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

Here’s the New Navy Combat Fitness Test for SEALs, SWCC and EOD/Divers, Plus What It’s Missing

The Navy has a new fitness test for active-duty “combat arms personnel,” including members of Naval Special Warfare and Naval...

How to Gain Strength While Maintaining Cardio and Muscle Stamina

Here is a typical leg day routine for athletes do who need a foundation of strength, load-bearing stamina, and to maintain...

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...

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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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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).

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

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

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Investigations and Features

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

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Army News

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Trampus Miller (in wheelchair) shakes hands with another veteran before going on a deer hunt with Jason's Box. (Photo from WKYT)

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Navy News

Former Navy Sailor Sentenced to 16 Years for Selling Information about Ships to Chinese Intelligence

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Air Force News

An artist rendering of the proposed Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Photo from Terry Massey/The Post & Courier)

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

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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)

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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)

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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)

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The Push for AEDs at Every Marine Physical Training Session

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Coast Guard News

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