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

A beginner athlete adds a 10-pound weight to a barbell at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota.

The Best Workout Strategy for Beginners

Consistency means showing up for yourself every day, even just for a quick, 20-minute workout.

U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Tyler Ochs, a company gunnery sergeant with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, performs a bench press during the human health and performance initiative on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

The Most Accurate Ways to Assess Body Fat and Lean Muscle Mass

Many enjoy a fitness "bulking phase" in the winter season.

U.S. Marine Corps Col. Rob Rice, the Officer in Charge of the Marine Corps Training Mission at Al Dhafra Air Base, performs a push-up during “The Murph” challenge on Memorial Day, May 30, 2022. (U.S. Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Grossi)

No One Is 100% Motivated to Work Out Every Day. Here’s How We Still Do It

People who go to the gym are not 100% motivated to train daily, but know they will feel better even after a “bad workout.”

A Royal Marine executes deadlifts during the Fittest Instructor Competition on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.

How to Meet Your Strength and Conditioning Goals in One Fitness Workout

We all need to be strong and have cardio conditioning, and there are many ways to develop both.

Members of the 375th Air Mobility Wing begin a unit fitness competition at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

How to Measure Your Level of Everyday Fitness

Essential health and fitness standards depend on what you need to be capable of doing on a daily basis, but are you prepared...

Retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Kimble Hartwell works out at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in 2017. Hartwell is a veteran of 25-years, enjoys using the rowing machine and recumbent bike 3 days a week because it helps him live an active lifestyle. (U.S. Army/Sgt. Eric Johnson)

Science Says It's Not Too Late to Start Your Fitness Journey Now

It is never too late to start, whether you took a few decades off from exercising after your early 20s or are entirely new to...

Sgt. Thomas Doles, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), preforms a squat as part of a combine training event at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.

The Most Challenging Push Workout for Military Fitness

In the tactical fitness world, we will create a choreography of exercises and movements to embody every pushing activity you...

An explosive ordnance disposal technician assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group (EODGRU) 2 uses a foam roller at the EODGRU 2 STRIKE facility in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

How to Avoid Pain When Using a Foam Roller

There is a line when foam rolling that you do not want to cross: the delicate balance between beneficial pressure and...

The 2 Voices in Your Head: 4 Tips for Controlling Them with a Positive Mindset

We all have that inner voice designed to help us stay alive, avoid discomfort and survive as creatures on Earth.

Students hold a twisted child’s pose during a yin yoga class at the McGuire Fitness Center, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.

The Importance of Including Flexibility and Mobility Training in Your Fitness Plan

If you need to work on flexibility in your muscles and mobility of your joints, these life-changing workouts can help.

Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Jeffrey Rock swims the Navy physical readiness test at Florida Keys Community College pool at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida.

The Best Swim Strokes Worth Learning for Military Fitness Tests

Many non-swimming athletes struggle to pass military swimming tests, but after practicing techniques, pool skills and...

3 Helpful Tips When You Don't Have Energy to Exercise

Fueling with the right food (not caffeine) and sleeping better should make you more productive, but they alone won’t be...

A paratrooper in the 173rd Airborne Brigade participates in Soldier Performance Education for Advanced Readiness and Resilience (SPEAR) training in Grafenwoehr, Germany.

The Best Workout to Improve Your Leg Strength and Cardio Fitness

Studies show that leg strength and heart and lung efficiency are the keys to staying mobile, doing things outside of the...

Master Sgt. Dante Brooks, 8th Operations Support Squadron host aviation resource management superintendent, leads a spin class at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea.

The Bike Pyramid Workout You Should Be Doing

If you are looking for challenging, non-impact cardio workouts, you can find many on stationary bikes, elliptical machines...

The fourth week of training is known as Hell Week. In this grueling five-and-a-half day stretch, each candidate sleeps only about four total hours but runs more than 200 miles and does physical training for more than 20 hours per day. (U.S. Navy/Petty Officer 1st Class Abe McNatt)

Embrace Failure as Your Greatest Teacher in the Journey to Special Ops

If you have the right mindset, failures and setbacks are valuable learning experiences. They teach us to embrace shortcomings...

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