Stew Smith, CSCS®

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. If you are interested in starting a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle, check out his Fitness eBook store and the Stew Smith article archive on Military.com. Contact Stew with your comments and questions at stew@stewsmith.com.

Latest Articles

Ask Stew: Athletes Are Taking Baking Soda to Boost Performance, but Is It Safe?

Each year, many health, fitness and wellness trends arrive on social media platforms, discussed by coaches, medical...

Reduce Dementia Risk by Having Fun with These Ways to Move

Just as much as the physical benefits, another reason we should keep exercising as we age is to protect our brains. Yes...

(U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Daniella Peña-Pavao)

Beginner Strength Training Workouts

Strength training throughout your 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond is completely possible and should be continued in any version you...

Dumbbells are lined up on a weight rack.

Strength Training In Your Late 50s and Early 60s

Incorporating strength training into your week has remarkable benefits. So, the question is not whether you should...

Culinary specialists from the Connecticut Army National Guard cut up cucumbers while preparing a meal inside a containerized kitchen at Fort Drum

Joint Pain While Training? This Vegetable Can Help

Cucumber extract has shown promise in studies on its efficacy in addressing joint pain.

Sailors use exercise bikes during a physical readiness test in the hangar bay of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).

Workout Ideas for Those New to High-Intensity Interval Training

We all grow older. There is nothing we can do about that, but the quality of those years is within our control, as recent...

(Senior Airman Jessi Monte/U.S. Air Force photo)

How Much Weekly Running Is Advisable for Military Special Operations Training?

It's better to build your cardio so that running a 7-minute mile pace for 4-6 miles feels sustainable, rather than just...

Hospital Corpsman Third Class Dru Calloway conducts push-ups aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.

The 5 Most Effective Push-Up and Pull-Up Workouts

Simply performing more reps is a logical start, but how you structure your training volume can mean the difference between...

The Do's and Don'ts for Training Safely in Extreme Heat

Many special operations dreams have ended in the heat of rigorous physical activity during selection, just as it occurs in...

U.S. Marine Corps candidates with Officer Candidate School complete a 3-mile run during the inventory Physical Fitness Test on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.

Tips to Help You Run Faster on Your Physical Fitness Test

It is wise to practice taking military fitness tests, long before the real ones count toward your record or your chances of...

U.S. Air Force Special Tactics Officer candidates prepare for the next activity during an assessment and selection process at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

How to Balance Preparing for Special Operations with Playing a Sport

If you are a competitive athlete considering adding a Special Operations prep program to your routine, it's important to...

Capt. Richard Kresser, Headquarters Company, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, runs down one of many hills in the ‘Run to Remember’ half-marathon (13.1 miles) at Forward Operating Base Masum Ghar, Afghanistan.

How to Improve Your Mobility and Running in One Workout

Whether you're preparing for a fitness test, looking to increase your running performance, or simply seeking a challenging...

Spc. Tom Hook, a religious affairs specialist attached to the 185th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Iowa Army National Guard, crosses the finish line of a 12-mile ruck march event during the 2026 Iowa National Guard Best Warrior Competition at Johnston Town Center, Johnston, Iowa.

Building the Warrior: A Holistic Approach to Peak Performance in the Military

While it is understandable for combat units to have the highest fitness standards, getting to that common goal requires...

A soldier makes a smoothie at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, on March 6, 2025.

How 'Hard Gainers' in the Military Can Add Weight Healthily

The old saying is that if you want to get big, you must eat big and lift big. Science confirms this, but it is more...

Battlefield Airmen Preparatory Course candidates participate in physical exercises at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.

The Best Strategy to Recover from a Running Injury Without Overdoing It

Resuming running mileage after an injury and some recovery time can often create a training dilemma that could lead to...

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Most Popular Military News

Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., left, confronts House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Federal Government Shutdown Grinds into a Second Week as Tempers Flare at the Capitol

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U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) questions U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi as she testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

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Pvt. Paul Douglas, age 50, performs a rifle inspection with his drill instructor aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot S.C., 1942. Douglas, at age 50 was the oldest recruit in the history of Parris Island, and went on to become a purple heart recipient and Chicago senator (DVIDS).

At 50, He Survived Marine Boot Camp — Then Fought at Peleliu and Okinawa

When 50-year-old Paul Douglas showed up at Marine Corps boot camp in 1942, the white-haired economics professor looked more...

Pack and transport platoon of the Russian army. Southern Military District. Ministry of Defense of Russia (Wikimedia Commons).

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When The Government Can Afford Everything Except The Essentials

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Troops Will Miss Paychecks Next Week Without Action on the Government Shutdown

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Latest Military Videos

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Learn how to translate your military experience into a results-driven resume that speaks to civilian employers. Walk away with...

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Investigations and Features

In One of the Marines' Most Iconic Jobs, a Stunning Pattern of Suicide

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Army Capt. Jeremy Kuykendall and his wife Kate, cradle their daughter

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Army News

A photo of a transmittable satellite produced by Gilat DataPath. (Credit: Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd.)

Company Inks $7M Deal to Provide Satellite Technology to US Army

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World War II veteran James Underwood's dog tag. (Submitted photo)

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Navy News

WAVES pigeon trainers release homing pigeons during training, February 1944. These birds flew messages from Navy blimps hunting German U-boats when radio silence was critical to avoid detection. (U.S. Navy/National Archives)

How Pigeons Helped U.S. Navy Blimps Hunt German U-Boats in World War II

The U.S. Navy's use of pigeons began decades before World War II, but the birds found their most critical mission during the...

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A simulated beach assault in which artillery was fired from the sand toward the interior of the sprawling base was intended...

Air Force News

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington.

Former US Airman Threatened to Assassinate Trump Over LGBTQ+ Policies, Feds Say

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Shield AI's newly unveiled X-BAT autonomous fighter jets. The VTOL drones are designed to fly combat missions alongside crewed aircraft as part of the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. (Shield AI)

Shield AI Unveils Fully Autonomous VTOL Fighter Jet

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Space Force News

U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rachel Harmon and Master Sgt. Tom Anderson, weapons loaders assigned to the 174th Attack Wing, checks an inert GBU 12 laser guided missile on an MQ-9 Reaper at Springfield-Beckley Air National Guard Base in Springfield, Ohio.

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A painting of a Defense Support Program satellite from the Air Force Art collection. DSP provides a variety of national security capabilities. Its flagship mission of launch detection was made famous during the Cold War. (U.S. Air Force image)

Clearing The Orbits: Space Force Partnerships In Orbital Cleanup

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Marine Corps News

Runners and Marine Corps service members at the 2024 Marine Corps Marathon. (Photo by Marine Corps Marathon media team)

Marine Corps Marathon Marks 50 Years of Running With Purpose

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People watch the traffic as signs alert drivers about the closure of the 5 Freeway on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in San Clemente, California. A 17-mile stretch of the 5 Freeway was temporarily closed Saturday due to a live-ammunition demonstration at Camp Pendleton, held in celebration of the U.S. Marine Corps' 250th anniversary. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images/TNS)

No Public Warnings Before Marines Test-Fired Live Munitions Over Busy Interstate 5, Train Lines

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Coast Guard News

The East Oakland entrance to the military installation — which marks the only way on or off of the island by car or truck — became the site of protests Thursday when federal agents arrived in the Bay Area as part of the next phase of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. (Kyle Martin)

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