Stew Smith Fitness News — special ops training

Here is a question I get often concerning the way a person prepares for Special Ops type training programs for both military and law enforcement SWAT teams. My answer is usually, “It depends - Not only on the training you seek, but your athletic history / background.” Here is his question and my lengthy answer that takes many of the body types and foundation of fitness issues that arise when people start a training plan for Spec Ops.Stew I'm going to guess you've already answered this question somewhere, so forgive my redundancy. I'm 27 and looking to get into the...

First of all - if you are not in the military - do not even worry about this yet. You have to be in the military and have served for 4-5 years with stellar service record. So until you have that...keep the dream alive but focus on the acing the basics first.“Delta Force”, officially known as 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D), is one of the United State’s special missions units primarily focused on the counter- terrorism mission. SFOD - Delta has been through a few name changes over the years. Though it will likely always be known as...

Swimming with Fins - We Do This On Leg Days (Get Used to It)              This week, I received a frequently asked question about swimming with fins. Swimming with fins during rigorous military training like BUD/S, Coast Guard HRSS, Air Force SpecWar, RECON/ MarSOC Training, Army Ranger / SF training, or many law enforcement SWAT programs is required in open water tests. Also, see our YouTube, Instagram Reels, and Tiktok for more info see the CSS to learn more about the technique of the combat swimmer stroke, Lead Arm - Trail Arm, and other swim...

Stew Smith is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, a former Navy SEAL Lieutenant, and author of several fitness and self defense books such asThe Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Fitness, Maximum Fitness, The Special Ops Workouts, and SWAT Fitness. Certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and as military fitness trainer, Stew has trained thousands of students for Navy SEAL, Special Forces, SWAT, FBI, ERT and many other law enforcement professions. Stew has written more than 400 articles and 40 eBooks sold at both Military.com and StewSmith.com.  He is a consultant and...

Stew's Top Ten TRX Exercises Video(click) An email from a Fire Fighter instructor looking for advice on creating a fitness maintenance plan and fitness building program for his major city fire fighters prompted an answer that was diverse in its ability yet cost effective.  He writes, “I think your recent publications of Fire Fighter Workout and Public Safety Diver training cross over very well. The problem on our job is the level of fitness varies dramatically from 22 year old probationary fire fighters just out of the military to 60+ year old guys that don’t exercise and are in terrible...