MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Tony Horton, fitness guru and creator of the P90X fitness program, visited with Marines and sailors here Monday offering workout tips and advice. He was also on hand to sign autographs at the Crossroads Mall bookstore.
The P90X program is an exercise regimen using various exercises involving calisthenics, cardio and abdominal core workouts.
“My whole workout is functional fitness, core fitness,” said Horton. The program has found a home amongst sailors and Marines as a way to augment their training in the areas of the Combat Fitness Test and Physical Fitness Test.
“There was a lot of talk in Washington at the Department of Defense that our fighting forces were getting out of shape” said Horton. “The guys down range were doing fine but a lot of other folks were struggling.”
Practitioners of the P90X were on hand as Horton signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans inside the bookstore. Among them was Sgt. Maj. David J. Wimberly, station sergeant major.
Wimberly, a first time user of the program, implemented the workout into his personal regimen in an effort to rejuvenate his physical training after suffering injuries to both his rotator cuffs.
“What’s nice about the program is that you can do it anywhere because it’s your bodyweight and you’re using the ground,” said Wimberly. “It’s just like the CFT in its simplicity,” he added.
The CFT, a test designed to assess the combat readiness and efficiency of Marines, has been noted by Marines for its capability to be used anywhere. Some days Marines look for programs like the P90X to help give them an edge in their competition.
“Our gym has been doing a lot of the very same things every day of the week,” said Wimberly referring to the IronWorks Gym. “They have these similar types of courses, whether it’s yoga, jump rope or other activities.”
Yoga, along with an intense abdominal workout, is one of the key exercises Horton felt could benefit Marines the most in a combat zone.
“If you’re in a Humvee and you get hit, and you’ve got 80 pounds on your back, your job is to get out,” said Horton. He also added if Marines are not moving as fast as they can in combat, they will get killed. He called these situations “moments of tremendous intensity.”
With that mindset, the P90X program is designed to become progressively more challenging from one day to the next.
“It was challenging but it made you accept where you were at physically because you can’t move forward unless you know where you’re at,” said Pfc. Nathan Durazo, another first time user of the program.
Horton said he felt visiting the Marines and sailors abroad was a way for him to give back and show his appreciation for their efforts. He also said he feels he has done his job when service members approach him and tell him how the program has helped them.
Marines are trained to be combat oriented and battle ready. As a result, they must be physically capable and fit. Numerous workouts have attempted to capitalize on that mindset over the years.
If the number of Marines, sailors and residents of the station in attendance at Horton’s evening workout session and autograph signing were any indication, the P90X has managed to do just that.