Stew Smith Fitness News

How many of you have taken a physical fitness test (PFT) and did not score as well as you have in the past during your own workouts? Often by the end of a PFT, you will be fatigued and the last cardio test will be slower than normal workouts scores. Here is an email I received that I think we all can relate to:Hey Stew - I normally run a 9 minute zone 1.5 mile, but after pull-ups, pushups, and sit-ups testing portion, I can only get 10 minutes on the 1.5 mile run. What gives? This is very common....

        In the above workouts the following different exercises were tested:Height / Weight standardsbody fat standardsFlexibility - Toe TouchPushups, situps, pullups500 yard swims1.5 mile, 2 mile, 3 mile, 5 mile runsFlutterkicks25m-50m underwater swim120 yard shuttlerun300m run Bench press Bike testAgility test Rope climbsVertical jumpObstacle CoursesWork capacity (pack test)Stair step testThe best way to develop your own PFT is to pick one to three upper body exercises, a lower body exercise and one or two cardiovascular exercises. For instance, in the Navy SEALs, we had to take every six months:Pushups, situps, pullups test800m swim3 mile runIf you have...

The most common fitness test used is one you can find in a majority of the military branches, Allied militaries, and most law enforcement departments. The World's Most Common Physical Fitness Test (PFT) is pushups, situps, sit and reach, and 1.5 mile run.Here is just a few of the groups who use this test as not only an entrance test to be hired but also a maintenance test performed every six months in order to remain employed:Navy - Pushups 2:00, SItups, 2:00, 1.5 mile runAir Force - Pushups 1:00, Situps 1:00, 1.5 mile runArmy - Pushups 2:00, Situps 2:00, 2...

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...