Stew Smith Fitness News — pft

This week I received an email from a soldier who writes:Every time I take the PFT, I ace the PT part but my run is much worse than if I ran first. Does the PT take that much out of me that I cannot run my normal pace had I not done the PT first?As with any test, you have to learn how to take tests to score better. There are entire schools and curricula devoted to helping students pass the SAT, ACT and even the ASVAB. The schools are not so much devoted to teaching subjects, but showing students...

PFT Anxiety - How to Relax and Crush the PFT Anxiety is prevalent in our world. It occurs at home, work, social situations, playing sports, and test-taking. Academic testing anxiety is very similar to physical test-taking anxiety. Before taking a chemistry test at the Naval Academy, I felt the same when I took the Navy SEAL PST. Those symptoms were: headaches, nausea, (butterflies) feeling too hot or too cold, etc. The adrenaline flows through your body before any of these events and can adversely affect your performance. What the Romans Say About AnxietyThis is nothing new - as humans, we have been...

This 15 day plan was written for a military member who had two weeks to pass his fitness test of 1.5 mile run, pushups, and situps. It is not designed for those members who have not exercised in months, but for those who just need an extra push to surpass the minimums. You could also use this routine to help you hit the maximum standards if you are hitting a plateau in your testing for the Most Common PFT. Knowing that this test is the most common fitness test in the military and law enforcement, I thought I would post...

This week I received an email that brought back a few old memories of Army Airborne training in Fort Benning , GA. This young soldier wishes to become an Army Ranger and wants to know what he needs to do to prepare each step of the way.If anyone is preparing to become a member of any Special Operations Group (Army SF, Rangers, Navy SEALs, Marine RECON, Air Force PJs, EOD units, and others) they all must graduate from the Army Basic Airborne Course (BAC) in Fort Benning. Not only is it a prerequisite for Special Ops, but it has become...

I have received many emails this week concerning past injuries of Military.com and StewSmith.com readers. According to Navy Bureau of Medicine, the top three sport injury surgeries done on its members are:- Shoulders - Knees - Lower Back For the next three weeks I will focus on exercises to help strengthen these areas in case you are suffering from previous injuries. For those healthy StewSmith.com readers, the exercises discussed in the next three weeks will also help you PREVENT hurting yourself with these most common of injuries.This week my focus is on the number one most injured joint in our...