As the weather warms up, more Marines are ditching the treadmill and heading outdoors.

But merely trudging along the roadways and trails of Marine Corps Base Quantico, even at long distances, won’t maximize a Marine’s goal to become combat fit or capitalize on the benefits of outdoor training, said Color Sgt. Glyn Luke, British Royal Marine, physical training advisor for Officer Candidates School.

“To be combat fit, you have to stress the heart and get yourself out of your comfort zone,” Luke said. “Your training needs to be at a high-intensity level to meet the demands that you may find yourself in as a Marine.”

Brian Hancock, lead trainer and fitness coordinator at Barber Physical Activity Center, said Marines can achieve high-intensity workouts by performing exercises with varying intensities.

For runners, Hancock said this could mean breaking up a workout into three days. Day one could consist of a “pace run” where, “You just pick a pace you want to run, and then continue running at that pace for as far as you can,” Hancock said.

 Since this exercise is mainly intended to strengthen endurance, Hancock cautions Marines not to overexert themselves by going beyond a comfortable speed. On the second day, he said runners can perform sprints which may consist of 100-yard repeats or running 400 meters around the track at Butler Stadium.

Basketball courts can also be ideal for this routine, as Marines can use the lines on the courts as markers for sprints, Luke said.

Day 3 can be used to perform Fartlek drills, which is simply an exercise method that merges continuous training with interval training.

“An easy Fartlek exercise can be sprinting the straight-aways [on a track], and walking or jogging the turns,” Hancock said. “If there’s a hilly road course, you can sprint uphill, jog the flats and then walk down hill.”

Runners can also take a suspension band on their route.

“You can run with the TRX Suspension Trainer, which is a go-anywhere [suspension band] kit, where you can use a tree or anywhere that has a strong anchor point to conduct total-body workout exercises,” Luke said. “It also allows you to do more advanced exercises that you may not have the natural strength to do immediately, such as one-legged squats.”

Runners can also take advantage of what’s right on base, Luke added.

“Whether it’s using a bench to do dips and step-ups or using the pull-up bars, there are a lot of things that you can use for your benefit aboard Quantico,” Luke said.

Beyond running, Hancock suggests Marines take advantage of the High Intensity Tactical Training center, a Marine Corps developed comprehensive strength and conditioning program that offers classes twice a day, three times per week. The HITT center, which is located behind the Barber Physical Activity Center, focuses on injury prevention, strength, power, agility, endurance, flexibility and core stability.

If Marines prefer to exercise on their own, www.fitness.usmc.mil also provides numerous HITT workout videos that Marines can use to develop a personalized routine. The gym also provides equipment like sledge hammers, tires and ladders that Marines can check out.

Hancock said overall, the best way to take full advantage of an outdoor workout, while perfecting combat readiness, is to break up activities and vary intensities.

Staff Writer: afelton@quanticosentryonline.com