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

A paratrooper in the 173rd Airborne Brigade participates in Soldier Performance Education for Advanced Readiness and Resilience (SPEAR) training in Grafenwoehr, Germany.

The Best Workout to Improve Your Leg Strength and Cardio Fitness

Studies show that leg strength and heart and lung efficiency are the keys to staying mobile, doing things outside of the...

Master Sgt. Dante Brooks, 8th Operations Support Squadron host aviation resource management superintendent, leads a spin class at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea.

The Bike Pyramid Workout You Should Be Doing

If you are looking for challenging, non-impact cardio workouts, you can find many on stationary bikes, elliptical machines...

The fourth week of training is known as Hell Week. In this grueling five-and-a-half day stretch, each candidate sleeps only about four total hours but runs more than 200 miles and does physical training for more than 20 hours per day. (U.S. Navy/Petty Officer 1st Class Abe McNatt)

Embrace Failure as Your Greatest Teacher in the Journey to Special Ops

If you have the right mindset, failures and setbacks are valuable learning experiences. They teach us to embrace shortcomings...

A Leg Day Challenge for Longevity: Working Your Heart and Lungs With Your Legs

When developing longevity is your priority over one-rep maxes and timed-run events, consider the three most important “organs...

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...

Senior Airman Kelly Berger, 36th Civil Engineer Squadron, performs a lat pulldown at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. (U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Joshua Smoot)

Plan Goals for Your Workout: 5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Time in the Gym

Having a plan to do everything you want is critical to finding that efficient sweet spot between your efforts and your time.

U.S. Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Edward Underwood executes a shoulder press during the human health and performance initiative on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

What a Great 'Chest Day' Fitness Workout Looks Like

Who doesn't like a good push day for workouts?

Spc. Eduardo Medina-Mendoza, with 48th Ordnance Group, performs a bench press during a tactical athlete assessment at Camp Navajo in Bellemont, Ariz.

How to Deal with Burnout During Your Military Fitness Training

Even with a solid recovery plan, if your workouts are the same routine each week, you may want to mix it up.

5 Metabolic Health Factors that Can Determine Your Future

A 2018 study found that only one in eight Americans are considered metabolically healthy, with more recent studies showing...

A soldier from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) conducts a pull-up during the unit’s ‘TOG Week’ on Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

The Best Circuit Workout to Help You Do More Pull-Ups

Of any calisthenics exercise, pull-ups are the most difficult to perform and see improvements without significant time and...

Members of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research participated in a lunchtime Zumba class in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Why Experimenting with Your Fitness Routine Could Be the Key to Success in 2025

As 2025 rolls in, we all get the urge to start the new year on a better footing.

Should You Snack During Your Fitness Workout?

Some workout programs require an above-average time investment. Usually, these will include longer distances of running...

Airmen from the 607th Air Support Operations Group work out together at the fitness center on Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea.

5 Tips to Stick to Your Fitness Commitment in the New Year

Imagine looking back after one year and witnessing the profound changes consistently working toward a simple goal can unleash...

A woman participates in a ‘Boot Camp Cycle’ class at Mitchell Stout Physical Fitness Center at Fort Bliss, Texas.

7 Ways to Maintain Your Fitness Level as You Age

Most people focus on fitness to begin a new habit or seek improvements in health and wellness. This largely requires...

Maj. Bart Brimhall, the deputy product manager for missile field development, executes a weighted deadlift at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.

How to Decide the Order of Exercises in Your Fitness Workout

When designing a workout plan that involves three or four sections on the days you exercise, their order matters and depends...

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Most Popular Military News

Texas Military Department soldiers guard the Texas-Mexico border

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Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan delivers remarks

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Investigations and Features

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

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A patch in the home of retired missileer Paul Hunke

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For years, it was an open secret among missileers that the Cold War-era missile alert facilities and launch control centers...

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Military Effort to Scrub Diversity Programs Leads to Dead Websites and Confusion

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Migrants board a removal flight at Fort Bliss, Texas

Inside the Military's Scramble to Move Troops to the Mexico Border

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Navy News

Military Effort to Scrub Diversity Programs Leads to Dead Websites and Confusion

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(Ford Motor Company/Stellantis North America)

Hal Sperlich, Navy Seabee and Engineering Pioneer of the Mustang and Minivan, Dies at Age 95

Whether you’re a junior enlisted service member buying your first Mustang at 25% APR or you have a minivan to get your kids...

Air Force News

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The problem may not be with the historical videos themselves, but that they were used in Air Force basic military training...

Military Effort to Scrub Diversity Programs Leads to Dead Websites and Confusion

The Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force -- as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs -- were all working...

Space Force News

Military Effort to Scrub Diversity Programs Leads to Dead Websites and Confusion

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Air Force Groups that Advocated for Beard Policies, Better Body Armor Are Gutted by Trump Directive

Air Force and Space Force groups that helped create policy and improve the quality of life for women, minorities and LGBTQ+...

Marine Corps News

Military Effort to Scrub Diversity Programs Leads to Dead Websites and Confusion

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Coast Guard News

Aiviq heads in for docking in Elliott Bay in Seattle

This Icebreaker Has Design Problems and a History of Failure. It’s America's Latest Military Vessel.

The icebreaker Aiviq was built for oil work in the Arctic but has design issues. Its maiden voyage to Alaska ended in a...

Coast Guard cutters are shown moored to the pier at Coast Guard Sector Key West, Florida

Coast Guard to 'Surge Assets' to South Florida to Comply with Trump's Executive Order

The U.S. Coast Guard said that it will be surging ships, boats and aircraft to South Florida and other areas of the country...

Stew Smith, CSCS®

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