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

Lance Cpl. Amber Martinez executes a ‘side stroke’ during the testing portion of the Advanced Swim Qualification Course at Ramer Hall, Quantico, Virginia.

How to Improve Your Combat Side Stroke for Military Fitness Tests

The swimming test in the Navy Physical Screening Test (PST) can require an underwater recovery stroke using the side stroke...

(Airman 1st Class Dillon J. Audit/U.S. Air Force photo)

The Best Way to Become Motivated to Stick to a Fitness Routine

At some point in the beginning, there must be a straightforward evolutionary process from motivation to discipline.

A soldier assigned to the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Special Operations) (Airborne) competes in the Strongman Contest in Fort Liberty, N.C.

Core, Grip Strength and Cardio: This Farmer’s Walk Workout Covers It All

The farmer’s walk is the ultimate complementary exercise, working the arm muscles, shoulders, back and legs while focusing on...

Master Sgt. Jamion Speed, 7th Wing Staff Agencies first sergeant, exercises using ‘battle ropes’ during an Alpha Warrior course demonstration at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.

How to Build the Mental Toughness Required of Special Operations Selections

Most people, even scientists studying physiology and psychology, are puzzled by the mind-body connection.

(U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Dillon J. Audit)

6 Game-Changing Workout Strategies for Beginners or Anyone Restarting Their Fitness Journey

Many people new to fitness or experiencing prolonged absences wonder how often they should work out as beginners and what...

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Micah Malala swims during his Physical Screening Test on Naval Air Station North Island.

4 Reasons to Remove the ‘Pullout’ from Military Swim Fitness Tests

When taking military swimming tests that require the breaststroke or the side stroke (also known as the combat side stroke...

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.

A soldier assigned to the 1st Infantry Division performs barbell biceps curls during their morning physical training session at Leonard Fitness Center on Fort Riley, Kansas.

5 Rules for Adding Workouts to Your Military Unit's Daily PT Sessions

Adding workouts for your group at your military unit's morning PT sessions each week is one of the more difficult things to...

A U.S. Army soldier from the 25th Infantry Division performs a deadlift during the annual Tropic Lightning Week weightlifting competition on Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

How the Tactical Athlete Benefits from Cardio Exercises After Leg Workouts

For most athletes, leg days and cardio challenge the body and mind, but for tactical athletes, topping off leg days with...

Army Reserve Pfc. Akjla Webb stretches before going out onto an obstacle course on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

How to Add Stretching and Breathing Exercises into Your Daily Fitness Training

Since breathing is the first and last thing we do on this Earth, it makes sense to be good at it for all our breaths in...

(Airman Dennis Spain/U.S. Air Force photo)

5 Important Questions 50- to 60-Year-Olds Should Ask to Start Building for Longevity

As people transition into their 50s, 60s and beyond, the importance of health and wellness becomes increasingly evident.

U.S. Marines Corps Sgt. Barry Newhart conducts agility drills during the High Intensity Tactical Training (HITT) Small Unit Leaders course at Gunners’ Gym on Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan.

How to Add Old-School Speed and Agility Drills to Your Military Fitness Training

The military's need for speed and agility has proven helpful for various tasks, especially among ground fighters.

Coast Guard recruits prepare to jump from a platform into the pool below and begin their swim assessment aboard Training Center Cape May, N.J.

The Most Common Military Service Fitness Training Errors

Many people are doing the wrong workouts that lack the specific requirements of military testing, basic training and special...

5 Quick and ‘Easy’ Fitness Assessments You Can Do Anywhere

After watching Jason Kelce challenge veterans to a push-up contest during ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown”, I had the idea to...

(U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Garcia)

How to Lift for Strength While Maintaining Your Fitness with Calisthenics and Cardio

Whether you’re preparing for boot camp or already serving, you’ve probably noticed the military provides ample opportunities...

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Most Popular Military News

U.S. Navy SEAL candidates participate in BUD/S training.

Navy Drops Disciplinary Efforts Against 2 Navy Officers After Death of SEAL Candidate Kyle Mullen

Vice Adm. Rick Cheeseman decided to stop the boards of inquiry for Capt. Brad Geary, the commander of the Navy SEAL training...

SunTrust Bank branch in Sebring, Fla., where five people were shot and killed in 2019

Army Veteran Sentenced to Death for Killing 5 Women at a Florida Bank

Zephen Xaver appeared to gulp but otherwise showed no emotion as Circuit Judge Angela Cowden pronounced the sentence at the...

