SAN DIEGO -- Dozens of Sailors assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) attended a one-hour morning physical training session on the ship's flightdeck with fitness celebrity Tony Horton, Aug. 20.
Horton, creator of the world-famous P90X workout program, and his crew visited Makin Island as part of their 2012 "Fit to Fight" California fitness tour.
During the tour, Horton and his group visit California military installations, workout with servicmembers, and help promote a healthy lifestyle through proper diet and exercise.
While Horton has joined servicemembers in Germany, Italy, Bosnia, Kosovo and Japan, as well as numerous locations in the United States, this is the first time he has brought his workout routine to a U.S. Navy warship.
"You don't have to have fancy equipment and expensive machines to get in good shape," said Horton. "All you need is the human body, Mother Earth and Sir Isaac Newton's Law of Gravity for a great workout."
Horton, now age 54, said he is in the best shape of his life and that adopting a personal workout routine can also help Sailors with their semi-annual physical fitness assessments.
"I incorporate a lot of pushups and core movements into the workouts," said Horton. "By consistently doing these movements, when it comes time for the physical tests Sailors will be more than prepared."
Sailors who participated in the event said they definitely agreed with Horton.
"I think that this program would be great to implement into command PT," said Ensign Marcus Kohlmann, who took part in the workout session. "I do a lot of weight training and it was nice to switch up my routine today with plyometric cardiovascular training."
Other Sailors said they also enjoyed taking part in the morning workout on the flightdeck.
"I tried out this workout on what was supposed to be my day off," said Electronics Technician 3rd Class Kristi Zapfe, who is training to run a marathon. "It was intense and my favorite exercise was the pushups.
Before departing, Horton signed autographs and posed for photographs with the Makin Island crew. Capt. Cedric E. Pringle, Makin Island's commanding officer, also presented Horton with a command baseball cap and commanding officer's coin.
Horton's visit was just one example of how the Navy is moving toward an enhanced "Culture of Fitness," an important element of the Secretary of the Navy's 21st Century Sailor and Marine initiative.
Makin Island recently returned from a seven-month deployment and was the first U.S. Navy ship to deploy using a hybrid-electric propulsion system. By using this unique propulsion system, the ship saved over $15 million in fuel costs and the Navy expects to see fuel cost savings of more than $250 million, over the course of the ship's lifecycle. Lessons learned during Makin Island's maiden deployment prove the Navy's commitment to energy awareness and conservation and will positively influence future ship designs for several decades.
This initiative is one of many throughout the Navy and Marine Corps that will enable the Department of the Navy to achieve the Secretary of the Navy's energy goals to improve our energy security and efficiency afloat and ashore, increase our energy independence and help lead the nation toward a clean energy economy.
