The Spring / Summer Calisthenics / Run Cycle and the Fall / Winter Lift Cycle Explained:
Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization

Are You Good At ALL of These?
There are many ways to train with even more different training goals to achieve, but when it comes to tactical fitness – training for military, police, and fire fighter professions – getting good at all the elements of fitness is not only the underlying goal, but the requirement. Tactical Fitness requires you to take your fitness seriously because your fitness may one day be the difference between life and death for you, your buddy, or someone you are trying to help. Not only does your health and fitness need to be developed, but your ability to react as you have been trained and think clearly under stress is an absolute must.
Train like your buddy’s life depends on it.
Your workout today must make you better tomorrow in your job. This means not only having a healthy heart, blood pressure, sugar levels, and weight, but your workout must help you with all of the elements of fitness. When we break down the elements of fitness, the tactical athlete needs to develop programming to get good at all of the following:
There are combinations of elements that work well together, and you can improve them together. Some tend to be more opposed to each other
Our Fall / Winter Lift Cycle focuses on developing more Strength, Power, and even Speed and Agility – Lift heavy equipment, gear, and people too with great force and power when needed. Together with running and moving fast, stop on a dime, change direction, hit the deck, get back up and move again, this combo of elements of fitness works great together. If you have ever played or did pre-season training for football or other power sports, you will understand this process well. These elements help to form overall durability and, coupled with flexibility and mobility, enable you to bend but not break – also known as resilience.
There are other useful reasons to lift heavy / gain some mass during the Fall / Winter months - body heat. If you are in cold environments or diving, you will need the extra mass to help you stay warm. The lift cycle typically puts on 10-15 lbs on people - even hard gainers.
Our Spring / Summer PT / Cardio Cycle focuses on Endurance and Muscle Stamina – This combo of elements of fitness work well together and are basically our PST cycles to get TO the training. Whether you are taking your semi-annual PFT, or preparing for a future competitive selection, these cycles come in handy to help you maximize your efforts. Move yourself and gear up, over, under, and through space for long periods of time and repetitions helps you build work capacity that will help you in long days and nights of selection training.
Flexibility and Mobility – Move easily over uneven terrain and in between obstacles. You have to add this in ALL cycles throughout the year. Through warmups, cooldowns, and pure mobility sessions, these elements enhance recovery and performance and help you prevent nagging injuries. Once a week, you will have a day devoted to this located in the middle of the week. You will be surprised at how well the following workouts later in the week improve after adding this day into your training – NO MATTER what your age is.
Grip – Hold gear, climb rope/mountain, grab and carry equipment and people without tiring. Though grip can be classified as an element of fitness, it is a combination of strength/muscle endurance and applies directly to the job skills of the tactical profession. Your ability to climb ropes and obstacles, carry equipment, drag heavy gear or people, and hold firm on necessary tools is where grip comes into play.
Skills – For instance, in some professions, swimming/diving is required. Swim to save a life, to cross a river, meet up with a ship or sub for extraction, and to be effective on 75% of this planet. Climbing, shooting, navigation, medical emergencies, and other tactical knowledge and applications must be learned along your journey in order to put all the elements of fitness into effective use. The better conditioned you are, the easier some of the skills are completed as well as making wise and split decisions under pressure.
More Than a Year Worth of Workouts in This Trio
Both Spring Summer PT Cardio Cycle and the Fall / Winter Lift Cycle are examples of fitness with a purpose and smart ways to train year-round without getting bored of the same routines - year after year. These are advanced workouts. If you want a build-up program, a good option is the new Calisthenics and Cardio complete with a Beginner Build Up, Intermediate Phase, and a Moderately Advanced Phase that totals about 18 weeks of training - minimal equipment necessary.
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There is More To StewSmithFitness.com than You May Know
Dive deeper into the world of Tactical Athlete training and mental toughness by exploring Stew Smith Fitness Programming for the Tactical Athlete online store. Uncover the strategies and techniques used by elite forces to push past physical and mental barriers. Visit StewSmithFitness.com now and equip yourself with the tools for success in many special ops-level selection programs in the military and police world.

Here is a list of what we do at StewSmithFitness.com
Who is Stew Smith? Coach, Trainer, Author, Podcaster
I'm the former Navy SEAL that special ops candidates go to for books, ebooks and online coaching to prepare themselves to get to and through intense tactical assessment and selection programs and qualify for service in their chosen tactical profession. See More at StewSmithFitness.com
Core Mission
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Tactical Fitness Training For the Candidate / Recruit: Specializing in preparing individuals for military, special ops, law enforcement, and firefighter selection programs (getting you "TO and THROUGH" training).
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Functional Training for Both Active Duty / Recruits: Utilizing a seasonal tactical fitness periodization system that balances longer workouts of running/rucking, swimming, and calisthenics during the Spring/Summer when days are longer. Then, the focus shifts in the Fall/Winter to lifting (Cals/cardio maintenance) when the days are shorter/colder. This process has 25 years of proven success building tactical athletes who improve in all areas of fitness: strength, power, speed, agility, endurance, muscle stamina, mobility, flexibility, and grip.

