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

(Senior Airman Lauren Silverthorne/U.S. Air Force photo)

Changes Are Coming to Army Ranger Fitness Tests. Here’s How to Prepare for Them

The evolution of testing and training has affected the Ranger School and Ranger Assessment and Selection Program, with a new...

(U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class MacAdam Kane Weissman)

6 Honest Questions to Ask Yourself When You're Not Seeing Fitness Results

Not seeing results in your efforts toward any health and fitness goal is frustrating, especially if you have been diligently...

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

The Best Workout to Prepare for Advanced Military Training Programs

Combining cardio workouts such as running, rucking and swimming with other load-bearing activities is necessary for those...

Running and Lifting Don't Just Make You Stronger. They Make You Smarter – and More Useful

Studies show adding cardiovascular and strength training to daily activities has dozens of benefits, on top of preventing us...

Contestants run up stadium bleachers during the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM)-hosted Run Amuck at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.

5 Cardio Workouts to Build Leg Endurance for Military Fitness Tests

Consider the following workouts if you are focused on building leg muscle stamina while improving your cardio scores.

U.S. soldiers with the Pennsylvania National Guard test their swimming and survivability in water while attending the Ranger and Sapper Assessment Program at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania.

Why Army Special Forces Candidates Should Include Swimming in Their Cardio Training

If you are preparing for Army training that involves much running and rucking, you may not need to spend time in the pool...

7 Reasons Spring Is the Perfect Time to Revive Your Fitness Goals

After a long winter of below-average temperatures, so many of us are ready for spring, but transitioning into spring can also...

An Army Reserve specialist sprints to the finish line of a 2-mile run during the Army Physical Fitness Test at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

The Best Running Interval Workouts to Improve Your Cardio Fitness

This mix of intervals, sprints, resistance running and goal-mile pace workouts will build your conditioning while providing...

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...

Special warfare candidates perform swim tactics and team building exercises during the Special Warfare Training Wing Assessment & Selection Course at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland on March 14, 2023.

How to Build Mental Toughness for Special Operations Selections

Unfortunately, many will do challenging events they are unprepared for physically to test their mental toughness.

The Power of Protein: Why it Matters for Mind and Body Well-Being

The missing piece in your quest for stress relief and physical fitness recovery may be as simple as doubling down on protein...

Jonathan Evans completes a bench press during the Big Kahuna bench press competition at Camp Zama, Japan.

The Most Comprehensive Upper-Body Workout that Includes Cardio

If you want a well-rounded, upper-body workout program that blends strength training, conditioning and cardio training, try...

Recruits of Papa Company, 4th Recruit Training Battalion, strengthen their triceps, back and shoulder muscles by doing dips on Parris Island, S.C.

How to Manage Rest Intervals to Improve Military Calisthenics Scores

A combination of strength and muscle stamina (conditioning) improves calisthenics scores.

Stew's Favorites: Pull-ups, Push-ups and Sit-ups

This is one of those classic 100, 200, 300 workouts but done with pull-ups, push-ups and sit-ups.

A Conversation with Pavel Tsatsouline About Improving Calisthenic Performance and Failure

Pavel Tsatsouline was instrumental in building a revolutionary fitness programming method from Russia to the U.S. in the...

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Most Popular Military News

Here Are All the Big Cuts and Changes Coming to the Army

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Reporter uses phone to record Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder

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Latest Military Videos

TFR 238 - Saving Your Nostalgic History While Serving with Jeff Nichols

Jeff Nichols and Stew Smith created a fun podcast with this topic and share many of there keepsakes from...

General Discharge Recon Training-Rucking Package

Recon rucking package from General Discharge box opening video. Check it out. I give this one five stars.

It is On YOU to Get Through Training

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

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Daughter Finds Army Vet Mother Dead in Homeless Camp. Was It Overdose or Death?

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Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley is the head of U.S. Africa Command.

US Military Shifts Messaging in Africa, Telling Allies to Prepare to Stand More on Their Own

The shift comes as the U.S. military makes moves to "build a leaner, more lethal force,” including potentially cutting...

Navy News

Navy Fires Admiral Who Ran Office Overseeing Unmanned Systems, Small Ships

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U.S. Army soldiers cross a floating bridge on the Imjin River

The US Military Spent $6 Billion in the Past 3 Years to Recruit and Retain Troops

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Air Force News

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U.S. Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sgt. Scott Stalker, the U.S. Space Command command senior enlisted leader, speaks with members of the 19th Space Operations Squadron at Schriever Space Force Base

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After delays, hundreds of full-time Air Force reservists are preparing to join the Space Force this year, while the plan for...

Space Force News

After Delays, Hundreds of Full-Time Air Force Reservists Preparing to Transfer to Space Force

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