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

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...

A silhouette of an airman running on the beach at sunrise.

From Lifespan to ‘Health-span’: Use the New Year to Focus on Both Health and Fitness

Instead of thinking simply about living longer, let’s use the start of a new year to focus on getting healthier, so we live...

Service members in the desert, wearing PT uniforms, take off running.

Run, Ruck or Swim: 3 Cardio-Enhancing Workouts

If you are preparing for military service that involves intense physical training, you will want to be a cardio machine. Here...

Closeup of a weightlifter's hand while performing a bench press.

Applying the Stoic Cardinal Virtues for Both Optimal Performance and Longevity

The philosophy of Stoicism, originating in Greece and refined in Rome, offers a timeless framework for living well.

Ask Stew: How to Make Time to Work Out

By rethinking how you approach physical activity and embracing creative ways to fit fitness into your routine, you can build...

Marine lifts a 30-pound ammunitions can during his combat fitness test.

Marine Corps Combat Fitness Test (CFT)

The Marines' combat fitness test, taken every six months, is intended to keep Marines ready for the physical rigors of...

Four military members in workout gear do events of the Murph on a ship's deck.

A New Way to Make the Murph Workout More Difficult

If you want to succeed with the Murph, you may want to start your preparation several months before Memorial Day. Typically...

Two service members jog with backpacks of toys.

Ask Stew: Is Rucking with a Weight Vest the Same as with a Backpack?

Weight vest rucking will help you develop strength in your upper back, core and legs for when you start training with a...

A paratrooper assigned to the Division Artillery Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, participates in the Strongest All American weightlifting competition, part of All American Week 2025 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, May 20, 2025. (Pfc. Jadyn Merritt/Army)

Keep Up with Calisthenics and Cardio During Lift Cycles: Here’s How

By cycling through training phases and carefully coordinating the daily structure, you ensure that gains in strength and...

An airman faces the camera and performs a curl.

Ask Stew: Workout Adjustments for an Arm Injury

I broke my arm a few days ago. What advice do you have to not go crazy with this cast on my arm? Any variations of workouts...

Never Skip Leg Day: It's the Foundation of Strength and Longevity

Here is an advanced leg day, but each section is completely scalable for any level of fitness.

Men silhouetted watch the sunrise on Omaha Beach.

Starting at Sunrise, an All-Day Routine for Better Sleep and Better Performance

You may not realize this, but your bedtime routine starts up to 12 hours before you go to sleep.

Two runners side by side on a track at night.

Track and Swim Workout with Upper Body PT Test Combo

Adding calisthenics between sets of speed and goal-pace running and swimming can be an effective way to combine muscle...

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Most Popular Military News

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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Air Force veteran Jason Morgan is pictured on a mission in Northern Ecuador, a week before he sustained life-changing injuries. (Jason Morgan)

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Colin Jost dressed as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at a mock press briefing during a Saturday Night Live sketch. Credit: NBCUniversal / Saturday Night Live

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Army Capt. Jeremy Kuykendall and his wife Kate, cradle their daughter

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Army News

The M111 Offensive Hand Grenade, left, and its training variant, the M112, right. The Army cleared the M111 for full material release March 10, the first new lethal hand grenade to enter service since 1968. (U.S. Army Photo)

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Maj. Alan Johnson was presented the Purple Heart on May 2, 2020, for his injuries sustained during the theater ballistic missile attacks at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, on January 8, 2020. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Morgan Maidl)

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A life-changing injury and having to raise three kids alone made Jason Morgan more resolute in the long run.

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