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

Staff Sgt. Elyse Bailey, a U.S. Army Reserve military police soldier representing the 200th Military Police Command, recovers after running the 2-mile Army Combat Fitness Test during the 2020 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.

The Best Running Workouts to Improve Your Time on Military Fitness Tests

If you want to ace a timed run over the 1.5- to three-mile distances used in most military running tests, the pacing strategy...

Soldiers assigned to the 190th Engineer Battalion, 101st Troop Command, Puerto Rico Army National Guard, ruck with their night-vision goggle equipment during annual training at Camp Santiago Joint Training Center, Salinas, Puerto Rico.

Why the Time of Day You Work Out Matters

Recent insights, including from a Nature Portfolio study, reveal essential strategies to enhance recovery through effective...

Sleep is critical for heart health. Poor sleep habits have been linked to high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and obesity. (Jason W. Edwards/Department of Defense photo)

9 Self-Care Tips to Take Care of Yourself in 10 Minutes

Here is a list of self-care tips that take only minutes a day and can make a difference between truly taking care of yourself...

Staff Sgt. Aboubacar Kallo performs hand-release push-ups on Fort Liberty, N.C.

The Best Workouts to Prepare for the New Army Fitness Test

The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) has dropped the medicine ball toss, removed the word “Combat” from its name, and...

Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Clark performs a Romanian deadlift in the Camp Krutke Seabee Gym at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan.

Can Service Members Develop Mental Toughness?

Mental toughness has been a long-standing topic for generations, both within and outside the military.

10 Ways to Make Your Workout the Best You Can Do

It has often been said that the best workout you can do is the one you are not doing.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Lucas Settle performs a fireman carry at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

This Full-Body Military Fitness Workout Requires a Buddy

Workouts designed for teamwork can be a fun and effective way to push yourself while building camaraderie.

U.S. Air Force airman Edgar Grimaldo takes a drink of water at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

How to Recover Properly from Intense Military Fitness Workouts

Here is a list of things you can do to ensure you are on the proper training/recovery program balance for your goal of better...

5 Easy Tips for Fat Loss from a Navy SEAL

Because of myths, falsehoods and all the various ways people have lost weight, fat loss can appear complicated to anyone...

U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Peter D. Huntley, commander, Marine Forces Special Operations Command, conducts a fireman’s carry at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

The Most Challenging Leg Workout for Military Fitness

This is a classic method for working the legs, glutes and hips, along with cardio events between resistance training.

How to Make Healthy Breakfast Choices While Eating Out

Many retirees eat out for breakfast daily as a social activity, but making the right food choices for general health...

Cursing Like a Sailor May Help You with Your Next PT Test

Science has linked cursing to physical fitness test improvements, which is particularly helpful if you are in the Navy, as...

Navy divers assigned to Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2 are lowered into the water on Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek during a Mk-16 underwater breathing apparatus training dive in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

How to Structure Swim Workouts for Navy Diver Training

Preparing for future military swimming and diving training requires spending several days a week in the pool.

Sailors swim for the Navy Physical Screening Test held by Naval Special Warfare Assessment Command at Naval Air Station Sigonella.

How to Select the Best Swim Stroke for the Navy Physical Screening Test

When taking the Navy Physical Screening Test -- the common fitness test for jobs in the Navy that require swimming and diving...

Army Reserve drill sergeant candidates motivate future soldiers.

What to Consider When Picking Which Military Service Branch to Join

A high school student is considering joining the Army or Marine Corps and asks Stew Smith, Military.com's tactical fitness...

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Most Popular Military News

A crew from Coast Guard Station Charleston patrols Charleston Harbor

Coast Guard Reservist Wins Landmark Supreme Court Case Over Pay Disparities for Federal Workers

In a 5-4 decision, the justices said Nick Feliciano, a Coast Guard petty officer who was called to active duty from 2012 to...

Capt. Matthew Lohmeier instructs a trainee

Senators Voice 'Deep Concerns' About Trump's Pick for Air Force Under Secretary

Democratic senators voiced serious concerns about a former Former Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier's political social media posts...

