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 1st Class Daniella Peña-Pavao)

The Endurance and Strength Training Performance Challenge

Even the best athletes in the endurance and strength worlds tend to excel in one area and perform poorly in the other.

U.S. Navy SEAL candidates run with inflatable boats on their heads during the 'Hell Week' crucible of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training on Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, California.

How to Boost Your Strength and Size for Special Operations Training

Preparing for any special operations selection involves making sure you have no weaknesses and have properly developed your...

1st Lt. Lindsey Boughter, a public affairs officer with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and a state powerlifting record-holder, demonstrates proper deadlifting techniques to Staff Sgt. Zane Craig.

Target the Key Areas of Tactical Fitness With This Challenging Workout

This is not a normal strength plan, as tactical athletes are not your normal athletes.

7 Ideas for the Fitness Lover on Your Holiday Gift List

There are gifts for everyone interested in bodybuilding, military-style training yoga or more calisthenics-based training.

On Thanksgiving Day 2011, leaders of the 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry (2-135 Inf.) serve the troops of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division "Red Bulls" on Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

5 Tips for a Guilt-Free Thanksgiving Feast

If you are considering making Thanksgiving your "cheat day" and combining eating a masterfully prepared meal with sitting...

A senior airman performs one-arm dumbbell rows in the Predator Fitness Center at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.

This Workout Will Help You Ramp Up Your Tactical Fitness

“Good at everything” is the basic training dogma of those working to become a completely well-rounded athlete.

Basic crewman training candidates tread water in a pool while waiting for instructions during their first physical screening test at Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado in California.

Struggling with a Military Fitness Test? Here’s How to Find Another Way Forward

Whatever the challenge, look for another way to get there if something does not work for you and you fail to meet the...

These foods, which represent the various aspects of the food pyramid, serve as examples of the numerous options available as a good fuel source for the body.

3 Crucial Factors in Fitness Training and Recovery

It is no secret that nutrition and sleep are the two most important tools to perform optimally and recover from daily...

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. K.K. Chinn, the commanding general of U.S. Army South, participates in the CEO Caucus Challenge Cancer Awareness Ride in Belmopan, Belize.

How to Continue Training Your Legs When They Are Too Sore

The buildup of a running cycle can require a little pullback. I like to call these weeks a "de-load week."

A sailor performs the swimming portion of the physical screening test for the Hospital Corpsman Advanced Technical Field school.

How Focusing on Technique Can Make You a Smarter, Faster Swimmer

Getting across the pool on pure guts alone, though, is no way to improve your swimming ability. In fact, learning proper...

Why Military Decision-Making Is So Important in Both Training and Fitness

Whether you are making strategic decisions or following tactical decisions, getting good at decision-making is, in essence...

BUD/S students participate in night gear exchange training.

An 'Old Guy' Prepares for BUD/S

Stew Smith, a Navy SEAL veteran and Military.com's tactical fitness expert, gives the lowdown on age limits for applying to...

Attendees of Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego's Educators Workshop run on a track during a mock combat fitness test.

This Track Workout Will Do More Than Just Make You Faster

If you are looking for a break from resistance training and need to work on your running speed, pacing and overall endurance...

U.S. Army Sgt. Brandon Green and Spc. Fiona MacReynolds perform the 2-mile run exercise of the Army Combat Fitness Test at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania.

How to Pace Yourself for Military Fitness Tests

When military members and others in the tactical professions first take fitness tests, they tend to forgo pacing and put 100%...

Paul Boyce, 60th Force Support Squadron, prepares salads at the Sierra Inn Dining Facility at Travis Air Force Base, California. (U.S. Air Force/Louis Briscese)

Everything You Need to Know About Food Categories for Healthy Eating

All foods can be categorized into the following categories: Unprocessed or minimally processed foods, processed culinary...

Military News

Get the Military Insider Newsletter

Get the latest on pay updates, benefit changes and award-winning military content. Right in your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice.

Thank you for subscribing!

View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page.

One last step.

Verify your free subscription by following the instructions in the email sent to:

Most Popular Military News

Cavalry Soldiers at Fort Carson Can't See Doctors in the Early Morning Under New Rules

An armor officer at Fort Carson, Colorado, this week issued a new set of policies to his formation effectively banning...

