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 U.S. Marine with Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, Marine Forces Command, Marine Forces Northern Command, performs a pull-up during the Murph Challenge at Camp Elmore, Norfolk, Virginia.

The Full-Body Military Fitness Workout Adaptable to Any Situation

Whether you have full or limited equipment, this full-body circuit offers a time-efficient workout.

Should You Drink Milk Before Going to Bed?

While billions of people do not drink milk at all, billions do or consume dairy products, providing another option to obtain...

(U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Natasha Ninete)

How Prolonged Sitting Undermines Your Health and What You Can Do About It

Research indicates that doing nothing will reduce blood flow and oxygen levels to the brain, negatively impacting cognitive...

Soldiers with the Pennsylvania National Guard test their swimming confidence and survivability in water during the Combat Water Survival Test while attending the Ranger and Sapper Assessment Program at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. (U.S. Army/Maj. Travis Mueller)

Beginner Workouts for Passing Military Swimming Tests

For land athletes new to the water, passing and exceeding the standards for swimming require a combination of technique...

Stairmaster Workouts for Military Prep

Stairmasters can be an excellent tool for helping prepare the lungs and legs for the durability and strain of military...

5 Common Mistakes People Make When Starting a New Fitness Program and How to Avoid Them

When jumping into a training program that is not personally designed for your starting abilities, you may end up nursing...

Army ROTC cadets from Norwich University in Vermont complete the final steps of the SKEDCO drag carry during the Northern Warfare Challenge on Feb. 25 at Grandad Bluff in La Crosse, Wis.

3 Tips for Developing a Tougher Mindset While Working Out

By pushing outside of your comfort zone, you can slowly redefine your physical and mental resilience by making things a...

Poolees with U.S. Marine Corps Recruiting Station Raleigh in North Carolina participate in an initial strength test (IST) during a state-side pool function on May 13, 2023.

How a Non-Athletic Person Should Prepare to Join the Military

Countless people who worked on farms or other manual labor jobs throughout their formative years have a natural toughness...

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.

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...

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy is said to help individuals process and resolve traumatic memories and other distressing experiences.

How Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Can Help Trauma Patients

If you have experienced trauma and aren't achieving the desired outcomes with your current treatment, you might consider...

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...

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.

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Most Popular Military News

A gavel rests on the judge’s bench in the courtroom of the 39th Air Base Wing legal office at Nov. 14, 2019, at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey.

Marine Sergeant Sentenced to Confinement, Dishonorable Discharge and Reduction in Rank for Lejeune Killing

Dakota Honstein pleaded not guilty and was acquitted of the most severe charge -- murder, also known as Article 118 in...

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

The service's aim is to streamline the force while investing in emerging technologies that Army officials say are critical to...

Military family with PCS orders prepares to move

Problems with Privatized Household Goods Shipments Prompt Hegseth to Order Immediate Changes

The directive from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth follows a rash of issues with a contract meant to privatize the Defense...

USS Jason Dunham conducts a replenishment-at-sea

A Single Server Holds All Navy Pay and Promotion Data. DOGE Canceled a Contract to Upload It to the Cloud.

The Navy has been in a yearslong struggle to modernize its critically important human resources computer systems that...

Soldiers guide an M1A1 Abrams on to a equipment transportation railcar

Cots, MREs, Per Diem: Army Offers New Details for Soldiers Sent to Massive D.C. Military Parade

Thousands of soldiers flying or busing into Washington, D.C., next month will be sleeping on cots, eating mostly MREs (and...

Retired Marine Corps Officer Caught with Cocaine After Plane Emergency Sent to Prison

Troy Othneil Smith, 36, pleaded guilty in January to two counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, admitting...

Latest Military Videos

Master Class: Translation Lab: How To Translate Your Military Experience for a Civilian Audience

In our 60-minute Translation Lab, we will examine your job title and bullet points and translate your experience LIVE...

Master Class: Interview Genius: Strategies for Veterans to Excel When Everything Is an Interview

This engaging course is specifically designed for veterans like you, giving you all the tips and tricks to turn...

Russia Marks 80 Years Since Defeat of Nazi Germany With Massive Parade - AP Explains

Russia marked the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II with a massive military...

Village in Pakistani-Controlled Kashmir Assesses Damage After Shelling From India

Indian and Pakistani soldiers exchanged heavy volleys of shells and gunfire across their frontier in Kashmir overnight, killing at...

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

President Donald Trump speaks to United States Military Academy graduating cadets.

Trump Hails West Point Cadets for Their Accomplishments and Takes Credit for US Military Might

Trump said the cadets were graduating at a “defining moment” in the Army’s history.

Flight path of Army Black Hawk "PAT23" on a May 1, 2025

Pentagon Lost Contact with Army Helicopter on Flight That Caused Jets to Nix Landings at DC Airport

The aborted landings on May 1 added to general unease about continued close calls between government helicopters and...

Navy News

New Mexico National Defense Area sign emplacement mission

Pentagon Sends 1,100 More Troops to Border in Continued Mission Ramp-Up

The Pentagon is sending 1,115 additional troops to the U.S.-Mexico border from over half a dozen units across the different...

A sailor assigned to the Navy’s Water Quality Action Team (WQAT) collects a rapid-response drinking water sample at a Moanalua Terrace neighborhood residence in Honolulu.

Navy Wants to Test Drinking Water for Synthetic Chemicals near Virginia’s Northwest Annex

The testing is for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS -- a combination of thousands of different chemicals that...

Air Force News

Pentagon Sends 1,100 More Troops to Border in Continued Mission Ramp-Up

The Pentagon is sending 1,115 additional troops to the U.S.-Mexico border from over half a dozen units across the different...

Makeshift memorial to honor Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim

Suspect in Shooting of Israeli Embassy Staffers Praised Airman Who Self-Immolated as 'Martyr'

In the years before he was accused of killing two Israeli Embassy employees, the suspect in the fatal shootings was an active...

Space Force News

Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee about joint force readiness on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Trump Names Space Force Vice Chief to Oversee Golden Dome Missile Defense Project

President Donald Trump has named a four-star Space Force general to oversee the development of Golden Dome -- the massively...

HC-130 Hercules aircraft approaching Johnston Atoll

Space Force Rocket-Testing Plans at Pacific Atoll Stir Controversy

The Pacific Islands Heritage coalition—a diverse network of scientists, cultural practitioners and community leaders—already...

Marine Corps News

Navy Wants to Test Drinking Water for Synthetic Chemicals near Virginia’s Northwest Annex

The testing is for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS -- a combination of thousands of different chemicals that...

Marine Sergeant Sentenced to Confinement, Dishonorable Discharge and Reduction in Rank for Lejeune Killing

Dakota Honstein pleaded not guilty and was acquitted of the most severe charge -- murder, also known as Article 118 in...

Coast Guard News

Navy Wants to Test Drinking Water for Synthetic Chemicals near Virginia’s Northwest Annex

The testing is for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS -- a combination of thousands of different chemicals that...

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Adm. Kevin Lunday

Admiral Tapped to Lead Coast Guard as Noem Outlines Plans for Bigger Service

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said she plans for the Coast Guard to have a service secretary and 15,000 more service members.

Stew Smith, CSCS®

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