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.

Email: stew@stewsmith.com

Latest Articles

U.S. Air Force Airman Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape (SERE) candidates jog on a one-mile track at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Medina Annex, Texas.

Mile Repeats Too Difficult? This Running Progression Workout Can Help You Get There.

These workouts are ideal for those who have to take fitness tests involving high-repetition calisthenics -- pull-ups, push...

Lt. Col. FaMarcon Mobley finishes the 8-kilometer portion of the Seattle Half Marathon and 8K shadow run near Erbil, Iraq.

Ask Stew: 5 Options to Make Running Less Impactful as You Grow Older

If you want to continue running, some options will help you continue running or walking and supplement it with less impactful...

(U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Caleb Worpel)

The 8 Biggest Killers of Your Fitness Training Goals and Healthy Habits

The sooner we learn to forgive ourselves for past decades of unhealthy living, the quicker we can move on and start...

Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington in Yokosuka, Japan, conduct push-ups during a physical readiness test.

This Track and Calisthenics Workout Can Improve Your Fitness Test Score

Competitive tactical programs often require higher-than-average scores on fitness tests in order to meet a standard or set...

A Marine officer candidate completes his initial physical fitness test at Brown Field aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.

Ask Stew: You Have a Lot of Time Before Joining the Military. Here’s How Not to Waste It.

The most important part of a long-term training plan is having fun and enjoying the process of working on your strengths and...

How an Asset Mindset Can Help Maintain Your Physical Abilities as You Age

Maintaining our level of conditioning and tactical skills has to be a priority as we age, because we tend to lose it if we do...

Soldiers in training from Foxtrot Company, 2-13th Infantry Regiment, prepare to run the "Fit to Win" obstacle course while going through Army basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C.

The Mind and Body Connection

There is very little doubt that our mind and body are connected. The super highway of nerves and a variety of hormones in the...

U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. German Martinez-Ortiz performs a hand-release push-up during the Army Combat Fitness Test event of the Army Reserve Medical Command Best Warrior Competition 2023 in Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.

Developing a Workout Program? These 4 Principles of Training Can Help.

Each week at Military.com Fitness, a workout of the week is posted; it is usually focused on the military recruit/candidate...

A soldier performs the maximum deadlift event during his Army Combat Fitness Test diagnostic on Camp Ridley, Minnesota.

Ask Stew: What Should I Do to Lose Weight Before the ACFT?

It is wise to start your physical preparation long before you even talk to a recruiter, and while the Army has height and...

Army Reserve Sgt. Demos Moore performs a plank pose at a gym in Richmond, Virginia.

How to Manage Your Fitness Choices When They Become Overwhelming

If you break down the fitness world into smaller segments, you may find something that interests you while lessening the...

Because of Canadian wildfires, New York City is engulfed in haze seen from the Empire State Building observatory, June. 7, 2023.

Here’s How Not to Bail on Your Workout When the Air Quality Outside Is Poor

With wind patterns blowing smoke from Canadian wildfires over the East Coast of the United States recently, millions of...

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Mauricio Varonmoncayo swims 2,500 meters in open water at Kin Blue, Okinawa, Japan.

Ask Stew: How Preparing for Swimming in Open Water Differs from in a Pool

Swimming in a pool can be very different than in open water, largely depending on the type of open water.

(U.S. Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. David Gonzalez)

Why You Should Add Resistance Training to Your Life (And Never Stop Doing It)

Consider this the natural progression of resistance training that is a broad spectrum that anyone can do.

Sgt. Timothy Coggins, a 310th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) soldier, conducts push-ups at the Army Combat Fitness Test event during the 2023 Best Warrior competition at Camp Atterbury, Ind.

Preparing for a Fitness Test? These Drop Set Workouts Can Help.

Drop sets are relatively advanced types of workouts where the goal is to perform an exercise (on the same muscle group) while...

Students in the U.S. Naval Academy’s annual Summer Seminar program participate in a damage control workshop.

Ask Stew: How to Prepare for Summer Seminar, Attending a Service Academy

The summer before your senior year in high school is as exciting as it is stressful for the young person considering life...

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