Senior Airman Sean Ryan Stevenson poses in front of an airplane

'Broken and Alone': Father Pens Scathing Letter to Top Brass After Losing Airman Son to Suicide

A grieving father who lost his son -- an airman at Cannon Air Force Base -- to suicide this month has written an open letter...

physical training uniform prototype at Marine Corps University

The Marine Corps Tried to Redesign Its Physical Training Uniform. After 3 Years, It's Abandoning the Project.

The Marine Corps has ended a plan to revamp its physical fitness uniform, according to the service. The initiative lasted...

Another High-Profile Firing at West Point, This Time Due to Criminal Sexual Conduct Allegations

A senior civilian staffer at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point has been fired after being arrested on a felony charge...

U.S. Army nurses pose for an undated photo during the Spanish-American War.

How Four Nuns Became the First Native American Women to Serve in the US Military

Today, American Indians and Alaska Natives serve in the Armed Forces at five times the national average — with the women...

Ruth Munder, a released Israeli hostage, walks with an Israeli soldier shortly after her arrival in Israel

Freed Israeli Hostage Describes Deteriorating Conditions While Being Held by Hamas

An Israeli hostage freed by Hamas has said in an interview that she was initially fed well in captivity until conditions...

Latest Military Videos

Gaza Truce Extended and More Hostages to Be Released, AP Explains

The Associated Press' Correspondent in Jerusalem Sam Mednick explains the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, which was due to...

US Navy Removes Fuel From Plane in Hawaii Bay

The U.S. Navy said Monday that it has removed nearly all of the fuel from a large plane that...

White House Hails Extension of Truce Between Israel and Hamas

The White House on Monday hailed the extension of the Israel-Hamas truce for another two days, which will result...

Buildings in City in Northern Gaza Strip Bear Horrific Scars of Intensity of Israel's Offensive

Almost every building in Beit Hanoun has been left destroyed by the intensity of the latest war between Israel...

Investigations and Features

What the Pentagon Has, Hasn't and Could Do to Stop Veterans and Troops from Joining Extremist Groups

The military and its transition programs have largely failed to provide what experts say is necessary to steer troops and...

Poisoned Water: How a Navy Ship Dumped Fuel and Sickened Its Own Crew

A years-long investigation reveals that the Boxer unintentionally compromised its own water supply in 2016.

Army News

Reconnaissance training for Special Forces soldiers

How to Add Extra Training to Prepare for Army Special Forces

Army or Marine Corps boot camps already do a great job preparing you for special operations programs, but additional training...

How Four Nuns Became the First Native American Women to Serve in the US Military

Today, American Indians and Alaska Natives serve in the Armed Forces at five times the national average — with the women...

Navy News

Joint Task Force-Red Hill (JTF-RH) communications directorate personnel climb a ladder

Red Hill Working Group's Final Report Calls for Aquifer Remediation

The Red Hill Water Alliance Initiative—or WAI—unveiled its final report, which calls for aquifer remediation and an...

USS Carney (DDG 64) combat systems coordinator console in the combat information center

US Navy Warship Shoots Down a Drone Launched by Houthis from Yemen

U.S. Central Command said the USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, downed the drone — an Iranian-made KAS-04 — which was launched...

Air Force News

debris believed to be from a U.S. military Osprey aircraft is seen off the coast of Yakushima Island

Rescue Efforts Underway for 8 Crew Members Aboard Air Force Osprey That Crashed in Japan

Search-and-rescue operations are underway for the crew of an Air Force Osprey that crashed off the coast of a Japanese island...

'Broken and Alone': Father Pens Scathing Letter to Top Brass After Losing Airman Son to Suicide

A grieving father who lost his son -- an airman at Cannon Air Force Base -- to suicide this month has written an open letter...

Space Force News

Space Force Reports 2 Suicides This Year, Marking the First in the Service's Short History

Until this year, the relatively tiny and new Space Force had been an outlier among the other services as they have struggled...

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., speaks to reporters in the Capitol building on Sept. 21, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

Tommy Tuberville Is Just the Face of a 'Broken' Confirmation Process, Critics Say

Anger over Sen. Tommy Tuberville's blockade of high-ranking military promotions may have hit a boiling point as a handful of...

Marine Corps News

U.S. Marine recruits stand in line to do pullups

A Marine Recruiter's 'Grooming' of a Teenage Recruit Led to an Investigation. The Family Says He's Still Terrorizing Them.

Thirty-six-year-old Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Champagne is now under investigation by military authorities after self...