Stew Smith Fitness News — calisthenics

Weird Names But Fun and Effective Challenges(Push Perceived LImits / Even Tap Into Mental Toughness) One thing these type of workouts do is make you dig deep and ask yourself, how bad do you want to finish this 10 minute test? Expand them to 15 or 20 minutes and you are taking this challenge to the next level. Check out these three fun challenges that sound much tougher than they are.  Anytime someone names a workout and uses the word "death" in it, it has a way of turning people off for some reason. (?) In reality the three rather...

The Covid Weight Gain is Real - Time to Get Outside and Burn It Off!  This past year has been nuts on everybody. Changes to the schedule that usually kept us more active occurred and many of us lost events that would normally motivate us to train / lose weight for things like class reunions, graduations, weddings, sporting / racing events have all disappeared. This year required more self-discipline than ever before as it was easy to stay home and avoid doing our normal routines. The physiological and psychological stresses on us are obvious and one of the first signs...

What Your Question About How to Prepare Actually Depends Upon...    You may have read or heard my reply to others (or yourself) when you ask a question such as, "How should I start training for ___________?" My answer really depends on SO MANY factors that answering this question by email, text, or even in person does not give it justice. There are a few things you need to realize when you start the journey to prepare for any job that requires elevated levels of fitness such as any of the Special Ops programs in our military as well as...

NEW Weekly Article Series:  Weight Vest Wednesday! I have found 2020 has caused me to get more creative with workouts.  Sometimes calisthenics at high volume is not the answer.  Adding weight to many of the same calisthenics can help you reduce volume and build more strength. With tools like a weight vest, sand bag, pullup bar, stairs, and a TRX, you can have all the components you need for a versatile home gym. Here is one of our most recent Weight Vest Wednesday Workouts: Here is a workout I like to do with the Raptor vest and a sled.  I...

I was honored to get a phone call from Pavel Tsatsouline the other day and after an hour of conversing about each others training methods, we agreed to write an article on each other's websites. If you are not familiar with Pavel, check out his website StrongFirst.com as well as several published books and countless videos on Youtube discussing movements and the science behind his training methods. He uses a diverse number of activities to train others as well as maintain an advanced level of strength, cardio fitness, flexibility, and mobility.  From calisthenics, kettlebells, Olympic / power lifts, and more,...