- Becoming an Asset for All Types: Even non-tactical athletes want to be of use in situations that require some level of fitness to get through the day. Be an asset, not a liability, in potentially dangerous situations, whether natural or man-made. Fitness can be a common denominator in successfully enduring life-or-death scenarios.
Specific Programs & Courses
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The Ageless Athlete (Fitness Over 50): A 22-week program designed for beginners to advanced trainees looking to regain fitness, flexibility, and energy.
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Tactical Fitness Over 40: After training people for over 25 years now, many who started with me in the early 2000s are now in their 40s and beyond. Learning how to shift training to remain an asset while also offering longevity, flexibility, and mobility is central to this 52-week program. (4-part series)
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Tactical Fitness Course: An 80-minute course on preparing for Spec Ops selection, getting TO and THROUGH the toughest military special ops’ programs using this two-phase system.

Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization - A 25 Year proven system to become a tactical athlete. What is Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization?
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The Never Quit Mindset Book and Course: The "Never Quit Mindset" book and course are a deep dive into building constructive habits that incrementally improve discipline, build mental toughness, and foster a Never Quit Mindset in anything you want to do.
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Specialized Workout Plans: Specific, tailored programs for Navy SEAL (Phases 1-4), SWCC, Army (SF/Ranger/Airborne), USMC MarSOC / (RECON), Air Force (PJ/CCT), Coast Guard, Law Enforcement (FBI/DEA/FLETC), Fire Fighter, and general fitness too for beginners and advanced athletes alike.

Resources and Content
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Extensive Content Library: Over 1,000 free articles, 200+ podcasts, and social media content (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram) featuring Spec Ops swim critiques and LIVE QA sessions.
- FREE Local Training for those preparing to serve! Check out HeroesofTomorrow.org for our location and schedule.

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NEW SKOOL.com Tactical Fitness Community
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Educational Materials: Over 40 options for eBooks, videos, printed books, podcasts (200+), and online video courses.
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Apps: Pushup Push, Pullup Push, FBI workout, and Navy SEAL exercise apps (iPhone/Android).
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LIVE QA Sessions Each Week: Monday and Tuesday, 9 am EST on social media platforms (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook) and Skool.com Tactical Fitness community.
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Online Coaching: Personalized programming based on specific goals, equipment, and your time availability.
- Membership Site: Access to hundreds of weeks of training, unpublished workouts, and exclusive content, weekly newsletter sent to subscribers with the week's latest articles, videos, and workouts (beginner/intermediate, and advanced special ops prep workouts).
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Extensive Content Library: Over 1,000 free articles, 200+ podcasts, and social media content (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram) featuring Spec Ops swim critiques and LIVE QA sessions.
Discover the Secret to Unlocking Your Best Health After 50 (latest program developed)
As you cross the wonderful milestone of 50, you might find that your body doesn’t quite bounce back the way it used to. You’re not alone in this—many men and women in your age group are searching for ways to revive their fitness levels without feeling overwhelmed. That’s where longtime coach and fitness writer Stew Smith’s newest book, "The Ageless Athlete: Fitness Over 50," comes into play. This book may just be the spark you need to ignite your fitness journey.
Truth is, there are people over 60 and 70 doing this workout. Even the advanced section. It works and will help you progress from beginner to intermediate to advanced.

Remember, as you age, your training needs to adapt.
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Imagine waking up each day with more energy, flexibility, and the drive to embrace life head-on. Stew Smith, a seasoned fitness expert with 56 years of experience, has crafted a program specifically for guys like you—men who may feel overwhelmed by fitness options or unsure what’s suitable for their age. With his 22-week plan tailored to beginners, intermediates, and advanced practitioners, you will find exactly what you need to suit your current fitness level.
Training is What We Do:
Need Programming for Fitness Tests and Beyond? We are all about getting you TO and THROUGH your future training program. See how that works.
New Tactical Fitness Training Course!
Getting TO the training does not guarantee you get THROUGH the training. Learn about the two phases of tactical fitness you need to develop thoroughly before getting to BUDS. Check out the Online Course - Getting TO and THROUGH Special Ops Selection.
Where to Find More Information About Optimal Performance Training Programs
When you start training again, consider the seasonal tactical fitness model. I call it A WAY to train and obviously not the only way to train. But it offers the opportunity to never neglect your weaknesses, improves flexibility and mobility, and puts you at a level of physical ability where you are happy with your overall ability to do just about anything. We have a system where the seasons dictate our training. When it is nicer outside, we tend to run and do more calisthenics. When it is colder and not so nice, we lift more, run less, and still maintain our outdoor activities with shorter runs and rucks. Check it out: Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization System.
Online Coaching Options
Online Coaching is Available with Stew Smith Fitness - Weekly Workouts created personally for you.
New Members' Only Content / Services Program!
If you want access to years' worth of workouts, many of the top eBOOKs, favorite workouts of the week, a free fitness APP, a closed Facebook Group, a video/picture library of exercises, and more access to LIVE Q/A sessions, check out the Stew Smith Fitness Members Section.
The dashboard below has the links to all the information, archives, videos, and links to workouts, podcasts, live Q and A lessons.
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