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

Navy special operations candidates do pushups.

Ask Stew: Does ‘Well Rested -- Well Tested’ Apply to Military PT Tests?

This short saying should be a mantra for any testing you do in the future to achieve the best results.

Airmen run toward the camera in the dark.

Struggling to Start? This ‘ACTION’ Plan Helps Turn Ideas and Goals Into Reality

Here is how I like to break down action, with the ACTION acronym helping to solidify those steps into a practical strategy.

Advanced Upper-Body ‘Push’ Workout With Running

Here is a favorite “push” day workout with running we do for our special ops candidates.

Ask Stew: Should I Take a Scuba Course Before Military Dive School?

Does getting scuba qualified before military dive school training help?

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...

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Most Popular Military News

New recruits take the oath of enlistment at the Advocate Center for the Eleventh Annual Chicago Bulls Special Recruit Division Enlistment Ceremony in Chicago. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Camilo Fernan)

Could the US Bring Back the Draft? Who Would Be Called First — and Who Qualifies

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Bonnie Carroll, founder of TAPS, hugging a survivor (Photo courtesy of TAPS).

After the Knock on the Door: How TAPS Supports Military Families for Life

After a service member dies, families face a lifetime of grief. TAPS founder Bonnie Carroll explains how the organization...

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Latest Military Videos

Gabbard Deflects When Asked About Intelligence She'd Offered Trump

Gabbard deflects when asked on Capitol Hill about intelligence she'd offered Trump before Iran war.

Satellite Images Show Damage to UAE Air Base

Satellite images show damage to UAE air base.

Israel's Defense Minister Says Israeli Military Has Killed Iranian Intelligence Minister

Israel's Defense Minister says the Israeli military has killed Iranian Intelligence Minister.

Muskets Crack as Boston Marks 250 Years Since British Evacuation

Muskets crack, drums echo as Boston marks 250 years since British evacuation.

Investigations and Features

In One of the Marines' Most Iconic Jobs, a Stunning Pattern of Suicide

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

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U.S. military service members stand as they take the Oath of Allegiance during a naturalization ceremony in Seattle, Aug. 2, 2023. The members received their naturalization certificates from Adm. Charles Fosse, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard's 13th District. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Annika Hirschler)

Serving the US Doesn’t Guarantee Citizenship. Some Veterans Still Face Deportation

Immigrants have long served in the U.S. military, expecting a path to citizenship. But recent cases show some veterans still...

Navy News

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to members of the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Thursday, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Hegseth Signals Massive Iran Strike as War Escalates

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From left to right are the Four Branches Bourbon founders RJ Casey (Special Forces) , Mike Trott (Air Force) , Rick Franco (Marine Corp) and Harold Underdown (Navy). (Four Branches Bourbon)

'Sip to Remember': How Four Veterans Blend Bourbon With Military Sacrifice

Rick Franco and his old service buddies are changing the narrative on how bourbon brings veteran and first responder...

Air Force News

U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Keith Scott, 19th Air Force command chief, left, and U.S. Air Force Capt. Samuel Galbreath, 314th Fighter Group pilot, step to their jet prior to a sortie on Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, Dec. 16, 2025. Scott flew as a passenger in an F-16 Fighting Falcon with Galbreath to get firsthand experience with the 49th Wing’s F-16 formal training mission. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Ryan Witkop)

New Details on Fatal Shooting at Air Force Base: Deceased was Military Veteran

Holloman Air Force Base officials said the situation has been resolved, posing no new threats.

'Sip to Remember': How Four Veterans Blend Bourbon With Military Sacrifice

Rick Franco and his old service buddies are changing the narrative on how bourbon brings veteran and first responder...

Space Force News

How Nuclear Waste Can Save Military Satellites and Lunar Exploration

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After the Knock on the Door: How TAPS Supports Military Families for Life

After a service member dies, families face a lifetime of grief. TAPS founder Bonnie Carroll explains how the organization...

Marine Corps News

'Sip to Remember': How Four Veterans Blend Bourbon With Military Sacrifice

Rick Franco and his old service buddies are changing the narrative on how bourbon brings veteran and first responder...

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A “one in a million” malfunction during a live fire demonstration over Camp Pendleton last October led to a misfire that...

Coast Guard News

2 Tugboat Crew Members Killed in 'Confined Space Incident' on Barge, Coast Guard Says

Two crew members of a tugboat were killed and two others were injured in what the Coast Guard described as a “confined space...

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GOP Senators Approve Coast Guard Commander Promotion Despite Whistleblower Retaliation

A Coast Guard commander was found in 2018 to have violated the Military Whistleblower Protection Act but may still get a...

Stew Smith, CSCS®

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