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

Sailors in a gym do lunges with sandbags.

Ask Stew: When Tired, How to Decide to Work Out vs. Rest

Is your body failing, or is your brain just trying to protect you from discomfort?

At night in silhouette, SEAL candidates carry a log together.

Ask Stew: The Best Recommendation Letters for Military Special Programs

Here is a question from a young OCS-to-BUD/S hopeful concerning the best letters of recommendation to help with the...

A man in a civilian tank top does a pullup.

A Workout for Days When You Have Only 20-30 Minutes to Train

With a well structured workout template that incorporates dynamic warmups, strength training and cardio options, you can...

Careful Out There: The Surprising Health Risks of Shoveling Snow

Shoveling snow might seem like a routine winter task, but it comes with significant risks, especially for older adults and...

A senior Army general wearing PT gear lifts weights.

Strength Training Linked to a Lower Biological Age

New research links regular strength training to healthier aging.

Marines pictured upside-down, lying in the sand linking arms.

How to Do Marines’ Versatile ‘Shamrock’ Workout

Here is a classic style of workout that can be changed depending on the equipment available, such as weights and pullup bars...

Marines tread water in a pool with their hands raised.

Ask Stew: How Often Should I Train Treading Water (No Hands)?

Stew, do you have any recommendations on how much I should be treading before Navy Dive School?

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...

Military News

Get the Military Insider Newsletter

Get the latest on pay updates, benefit changes and award-winning military content. Right in your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice.

Thank you for subscribing!

View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page.

One last step.

Verify your free subscription by following the instructions in the email sent to:

Most Popular Military News

Ex-Navy SEAL Robert O'Neill sued a pair of podcasters for $25 million, claiming that they have tarnished his reputation going back to the raid, killing of Osama bin Laden. (Robert O'Neill website)

The Latest in Ex-Navy SEAL Robert O'Neill's $25 Million Defamation Lawsuit

The $25 million defamation lawsuit by ex-Navy SEAL Rob O'Neill could be decided by a jury in state or federal court.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks about the impending winter weather during a news conference at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Government Shutdown Risk Grows as Jan. 30 Funding Deadline Nears: What We Know

With a Jan. 30 funding deadline approaching, Congress faces a familiar standoff. Here’s when a shutdown could begin, what a...

A veteran in a wheelchair exits a van to a crowd waving American flags.

Veterans Can Now Get VA Auto Grants Every 10 Years. Here's What Changed

A disabled veteran who received a Department of Veterans Affairs automobile grant decades ago can now apply for another one.

U-486 at sea, the submarine sank the SS Léopoldville, causing the largest loss of life for an American division in a ship incident during WWII. (Armed Conflicts)

A U-Boat Killed 763 American Soldiers on Christmas Eve in 1944. The Army Kept It Secret for 50 Years

Howard woke up around midnight in a hospital in Cherbourg, France. He was among the lucky ones. On that Christmas Eve in 1944...

An Airman fills out tax forms, Feb. 9, 2017, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. (U.S. Air Force photo/Daniel Brosam)

Free and Discounted Tax Preparation for Military

Military personnel and their families have access to a variety of tax preparation and filing services for free.

HL7442, the aircraft involved, pictured in 1980 with a previous livery. (Wikimedia Commons)

In 1983, the Soviets Shot Down a Passenger Plane and Killed a US Congressman

The 48-year-old Democrat was arguably the most anti-communist voice in Congress. He had introduced legislation to ban all...

Latest Military Videos

Taiwan Navy Simulates Repelling Sea Invasion in Combat Readiness Drill

Taiwan Navy simulates repelling sea invasion in combat readiness drill.

Still Photos Show Aircraft Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln Operating in the Indian Ocean

Still photos show aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln operating in the Indian Ocean.

North Korea Tests New Multiple Rocket System

North Korea tests new multiple rocket system and Kim talks about nuclear deterrent.

Venezuela President Rodriguez Confirms Cordial Relations with US

Venezuela President Rodriguez confirms cordial relations with US.

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

Families of 67 Killed in US Aircraft Crash Remember Loved Ones and Call for Reforms

Families of the 67 people who died in an aircraft collision last January gathered to mark the first anniversary, just one day...

Army veteran Keith McCarter works out at the Madison, Wisconsin VA hospital. (Submitted photo)

Heart Transplant Saves Ailing Iraq War Veteran

After finding out his heart was failing at age 25, Army veteran Keith McCarter finally found the path to get healthy again.

Navy News

US Aircraft Carrier Arrives in the Middle East as Tensions With Iran Remain High

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and three accompanying warships have arrived in the Middle East.

Yemen Rebels Threaten New Red Sea Attack as US Aircraft Carrier Heads Toward Iran

Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels threatened new attacks on ships traveling through the Red Sea corridor, likely trying to...

Air Force News

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Commander Warns the US, Says His Force Has its 'Finger on the Trigger'

Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, warned the United States and Israel “to avoid any miscalculation.”

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Paul A. Millis, crew chief assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 252, raises a lift in preparation for a Flight In Support of a Deployed Unit (FISDU) at the Shannon Airport, Ireland, March 12, 2015. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Koby I. Saunders/Released)

Irish Lawmaker Wants Legislation Requiring US Military Aircraft Inspections

Conor Sheehan, an Irish Labour Party politician, called Ireland's lack of aircraft inspections "troubling."

Space Force News

Space Force basic training candidates undergo inspection.

Space Force Education Programs: What Guardians Need to Know

The Space Force offers guardians multiple education pathways, from automatic enrollment in the Community College of the Air...

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)

How Trump’s 2025 'War' Agenda Rewired the Pentagon

Trump’s 2025 executive actions reshape how the current administration defines national security.

Marine Corps News

U. S. Marine Corps officer Captain William H. Dabney (VMI Class of 1961) during the Vietnam War. While in Vietnam, he commanded India Company, 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines, on Hill 881S during the Battle of Khe Sanh, for which he was awarded the Navy Cross in 2005. (Virginia Military Institute)

This Marine Married Chesty Puller’s Daughter and Was Recommended for the Medal of Honor at Khe Sanh

In 1967, Vietnam, Capt. Bill Dabney chose the Marine unit closest to the enemy—an instinct that soon put him and his men at...

Michael D'Angelo is a Marine Corps veteran turned comedian. (Submitted)

‘Combat Comedian’ Boosts Marine Corps Morale Through Laughter

After being forced to leave the Marine Corps with an injury, comedian Michael D'Angelo ignited a new passion by bringing much...

Coast Guard News

Coast Guard Cutter Neah Bay breaks ice on Lake Erie in February 2015.

Coast Guard Battles Winter Ice on Great Lakes

Two Coast Guard cutters — the Mackinaw and the Neah Bay — broke ice so other ships could continue moving or reach safe harbor...

A U.S. Coast Guardsman, a member of Port Security Unit (PSU) 308, mans a Browning M2HB heavy machine gun while on patrol near South Padre Island, Texas, Nov. 2, 2025. PSU 308 was deployed to South Padre Island in support of Operation River Wall, the Coast Guard’s response to increased drug and human trafficking along the Rio Grande River. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Cheyenne Basurto)

Station South Padre Island Receives Record $200M Facelift From Coast Guard

Multi-million-dollar renovations near the U.S.-Mexico border will deter illegal migrants in southern Texas, officials said.