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

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.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Lucas Settle performs a fireman carry at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

This Full-Body Military Fitness Workout Requires a Buddy

Workouts designed for teamwork can be a fun and effective way to push yourself while building camaraderie.

U.S. Air Force airman Edgar Grimaldo takes a drink of water at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

How to Recover Properly from Intense Military Fitness Workouts

Here is a list of things you can do to ensure you are on the proper training/recovery program balance for your goal of better...

5 Easy Tips for Fat Loss from a Navy SEAL

Because of myths, falsehoods and all the various ways people have lost weight, fat loss can appear complicated to anyone...

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

The Most Challenging Leg Workout for Military Fitness

This is a classic method for working the legs, glutes and hips, along with cardio events between resistance training.

How to Make Healthy Breakfast Choices While Eating Out

Many retirees eat out for breakfast daily as a social activity, but making the right food choices for general health...

Cursing Like a Sailor May Help You with Your Next PT Test

Science has linked cursing to physical fitness test improvements, which is particularly helpful if you are in the Navy, as...

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Most Popular Military News

Rowers paddle down the Charles River near the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.

Harvard to Offer Full Rides to 50 Veterans and Civil Servants for Master's Degrees in Public Policy

The $100,000 fellowships are being offered at a time when the school has come under attack from President Donald Trump, who...

The sun rises at the Vanessa Guillén gate at Fort Hood, Texas.

Fort Hood Senior Noncommissioned Officer Arrested a Second Time on Child Sex Assault Charges

Sgt. Maj. Victor Manuel Rivera was arrested on June 18 and released on a $90,000 bond on June 30. He is facing a first-degree...

Trump Taps Air Force and Space Force Generals as Next Service Vice Chiefs

Nominations were put in front of the Senate for Space Force Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton and Air Force Gen. Thomas Bussiere to...

Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, W.Va.

The New VA Budget Pushes to Privatize Care, Risking the Veterans Health System

"We are watching the slow dismantling of the VA from the inside out, buried in a budget document. If left unchecked, this...

Gavel and American flag with scales of justice.

21-Year-Old Soldier Hacked Databases, Threatened to Leak Stolen Data, Feds Say

John Wagenius was stationed at Fort Cavazo and at a U.S. Army base in South Korea throughout the scheme between April 2023...

Arkansas National Guardsmen deploy to Texas on July 8, 2025, to assist with the transportation of search and rescue personnel in the vicinity of Austin, Texas, during catastrophic flooding.

Reckoning with Mortality: The Hidden Toll of Being a Military Family in the Aviation Community

"The aviation community is very small. The rotary aviation world is even smaller. Since I met my husband in 2010, we have not...

Latest Military Videos

Iron Sharpens Iron: How to Find the Career Mentor You Need on the Job Hunt

On your job hunt, you are not looking for a handout. You don’t expect it to be easy. You...

Roman Era Mosaic Panel With Erotic Theme That Was Stolen During World War II Returns to Pompeii

A mosaic panel on travertine slabs, depicting an erotic theme from the Roman era, was returned to the archaeological...

Israeli Airstrikes Hit Syrian Defense Ministry Headquarters in Heart of Damascus

The Israeli military launched airstrikes in the heart of Damascus on Wednesday, hitting the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters as...

Young Recruits Prepare for Battle While Ukraine Awaits Aid Announced by Trump

Instructors trained groups of recruits in Ukraine's Kyiv region on Wednesday, as the country awaits promised U.S. military aid...

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

Sign welcomes visitors to Fort Carson, Colorado

Fort Carson Soldier Accused of Kidnapping, Sexual Assault in Colorado Springs

Records given to The Gazette by Fort Carson officials show Meade is a mechanic in the 4th Infantry Division for their...

U.S. soldiers conduct a patrol near Bisbee, Ariz.

Additional Military Bases in New Jersey, Indiana Set to Host Migrant Detention Camps

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, colloquially referred to as "Fort Dix," in New Jersey and Camp Atterbury in Indiana, both...

Navy News

Naval Academy Superintendent, First Woman in Post, Replaced Early by Marine General

Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte, who currently oversees the Marine Corps' personnel directorate, has been nominated to replace...

Entrance to the U.S. Naval Academy campus

Naval Academy Settles on Shorter List of Banned Books as Pentagon Panel Weighs Ultimate Decision

As the legal court battle over the administration's efforts to ban certain books in DoD schools for military children makes...

Air Force News

Trump Taps Air Force and Space Force Generals as Next Service Vice Chiefs

Nominations were put in front of the Senate for Space Force Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton and Air Force Gen. Thomas Bussiere to...

Incoming Ellsworth Commander Criticized Air Force Base's Culture in B-1B Lancer Crash Report

An Air Force colonel set to take over Ellsworth Air Force Base's 28th Bomb Wing later this month harshly criticized the...

Space Force News

Trump Taps Air Force and Space Force Generals as Next Service Vice Chiefs

Nominations were put in front of the Senate for Space Force Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton and Air Force Gen. Thomas Bussiere to...

U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody speaks from Space Florida headquarters in Merritt Island

Moving NASA HQ from DC to Space Coast Still on Lawmakers’ Minds

As newly elected President Trump announced laid out his plans to reduce workforce and waste, Florida politicians began...

Marine Corps News

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Carlos A. Ruiz

As Corps Gets Stretched Thin by Mounting Missions, Top Enlisted Leader Focused on Basics for Marines

Sgt. Maj. Carlos Ruiz has been vocal about a multibillion-dollar barracks effort meant to fix disintegrating housing, as well...

Alejandro Barranco talks on his cell phone

Father of 3 Marines Who Was Beaten by ICE Agents Released, Leaving Family to Process His Detention

The son, Marine veteran Alejandro Barranco, told Military.com after the arrest that he initially "couldn't believe" the video...

Coast Guard News

change of command ceremony inside Leamy Hall at USCGA, New London, Connecticut

US Coast Guard Academy Ceremony Lauds Outgoing Leader and Welcomes New Superintendent

A change of command ceremony at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy that bid farewell to Superintendent Rear Adm. Michael Johnston...

U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer waves to spectators

Coast Guard Legislation Demands Accountability on Sexual Assault, Harassment

The service's authorization bills include a number of provisions designed to improve reporting and handling of sexual assault...

Stew Smith, CSCS®

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