U.S. Army Col. Christopher J. Kirkpatrick receives the Joint Multinational Readiness Center colors from Brig. Gen. Steven P. Carpenter during a Change of Command Ceremony near Hohenfels, Germany.

More than Half of Senior Army Officers Are Turning Down Command Consideration

More than half of the Army's senior officers are turning down opportunities to command, choosing instead the stability of...

Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division receive the Army Commendation Medal.

Army Set to Debut Master Combat Badges in Spring, Memo Says

The Army is set to begin awarding Master Combat Badges, which will combine expert and traditional combat badges, next spring...

Drone operator helps to retrieve a drone over Hart Island in New York

Pentagon Officials, Aviation Experts Say Many Alleged Drone Sightings Are Being Misidentified

The sightings in New Jersey and elsewhere, which so far remained unconfirmed, have triggered widespread concern and demands...

Coast Guard Cadets march in formation during sea trials at the Academy

House Probe Finds Former Coast Guard Commandant Decided to Withhold Sexual Assault Findings

An interim report into sexual assaults at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and subsequent cover-up of an investigation found the...

Latest Military Videos

Trump Claims Government Knows What Drones Are

In a far-ranging interview news conference, President-elect Donald Trump said the U.S. government "knows what is happening" with the...

Russian Forces Seen Withdrawing Toward Northern Syrian City of Tartus

A lengthy convoy of Russian military vehicles were seen withdrawing from Latakia toward the Syrian city of Tartus on...

Schumer Calls on US Agencies to Use Advanced Technology to Identify Mysterious Drones

After weeks of fear and bewilderment about the drones buzzing over parts of New York and New Jersey, U.S...

Mother of American Found in Syria: 'We All Want You Home'

An American citizen who disappeared seven months ago into former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system said he...

Investigations and Features

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...

A patch in the home of retired missileer Paul Hunke

They Stood Sentry over America's Nuclear Missile Arsenal. Many Worry It Gave Them Cancer.

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

Army News

Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers

Judge: Pardoning Army Veteran Stewart Rhodes for Capitol Riot Plot Would Be 'Frightening'

President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly has vowed to pardon rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol nearly four years ago.

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston at AER function

Soldiers and Their Families Will Be Eligible for Up to $4,000 in Grants for Emergency Travel

The group, Army Emergency Relief, said it will offer airfare grants of up to $2,000 for domestic travel and $4,000 for...

Navy News

Mauritius Wants to Rethink a Deal with the UK over Remote Islands Housing a Key US Base

The British government says it still plans to hand over a contested Indian Ocean archipelago, which is home to a...

Tom Cruise poses with the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award

Tom Cruise Honored by US Navy for His Role in 'Top Gun'

Cruise was presented with the Distinguished Public Service Award, which rewards civilians for acts of heroism or support to...

Air Force News

Lessons from the Air Force Kitchen Police: Volunteer for Everything. Even Pots and Pans

When Ed Meagher reported to Air Force basic training on June 15, 1966, he was a 19-year-old college dropout. Despite two...

Graduation at the Air Force Academy, Colorado

The Air Force's Faltering Effort to Get More Diversity Among Officers May Be Out of Time

The diversity targets set in 2022 marked the first time in nearly a decade that the service had amended the benchmarks for...

Space Force News

The U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs, launched a conventional hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Army and Navy Team Up for Hypersonic Missile Launch from Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station had a different kind of launch on its plate Thursday when the Army and Navy teamed up to...

(Photo by Airman 1st Class Shelby Kay-Fantozzi)

Transgender Troops, Confronting Shifting Policies of Acceptance, Just Want to Serve

Transgender troops' right to serve -- perhaps even to fight and die for a nation they volunteered to defend -- has been...

Marine Corps News

Former Marine Recruiter Indicted on Federal Sex, Porn Charges

A recruiter for the U.S. Marine Corps held without bond since September on a state sexual battery charge in Mississippi has...

U.S. Marine Corps Col. Henry Dolberry Jr. receives a gift after a change of command ceremony on Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan.

Japan Vows to Reduce Okinawa's Burden from Bases as US Marines' Transition to Guam Gets Underway

The Japanese government aims to reduce the burden of hosting U.S. military bases on Okinawa Prefecture while maintaining the...

Coast Guard News

The crew aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball’s 35-foot, long-range interceptor small boat prepares to conduct a joint search-and-rescue exercise in Kagoshima Bay, Japan, with a Japan Coast Guard AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter aircrew.

US Coast Guard to Participate in First-Ever Drill in Tokyo Bay

The coast guards of Japan, the United States, Australia and India are to conduct their first four-country drill at the Port...