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Workout regimen ties in exercise, history

A brutal new fitness regimen developed for poolees in Tennessee has caught the attention of the Corps’ top enlisted adviser, who says he’d like to see the workouts catch on throughout the service.

Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Carlton Kent called the hero workouts “another steppingstone to our Combat Fitness Test,” one that builds “both your body and mind.”

He credited Sgt. Maj. Erik Shirreffs, with Recruiting Station Nashville, who pored through more than 300 Marine Corps Medal of Honor citations and then moved on to Navy Cross citations in search of any that would allow him to simulate battlefield actions during physical training. He came up with five “hero” workouts that make the new CFT look like a walk in the park.

The workouts — part CrossFit and part history lesson — incorporate ammo cans, kettle bells and other equipment commonly found on military installations. They honor Marines who have received the Medal of Honor or Navy Cross dating back to the early 20th century. Some are timed workouts and some pit Marines against one another in a battle for bragging rights.

All of them are painful.

Kent did one of the workouts during a visit with recruiters this summer. He loved it and expects that plenty of other Marines will too. And now that every Marine needs to take the CFT and Physical Fitness Test for score, which of course has consequences come promotion time, hero workouts can serve as a motivational training tool that commands should add to their regular physical training routines, he said.

“While we wouldn’t dictate that commands or units use the hero workout, I think it would be another great regimen they could have in their toolbox to keep Marines in shape and to vary workout routines,” Kent said through his spokesman. “Once commands and units find out about this workout, they will incorporate it into their unit [physical training] in some form.”

Modeled after ‘real warriors’

The first hero workout, named after World War II Medal of Honor recipient Cpl. Tony Stein, was introduced at a function in March where recruiters conducted CFT-type events with poolees. Shirreffs and his recruiters picked “three studs” and then put them through a grueling workout that involved sprinting with ammo cans and carrying each other across a large open field.

After the workout, he told them Stein’s story. A member of 1st Battalion, 28th Marines, Stein grabbed a 30-caliber machine gun from one of the wings of a downed Navy fighter plane and stuffed it in his ruck. He modified it and named it “Stinger.”

During the initial assault on Iwo Jima, Feb. 19, 1945, Stein used the belt-fed weapon to hold off Japanese forces, spraying massive fire into enemy pillboxes as his comrades worked their way ashore. But Stinger burned up ammo quickly, forcing him to make eight trips across the beach to replenish his supply. Each time, he carried or assisted a wounded Marine.

The ammo-can sprints the poolees executed moments earlier were designed to mimic Stein running across the sand to get more ammunition, Shirreffs explained to the poolees. The fireman’s carry simulated Stein carrying wounded Marines to safety.

“This type of PT connects what real warriors have done, and it really brings some meaning to why we have to train so hard now,” said Shirreffs, who spent the next two months introducing the Tony Stein workout to all 14 substations in his jurisdiction and laying out his expectations for recruiters.

The workouts captured Kent’s attention in August, when he visited Recruiting Substation Memphis. Shirreffs had just rolled out the “Chontosh,” the only hero workout based on the actions of a living active-duty Marine, and Kent and his staff got to experience it for themselves.

Capt. Brian Chontosh, then a first lieutenant, is a Navy Cross recipient. A member of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, in March 2003, he led a devastating assault near Al Diwaniyah, Iraq, that eventually left 20 enemy fighters dead and wounded many more, according to his award citation. When he emptied his service rifle and pistol, Chontosh twice picked up an enemy rifle and continued the attack.

Similarly, the workout that bears his name is designed to “engage your exercise with anything you can pick up on the PT field,” Shirreffs said.

Proven results?

Every Marine has to take the CFT for score by the end of the year. The test — performed in boots and utility uniforms — is broken down into stages, performed consecutively with brief intermissions for rest and water. It will be based on a three-tier, 300-point scoring system that is similar to the PFT.

This means Marines will be held to a higher standard come promotion time, and that they could face adverse fitness reports if they fail. It’s too soon to say how the hero workouts could affect your CFT score, but early results are promising. Of the 81 recruiters who took the CFT for score, the average was 271. Four recruiters, including Shirreffs, received a perfect score and two were just shy with 299 points.

“Without having previous scores it’s tough to gauge the progress, but I have no doubt that these workouts of the day help prepare them,” Shirreffs said. “Bottom line, the CFT is an easy day compared to the ‘Tony Stein.’ ”

Sgt. Kyle Edwards, with Recruiting Substation Chattanooga, called the hero workouts a “test of manhood.” He has boosted his CFT score by nearly 25 points since he was assigned to Tennessee about six months ago. His most recent score was 299. He credits not only the hero workouts, but CrossFit in general with the improvement.

The combination of strength training and intense cardio included in any CrossFit workout is a good way to train Marines for the demands of combat, said Brian McGuire, the physical readiness programs analyst at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., who was instrumental in developing the CFT. Hero workouts also add a character-development piece that would benefit any Marine, McGuire said.

Already some of Shirreffs’ recruiters who have moved on from Nashville are introducing hero workouts to Marines at their new duty stations. Staff Sgt. Jon Colbert, who moved to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, about a month ago, swears by them. Asked if he thinks the hero workouts would spread throughout the Corps, Colbert answered “I think it would be a travesty if they didn’t.”

The workouts

• The Bearss workout

• The Morel workout

• The Commiskey workout

• The Stein workout

• The Chontosh workout