Mildenhall, Lakenheath members take PT to extremes

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Christopher L. Ingersoll
  • 100th Air Refueling Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Body building, heavy lifting and endurance sports take the human body to the limits of its potential and are a common way of staying fit, but for some members of RAFs Mildenhall and Lakenheath, it's a way of life.

Tech. Sgt. Brian Morris, 488th Intelligence Squadron, has participated in endurance sports since early 2005, including marathons, triathlons and ironman competitions.

"I began training for my first marathon in early 2005 while deployed to Guam for six months," he stated in an e-mail. "My goal was to prepare myself for a triathlon consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run. As a 27-year-old I had never run anything past a 5K."

His training has intensified since his early years and now includes a grueling daily schedule.

"I swim four times per week averaging 1,600 meters per session," he said. "I bike three times per week at distances from 40 to 150 miles and run four days per week at 6 to 15 miles."

In addition to extensive training to prepare a person's body physically, Sergeant Morris said that mental fortitude is a must for competitors.

"Endurance sports are not for every because the work that goes into training is mentally and physically tough," he said. "A person must have the mindset and capacity not to give up on themselves."

The results of the training can pay big dividends in the competition.

"In the end, being around like-minded athletes in new locations along with overall self-fulfilled experiences are what keeps me coming back for more," Sergeant Morris said. "I'm 32, 6 foot 2 inches, 185 pounds, scored a 100 percent on my last fitness test and I feel great."

While triathlons test the limits of physical and mental endurance, body building seeks to sculpt the perfect balance between muscular aesthetics and overall strength.

"The goal of body building is to be better than you were the last time you were in the gym," stated Tech. Sgt. John McKivitz, 48th Force Support Squadron, in an e-mail. "Whether it's strength or aesthetics, if you leave the gym bigger, faster or stronger then you are body building."

Body building is associated with large, lean muscles and Sergeant Mckivitz says that concentrating on a small number of specific lifts is at the core of training for competitions.

"Bench press, back squat, dead lift and standing military press are the lifts I do to build muscle mass and strength," he said. "Once I get closer to a competition I also add in specific dietary minutia to get leaner."

Sergeant McKivitz went on to say that body building is addicting for him and pays off in a big way.

"I got into body building as a child watching pro wrestling," he said. "Who wouldn't want to relieve stress, look better and live longer? I think everyone is a body builder at heart."

While body builders seek to achieve physical perfection, power lifters are focused on increasing weight.

"Some of the competitive lifts I have done include 370 pound overhead log press, 730 pound deadlift, PT Cruiser deadlift for 18 repetitions and a 660 pound yoke walk for 75 feet in 9.78 seconds," said Staff Sgt. Adam Keep, 95th Reconnaissance Squadron. "It's more impressive to be able to say you can pick up a car than to say I bench press 'X' amount of weight."

Sergeant Keep says training can look different for a power lifter than an average workout.

"I train full-body, multiple-joint exercises, like squatting, dead lifting, overhead pressing, pull-ups, dips, Olympic clean and snatches and plenty more," he said. "I use heavy, near max weights with short rest periods in between sets."

Despite the intense training Sergeant Keep said it's the obscurity and variety that brings him back to gym.

"This sport draws me in because it's so different from anything else," he said. "There is so much more to it than being strong. You must be well conditioned, technically sound, explosive and of course, strong as an ox."

There are many ways to stay in shape, and for some driving the body to the limits of endurance, lifting phenomenal amounts of weights or sculpting it to physical perfection is not only good exercise but a way of life.