combat fit and combat ready” has been gathering steam. In 2006, former Commandant Gen. Amos signed a paper entitled “Concept for Functional Fitness.” Two years later, the Combat Fitness Test (CFT) was implemented across the Corps. The CFT is a more combat-oriented version of the annual Physical Fitness Test (PFT). Marines must pass both each year.
The CFT has three events: an 880-yard “movement to contact” run in boots and utility pants, a 30-pound ammunition can lift for two minutes and a “maneuver under fire” drill, which includes a 10-yard sprint, a 15-yard crawl, hauling a simulated casualty for 75 yards, a sprit carrying ammunition cans, throwing a dummy hand grenade at a target 22.5 yards away, three push-ups and a sprint to the finish line.
In 2009, the Combat Conditioning Program was initiated by Semper Fit and in 2012, HITT was launched. Yackle said it can be used as an accessory to train for the CFT.
“I’ve had an uncountable number of Marines tell me that HITT has increased their CFT scores and their PFT scores as well,” Yackle said. “During CFT season [July to December] Marines should have their butts in the HITT center every day.”
There are four types of HITT workouts so that Marines aren’t doing the same routine each day. Warrior focuses on agility, Athlete on acceleration, Combat on achieving maximum speed, and Reload on endurance.
All HITT workouts incorporate seven “foundational movements:” squat, lunge, rotation, pull, plank, push and hinge. Each of these correlates to a movement seen in tactical situations. For example, a Marine pulls to climb over a wall, lunges to fire a weapon around a corner, and pushes to get a stuck supply truck moving.
The implementation of each foundation movement will be different depending on what the workout is. In a Warrior HITT workout, the lunge is lateral (side-to-side), while in an Athlete HITT, it is linear (front-to-back). In a Warrior HITT, the plank is dynamic (the person moves in and out of plank position), while in a Combat HITT, it is suspended or static.
Currently, Yackle leads open hour-long HITT sessions Monday-Friday at 5:30, 6:30, and 11:30 a.m. The HITT center on Anderson Avenue has open gym hours from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. and from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Unit commanders can also contact him to schedule a session for their units.
Marines participate on a voluntary basis currently, but Yackle said that big things will be happening for HITT in the near future.
Yackle said he’s held classes of up to 24 Marines but the numbers can be hit or miss.
“I would like to see more people,” Yackle said. “Marines who’ve done the program tell me how good they feel, how much stronger they feel. I’m trying to convince these guys to believe and train like the Warrior Athletes they are.”
“I can make you better,” he continued. “If you want to become a fire breather, come see me. I’m really interested in getting you to a higher level.”

• Date Taken: 03.24.2016
• Date Posted: 03.29.2016 12:20
• Story ID: 193776
• Location: QUANTICO, VA, US