Sgt. Mears talks HITT

Photo By Laurie Pearson | Sgt. Justin Mears, a retail manager at Marine Corps Logistics Battalion Barstow, Calif., competes in the military press during the battle skills challenge portion of the championship. Thirty two Marines from across the Corps competed against each other during the three-day competition. (Photo: Lance Cpl. Connor Hancock/Marine Corps)  

BARSTOW, CA, UNITED STATES

08.11.2016

Story by Laurie Pearson  

Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow

Sergeant Justin Mears, retail manager aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow is one of the top athletes, not just on this base, but throughout the Marine Corps. Next week he will be competing again in the second annual HITT Ultimate Tactical Athlete Championship held on Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. I had a chance to sit down with him and talk about his training, competitive nature and nutritional habits. Here is what he had to say:
What is HITT?
It’s the Marine Corps’ High Intensity Tactical Training program. It’s designed to develop tactical athletes, which includes various methodologies such as Functional Fitness, Strength and Power, and Speed and Agility. It allows Marines to focus their workouts toward their particular Military Occupational Specialty. For example, a supply clerk might not work out the same way as an infantryman. Another benefit to the program is Reload HITT, which is active recovery utilizing TRX stretching workouts along with foam rolling and dynamic warm ups. This methodology decreased injuries incurred using prior workout plans. The primary purpose of the program is to enhance operational fitness levels, optimize combat readiness and resiliency for Marines.
What drives you to be so competitive?
I am the youngest of three siblings. My sister is seven years older than me. My brother is eight years older than me. We also had a cousin, seven years older than me living across the street. Whether it was playing sports or any activities around the house, I was always getting pushed around and beat up because I was the smallest and the youngest. I had to work a lot harder to try and stay on their level. Plus, I’ve always played sports, therefore being involved in team activities always drove my competitive spirit. Sports and athletics are a big part of my life. My favorites are baseball, soccer, and football.
When is your next competition?
Monday, August 15 through Thursday, August 18 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California I will be representing Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow in the second annual HITT Ultimate Tactical Athlete Championship. Last year 32 representatives from Marine Corps bases worldwide participated in the event. There were 16 men and 16 women competing. Out of that, I took fourth place. This year my goal is to place first!
What is your exercise regimen?
I usually work out six days a week, one day off. Monday, Wed, Fri are body part specific, such as back with biceps because when you’re doing a bicep workout it works your back out too, so the combination compliments one another; chest with triceps. I usually do one pretty intense leg workout wherein I focus primarily on strength and core mobility. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays I usually do cardio which will include running, High Intensity Interval Training as well as High Intensity Tactical Training. I incorporate a 20-pound weighted vest during the running. The vest puts an added load onto your body so that once you take the vest off you’re going to see that much more progress. It’ll improve run times, as well as your anaerobic threshold. Some days I mix it up and do my cardio in the pool, doing lap swimming. Each workout is between one and two hours per day. In addition to all of this, I also serve as the Instructor Trainer for the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program on base, for an hour to two hours in the mornings, Monday through Friday.
Do you have a day of rest?
Yes, Sunday is my day of rest. I try to do active recovery. So I might do foam rolling to massage tight areas and muscle groups and release lactic acids that build up in the muscles. I also play baseball on Sundays. It lets your muscles rebuild and heal. It also allows me to relax mentally and physically.
How does exercise benefit a person?
There is an added confidence that you get from seeing results. It also boosts your metabolism. Staying active will help you gain more energy over time. You get out what you put in, literally.
Regarding nutrition, what are things you stay away from and why?
Anything high in sugar or salt. I also read somewhere that if you can’t pronounce it, you shouldn’t be eating it or drinking it! I try to live by that! I do watch my calorie intake and compare that to my activity level that day. Your caloric intake should directly correlate to your daily activities. I generally stay away from alcohol because it’s just empty calories that have no benefit to your body and it slows down the muscle recovery process. If your goal is weight loss, stay away from alcohol. In general, though it’s about quantity, too. If you’re going to have a couple of beers on the weekend, keep it to a couple of beers, not a six pack every night.
For a full schedule of events for the 2016 High Intensity Tactical Training (HITT) Athlete Championship, go to this link http://usmc-mccs.org/articles/are-you-ready-for-the-2016-hitt-tactical-athlete-championship/ and you will see an option to click and the PDF will come up.
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• Date Taken: 08.11.2016
• Date Posted: 08.11.2016 15:51
• Story ID: 206834
• Location: BARSTOW, CA, US
• Hometown: WILMINGTON, DE, US