Civilian Airman Nicholas Holland, left, a photographer assigned to the 673d Air Base Wing Public Affairs, helps Army Private Juan Pacheco, a replacement in the 11th Airborne Division, adjust his uniform before having his official Individual Readiness Processing Program photograph taken at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, March 14, 2025. (Justin Connaher/U.S. Air Force)

'This Is Going to Be a Challenge': Service Officials Detail Fallout from Civilian Resignations Pushed by Trump

The military services are poised to lose thousands of their civilian employees to the Trump administration's push for them to...

The New England Patriots football team's jet taxis on the tarmac, Thursday, April 2, 2020, at Logan Airport

New England Patriots' Charter Plane Flies to Guantanamo Bay

A New England Patriots plane made a trip to and from Guantánamo Bay, public flight tracking data shows.

FBI director Kash Patel arrives on the South Lawn of the White House

Trump & Co’s Polygraph Pandemonium

"Multiple studies over the years have shown not only that polygraphs are hardly foolproof when it comes to vetting ...

Trump Taps National Security Adviser Waltz for UN Envoy in Major National Security Team Switch-Up

Trump announced the moves shortly after news broke that Waltz was leaving the administration, just weeks after it was...

Latest Military Videos

AP Explains Israeli Troops in Self-Declared Security Zones in Gaza

Israel’s defense minister said Wednesday that troops will remain in so-called security zones in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and...

Russian Strike on Kherson Kills One Person and Injures 3 Others

At least one person was killed and three others injured following a Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of...

Fort Benning Takes Back its Old Name, but to Honor a Different Soldier

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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

Texas National Defense Area at El Paso, Texas

Military Takes Over Another Stretch of Public Border Land in Effort to Catch and Charge Migrants

Another stretch of federal land along the border has been transferred to the U.S. military, this time in Texas, expanding the...

Nightclub where an immigration raid occurred in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Fort Carson Soldier Charged with Cocaine Distribution, Possession After DEA Nightclub Raid

Staff Sgt. Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez is charged with one count each of distribution and possession with intent to...

Navy News

Navy Reserve Center Commander in New Hampshire Is Fired

Cmdr. Joseph Dearing was relieved from leadership of the reserve center by Capt. Christian Parilla, the commander of the Navy...

Aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman is moored near Split, Croatia

2 Aircraft Carriers to Remain in Middle East for Another Week for Battle with Yemen's Houthis

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier to remain in the Middle East for a second...

Air Force News

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich

Air Force Veteran Gregg Popovich Retires After 29 Seasons as Coach in San Antonio

Gregg Popovich stepped down as coach of the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, ending a three-decade run that saw him lead the team...

Senators Voice 'Deep Concerns' About Trump's Pick for Air Force Under Secretary

Democratic senators voiced serious concerns about a former Former Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier's political social media posts...

Space Force News

Senators Voice 'Deep Concerns' About Trump's Pick for Air Force Under Secretary

Democratic senators voiced serious concerns about a former Former Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier's political social media posts...

Launch of hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

Secretive 'Dark Eagle' Hypersonic Missile Launches from Cape Canaveral

The action on the Space Coast comes a day after the Army officially dubbed the defense system with its new moniker.

Marine Corps News

Military Takes Over Another Stretch of Public Border Land in Effort to Catch and Charge Migrants

Another stretch of federal land along the border has been transferred to the U.S. military, this time in Texas, expanding the...

Navy-Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System

Hawaii Marines Field New Weapons in the Philippines

A unit of Hawaii Marines is in the Philippines fielding new weapons for the first time amid simmering tensions with China.

Coast Guard News

Coast Guard Reservist Wins Landmark Supreme Court Case Over Pay Disparities for Federal Workers

In a 5-4 decision, the justices said Nick Feliciano, a Coast Guard petty officer who was called to active duty from 2012 to...

Bales of interdicted illegal drugs aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball

Honolulu Coast Guard Crew Nabs 20K Pounds of Cocaine in Pacific

The haul was a result of six separate interdictions of suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions and other operations off...

Stew Smith, CSCS®

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