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

Reduce Dementia Risk by Having Fun with These Ways to Move

Just as much as the physical benefits, another reason we should keep exercising as we age is to protect our brains. Yes...

(U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Daniella Peña-Pavao)

Beginner Strength Training Workouts

Strength training throughout your 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond is completely possible and should be continued in any version you...

Dumbbells are lined up on a weight rack.

Strength Training In Your Late 50s and Early 60s

Incorporating strength training into your week has remarkable benefits. So, the question is not whether you should...

Culinary specialists from the Connecticut Army National Guard cut up cucumbers while preparing a meal inside a containerized kitchen at Fort Drum

Joint Pain While Training? This Vegetable Can Help

Cucumber extract has shown promise in studies on its efficacy in addressing joint pain.

Sailors use exercise bikes during a physical readiness test in the hangar bay of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).

Workout Ideas for Those New to High-Intensity Interval Training

We all grow older. There is nothing we can do about that, but the quality of those years is within our control, as recent...

(Senior Airman Jessi Monte/U.S. Air Force photo)

How Much Weekly Running Is Advisable for Military Special Operations Training?

It's better to build your cardio so that running a 7-minute mile pace for 4-6 miles feels sustainable, rather than just...

Hospital Corpsman Third Class Dru Calloway conducts push-ups aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.

The 5 Most Effective Push-Up and Pull-Up Workouts

Simply performing more reps is a logical start, but how you structure your training volume can mean the difference between...

The Do's and Don'ts for Training Safely in Extreme Heat

Many special operations dreams have ended in the heat of rigorous physical activity during selection, just as it occurs in...

U.S. Marine Corps candidates with Officer Candidate School complete a 3-mile run during the inventory Physical Fitness Test on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.

Tips to Help You Run Faster on Your Physical Fitness Test

It is wise to practice taking military fitness tests, long before the real ones count toward your record or your chances of...

U.S. Air Force Special Tactics Officer candidates prepare for the next activity during an assessment and selection process at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

How to Balance Preparing for Special Operations with Playing a Sport

If you are a competitive athlete considering adding a Special Operations prep program to your routine, it's important to...

Capt. Richard Kresser, Headquarters Company, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, runs down one of many hills in the ‘Run to Remember’ half-marathon (13.1 miles) at Forward Operating Base Masum Ghar, Afghanistan.

How to Improve Your Mobility and Running in One Workout

Whether you're preparing for a fitness test, looking to increase your running performance, or simply seeking a challenging...

Spc. Tom Hook, a religious affairs specialist attached to the 185th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Iowa Army National Guard, crosses the finish line of a 12-mile ruck march event during the 2026 Iowa National Guard Best Warrior Competition at Johnston Town Center, Johnston, Iowa.

Building the Warrior: A Holistic Approach to Peak Performance in the Military

While it is understandable for combat units to have the highest fitness standards, getting to that common goal requires...

A soldier makes a smoothie at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, on March 6, 2025.

How 'Hard Gainers' in the Military Can Add Weight Healthily

The old saying is that if you want to get big, you must eat big and lift big. Science confirms this, but it is more...

Battlefield Airmen Preparatory Course candidates participate in physical exercises at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.

The Best Strategy to Recover from a Running Injury Without Overdoing It

Resuming running mileage after an injury and some recovery time can often create a training dilemma that could lead to...

How Your Eating Habits Affect Sleep Quality

Understanding the relationship between the stomach, brain and sleep can lead to more restful nights, as well as increased...

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Most Popular Military News

Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., left, confronts House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Federal Government Shutdown Grinds into a Second Week as Tempers Flare at the Capitol

As the federal government shutdown enters a second week, there’s no discernible endgame in sight.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) questions U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi as she testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Trump Targets Blumenthal, Calling for Investigation into Senator's Vietnam Service Claims

President Donald Trump is targeting U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal again after Connecticut’s senior U.S. senator grilled U.S...

Pvt. Paul Douglas, age 50, performs a rifle inspection with his drill instructor aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot S.C., 1942. Douglas, at age 50 was the oldest recruit in the history of Parris Island, and went on to become a purple heart recipient and Chicago senator (DVIDS).

