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 the Stew Smith article archive on Military.com. Contact Stew with your comments and questions at stew@stewsmith.com.

Latest Articles

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...

Soldiers in civilian workout clothes stretch on a beach.

Ask Stew: A Step-by-Step Plan to Get Started on Your New Year Fitness Goal

Here is a three-step blueprint to help you transition from the "resolution" phase of fitness to a lifelong habit and the...

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Most Popular Military News

A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron lands at a base in the Middle East, Jan. 18, 2026. The F-15's presence enhances combat readiness and promotes regional security and stability. (Courtesy Photo)

The US Military Will Risk Everything for Its Own. Here’s Why

The rescue of downed U.S. airmen in Iran shows why “leave no one behind” still defines the military, and why it matters for...

Bruce Willis in military gear in Tears of the Sun, actor who grew up in a military family. (Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing)

These Actors Grew Up as Military Children. It Shaped Everything

These 10 actors were raised in military families. Their upbringing didn’t just shape their lives—it still influences how they...

Veterans hold signs supporting the PACT Act.

You Took Separation Pay Years Ago. Now the VA Wants It Back From Your Disability Check.

Under federal law, a veteran cannot receive both separation pay and VA disability compensation for the same period of service...

New recruits take the oath of enlistment at the Advocate Center for the Eleventh Annual Chicago Bulls Special Recruit Division Enlistment Ceremony in Chicago. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Camilo Fernan)

Could the US Bring Back the Draft? Who Would Be Called First — and Who Qualifies

Could the U.S. bring back the draft? Here’s how Selective Service works today, who would be called first and why only about...

3 Big PCS Changes Are Coming at Once. Here’s What Service Members Need to Know Before Peak Season.

In 2026, three major changes are affecting military household goods moves: a new permanent agency to run the system, the end...

Latest Military Videos

Artemis II Astronauts Release Images of Moon Flyby and Eclipse

Artemis II astronauts release images of moon flyby and eclipse.

US and Iran Agree to 2-week Ceasefire as Trump Pulls Back on Threats

US and Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire as Trump pulls back on threats.

Trump Offers More Details of Dramatic Rescue of Airman in Iran

Trump offers more details of dramatic rescue of airman in Iran.

Former Australian Soldier Charged with Committing Five War Crime Murders in Afghanistan

Former Australian soldier charged with committing five war crime murders in Afghanistan.

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

This photo provided by Jen Rickling shows U.S. Army staff sergeant, Matthew Blank, left, and his wife, Annie Ramos, posing for a photo while celebrating their wedding, in March, 2026, in Houston. (Jen Rickling via AP)

Wife of US Soldier Released from Federal Immigration Detention

The wife of a U.S. soldier was released Tuesday from a federal immigration detention facility where she had spent nearly a...

Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) has proudly achieved a 5-star rating on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, recognizing it as one of the top hospitals in Hawaii for patient satisfaction. This esteemed accolade places TAMC alongside Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital, highlighting the exceptional care provided by these two institutions in the Aloha State. (Crizalmer Caraang Jr)

Eighth Jane Doe Files $8M Complaint Against Army in McGraw Sexual Abuse Case

An eighth purported victim of former Army Dr. Blaine McGraw has filed a complaint due to claimed sexual abuse.

Navy News

These Actors Grew Up as Military Children. It Shaped Everything

These 10 actors were raised in military families. Their upbringing didn’t just shape their lives—it still influences how they...

Monkeys eat tomatoes distributed by social workers near a Hindu temple during nationwide lockdown in Gauhati, India, Thursday, April 23, 2020. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

'Monkey Business': Pentagon Sued for US Taxpayer-Funded Primate Labs

“It's troubling that agencies like the Department of Defense continue to fund animal labs overseas when we've seen how...

Air Force News

These Actors Grew Up as Military Children. It Shaped Everything

These 10 actors were raised in military families. Their upbringing didn’t just shape their lives—it still influences how they...

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Washington, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listens. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump, Officials Reveal Details of ‘No-Fail’ Rescue of Downed Pilots

A downed U.S. airman evaded capture for nearly two days inside Iran before a rescue mission under fire pulled him out.

Space Force News

Robbie Robertson, Sedaro CEO and co-founder, presents a live demo to USSF leadership Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, at Spacepower Conference in Orlando, FL. (Photo courtesy of SFA)

National Spacepower Center: Advancing US and Allied Spacepower

The Space Force Association launched the National Space Center in Dec. 2025 to connect government, academia and industry and...

This year's USO 2026 "Service Members of the Year." (USO)

'Exceptional Courage': USO Announces its 2026 Service Members of the Year

This year's crop of USO honorees saved motorcycle crash victims, rescued bodies underwater, saved civilians from a building...

Marine Corps News

U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Justin A. Henry, avionics chief, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 533, Marine Aircraft Group 31, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, returns from a Unit Deployment Program at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, Oct. 29, 2025. VMFA-533 returned from a UDP, which provided forward presence and bolstered unit readiness. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Julius Hackney)

Marine Corps Hikes Family Separation Allowance: What Deployed Marines Get Now

Many Marine Corps families are getting a direct pay bump thanks to a recent MARADMIN. Deployed Marines, those on shipboard...

These Actors Grew Up as Military Children. It Shaped Everything

These 10 actors were raised in military families. Their upbringing didn’t just shape their lives—it still influences how they...

Coast Guard News

Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) prepares to Moore at their homeport Honolulu, Hawaii Oct. 3, 2025. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jennifer Nilson)

Coast Guard Cutter Finds, Retrieves Family Missing for 7 Days in Micronesia

The rescue mission was one not "routine" to the Coast Guard and cutter crew that succeeded.

'Exceptional Courage': USO Announces its 2026 Service Members of the Year

This year's crop of USO honorees saved motorcycle crash victims, rescued bodies underwater, saved civilians from a building...

Stew Smith, CSCS®

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