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

Navy special operations candidates do pushups.

Ask Stew: Does ‘Well Rested -- Well Tested’ Apply to Military PT Tests?

This short saying should be a mantra for any testing you do in the future to achieve the best results.

Airmen run toward the camera in the dark.

Struggling to Start? This ‘ACTION’ Plan Helps Turn Ideas and Goals Into Reality

Here is how I like to break down action, with the ACTION acronym helping to solidify those steps into a practical strategy.

Advanced Upper-Body ‘Push’ Workout With Running

Here is a favorite “push” day workout with running we do for our special ops candidates.

Ask Stew: Should I Take a Scuba Course Before Military Dive School?

Does getting scuba qualified before military dive school training help?

A soldier in an Army tracksuit does a deadlift outside.

Training to Fatigue? Rethinking Limits for Muscle Growth and Strength

Throughout my years of coaching and training on my own, the subject of pushing to failure (or beyond) with heavier weights or...

The Mobility 20/20 Is the One Workout You Need in 2026: 20 Minutes a Day for 20 Days (or Forever?)

After over a decade of adding this specific mobility and flexibility routine to my life, to say it has been life-changing is...

Soldiers in civilian workout clothes stretch on a beach.

Ask Stew: A Step-by-Step Plan to Get Started on Your New Year Fitness Goal

Here is a three-step blueprint to help you transition from the "resolution" phase of fitness to a lifelong habit and the...

A silhouette of an airman running on the beach at sunrise.

From Lifespan to ‘Health-span’: Use the New Year to Focus on Both Health and Fitness

Instead of thinking simply about living longer, let’s use the start of a new year to focus on getting healthier, so we live...

Service members in the desert, wearing PT uniforms, take off running.

Run, Ruck or Swim: 3 Cardio-Enhancing Workouts

If you are preparing for military service that involves intense physical training, you will want to be a cardio machine. Here...

Closeup of a weightlifter's hand while performing a bench press.

Applying the Stoic Cardinal Virtues for Both Optimal Performance and Longevity

The philosophy of Stoicism, originating in Greece and refined in Rome, offers a timeless framework for living well.

Ask Stew: How to Make Time to Work Out

By rethinking how you approach physical activity and embracing creative ways to fit fitness into your routine, you can build...

Marine lifts a 30-pound ammunitions can during his combat fitness test.

Marine Corps Combat Fitness Test (CFT)

The Marines' combat fitness test, taken every six months, is intended to keep Marines ready for the physical rigors of...

Four military members in workout gear do events of the Murph on a ship's deck.

A New Way to Make the Murph Workout More Difficult

If you want to succeed with the Murph, you may want to start your preparation several months before Memorial Day. Typically...

Two service members jog with backpacks of toys.

Ask Stew: Is Rucking with a Weight Vest the Same as with a Backpack?

Weight vest rucking will help you develop strength in your upper back, core and legs for when you start training with a...

A paratrooper assigned to the Division Artillery Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, participates in the Strongest All American weightlifting competition, part of All American Week 2025 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, May 20, 2025. (Pfc. Jadyn Merritt/Army)

Keep Up with Calisthenics and Cardio During Lift Cycles: Here’s How

By cycling through training phases and carefully coordinating the daily structure, you ensure that gains in strength and...

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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

As the federal government shutdown enters a second week, there’s no discernible endgame in sight.

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).

Ukrainian Drones Attack Russian Cavalry Troops in Rare 21st-Century Encounter

A short video circulating online this month appears to show a Russian mounted patrol being struck by a Ukrainian drone near...

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

The federal government shutdown is raising anxiety levels among service members and their families, because those in uniform...

Latest Military Videos

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Johnson on military action in Greenland ‘I don’t think that’s appropriate’.

Venezuela's Interim President Declares 7 Days of Mourning for Soldiers Killed in US Attack

Venezuela's interim president declares seven days of mourning for soldiers killed in US attack.