At 50, He Survived Marine Boot Camp — Then Fought at Peleliu and Okinawa

When 50-year-old Paul Douglas showed up at Marine Corps boot camp in 1942, the white-haired economics professor looked more...

Pack and transport platoon of the Russian army. Southern Military District. Ministry of Defense of Russia (Wikimedia Commons).

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A short video circulating online this month appears to show a Russian mounted patrol being struck by a Ukrainian drone near...

When The Government Can Afford Everything Except The Essentials

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Troops Will Miss Paychecks Next Week Without Action on the Government Shutdown

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Latest Military Videos

US Removal of Panels Honoring Black Soldiers at WWII Cemetery in the Netherlands

US removal of panels honoring Black soldiers at WWII cemetery in the Netherlands draws backlash.

Video of US Military Strike on Suspected Drug Boat

Video of US military strike on suspected drug boat

Russian Defense Ministry Video Said to Show Oreshnik Ballistic Missile Systems

Russian Defense Ministry video said to show Oreshnik ballistic missile systems in Belarus.

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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

Army veteran Robert Hendricks talks about his Vietnam War experience. (Photo from Central Oregon Daily News)

‘I Never Want to See it Again.’ Vietnam Soldier Recalls Deadly Napalm, Tet Offensive

Robert Hendricks, a U.S. Army veteran, shares his harrowing story of surviving the Tet Offensive and the effects of napalm...

Darrell Lee Arelt. (Photo from 13 News Tucson)

Strangers Come Together to Honor Fallen Veteran with No Known Family

Vietnam veteran Darrell Arelt died in November as an unaccompanied veteran. But thanks to a caring landlord and helpful...

Navy News

Coast Guard Sector North Bend MH-65 Dolphin helicopter

US Navy and US Coast Guard Ask for Input on Environmental Impact in the Northwest

The public, stakeholders and tribes are invited to comment on training, testing.

Fireman First Class John L. Hodge is decorated with the Navy Cross for bravery displayed during the sinking of the USS Panay. (Wikimedia Commons)

The USS Panay Incident: Japanese Planes Attacked an American Ship, Killing U.S. Sailors and Civilians Four Years Before Pearl Harbor

Norman Alley was napping on deck when Japanese bombs started falling. The Universal News cameraman grabbed his camera and...

Air Force News

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, answer NORAD calls from children on Dec. 24, 2025.

Trump Warns Against Infiltration by a 'Bad Santa,' Defends Coal in Jovial Christmas Calls With Kids

The president and first lady Melania Trump participated in the tradition of talking to youngsters dialing into the North...

U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Dec. 20, 2025) M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers fire missiles in in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of Operation Hawkeye Strike, Dec. 20, 2025. (U.S. Army video by Task Force Lightning – 3-116th FAR)

Operation Hawkeye: US Attack on ISIS in Syria Leaves Open Questions

The United States' latest coordinated strikes against ISIS targets comes as Washington signals sustained pressure on the...

Space Force News

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.

A painting of a Defense Support Program satellite from the Air Force Art collection. DSP provides a variety of national security capabilities. Its flagship mission of launch detection was made famous during the Cold War. (U.S. Air Force image)

Clearing The Orbits: Space Force Partnerships In Orbital Cleanup

The growing congestion of Earth orbit has raised risks to satellites, space stations, and long-term space sustainability. The...

Marine Corps News

U.S. Marines with 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, hold out hand signals prior to conducting special patrol insertion and extraction training on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Dec. 18, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. John Allen)

How the US Marine Corps Reinvented Itself in 2025

The U.S. Marine Corps overhauled training and technology through emerging programs like Project Dynamis, preparing current...

Rob Reiner’s career spans more than five decades as a defining force in American film and television, from his early acting days to directing and producing some of the most enduring movies in modern Hollywood (CBS).

Rob Reiner’s Cultural Impact: The Movies and Quotes That Shaped America

Rob Reiner’s tragic death has left an unmistakable void in Hollywood. Across five decades, his work—from All in the Family to...

Coast Guard News

A U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) crewmember crosses the brow onto the ice while operating in the Arctic Ocean, Oct. 1, 2025. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Chris Sappey)

US, Finland Collaborate to Build Arctic Icebreaker Ships for Coast Guard

The new announcement comes 1.5 years after the ICE Pact agreement between the U.S., Canada and Finland began.