Danish PM Says a US Takeover of Greenland Would Mark End of NATO

Danish prime minister says a US takeover of Greenland would mark the end of NATO.

Maduro Pleads Not Guilty in US Court Appearance

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Investigations and Features

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

Marine Corps drill instructors are a national symbol of discipline. But for some, their imposing persona belies a dark...

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

Unsupervised: Military Child Care Centers Slow to Report Abuse with Little Oversight

A Military.com investigation into military day care centers revealed that service branch rules generally prioritize...

Army News

American and Australian troops dug in together during the Battle of Hamel. Hamel was fought in the early morning and by a happy arrangement on what was their National Day, United States troops attacked, at battalion strength, for the first time in the British line. Their part in the operation not only made the day memorable for them, but created a great bond between the Americans and Australians. Left to right: five unidentified; Private Jamieson, 42nd Battalion; Lance Corporal Bellamy, 42nd Battalion. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Battle of Hamel: Australian Soldiers Taught American Doughboys to Fight Germans in WWI

For the first time in American history, U.S. soldiers would fight under a foreign command. In 93 minutes, they would help win...

The Second Seminole War (1835–42) took place in Florida between the U.S. military and the Seminole people. (Dade Battle by Ken Hughes 1974/Miami History Center)

Seminole Warriors Fought the US Military to a Stalemate in the Florida Swamps

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Navy News

Hegseth Censures Sen. Kelly After Warning About Following Illegal Orders

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced that he is issuing a letter of censure to Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona...

U.S. military aircraft are parked on the tarmac at the airport in Ceiba, Puerto Rico.

How the US Captured Venezuelan Leader Nicolás Maduro

Trump said a few U.S. members of the operation were injured but he believed no one was killed.

Air Force News

Air Force veteran Dominic Marino was murdered in the fall of 2018. Police are still searching for leads in his case. (Photo from obituary)

Who Killed Dominic Marino? 7 Years Later, Murder of Disabled Veteran Baffles Police

More than seven years after Dominic Marino was brutally killed inside his Connecticut home, police are still searching for...

President Donald Trump talks to the media.

With Capture of Maduro, Trump Treads Into Uncharted Territory

Trump has now twice used U.S. forces to carry out risky operations against American adversaries.

Space Force News

President Donald Trump holds top a signed executive order as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth watches in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

How Trump’s 2025 'War' Agenda Rewired the Pentagon

Trump’s 2025 executive actions reshape how the current administration defines national security.

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

The growing congestion of Earth orbit has raised risks to satellites, space stations, and long-term space sustainability. The...

Marine Corps News

Louis Tanzer, a retired 105-year-old staff sergeant, raises his fist after eating cake during the United States Marine Corps 250th birthday celebration in Boston. (Photo from Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

105-Year-Old Massachusetts Veteran Believed to Be Nation’s Oldest Marine

Louis Tanzer, likely the nation's oldest living Marine Corps veteran, received quite a celebration after turning 105 years of...

GySgt Cord Burgan conducting CBRN training in Okinawa, Japan, in 2022. Burgan was one of the nine appointments designated to switch from Master Sergeant to First Sergeant in January 2026 (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Weston Brown)

Master Sergeant to First Sergeant: Marine Corps Revives Decades-Lost Flexibility

The Marine Corps has launched a pilot program allowing master sergeants to apply for redesignation as first sergeants...

Coast Guard News

US Forces Board Venezuela-Linked Sanctioned Oil Tanker in North Atlantic, US Official Says

A U.S. official says U.S. forces have boarded a Venezuela-linked sanctioned oil tanker in the North Atlantic after pursuing...

The Port of Guam as seen from the motor vessel Kenyo, offloading cement in Guam, on Oct. 20, 2022. The Port of Guam is the island's only deepwater port and receives about 90 percent of the island's imports. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Warrant Officer Sara Muir)

Energy Impact of MARAD Takeover of Deepwater Ports From Coast Guard

U.S. officials said the change in who's overseeing deepwater licenses will boost domestic energy revenue and allow for global...