Stew Smith Fitness News

Eliminating Macro-Nutrients? Hello Stew -thanks for your service and your continued support of the military, police and their families in fitness and health. I am trying to lose weight and thought I’d try something that would eliminate carbohydrates from my diet for a while? What do you think of that as a weight loss idea?Just as a rule - never eliminate the macro-nutrients your body needs such as protein, carbs, or fat from your diet. There are many diets out there that play around with these critical components of our nutrition. HOWEVER, you can definitely LIMIT them in order to...

It appears that most people are concerned about eating properly, but many need a few tips. I have received several emails about proper dieting habits and what foods are good to eat during the day. Well, I am not a dietitian but one of my co-authors is, and this week's article is almost entirely Lauri Cutlipe's RN, LD, dieting recommendations. In the book Maximum Fitness: The Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Cross-training, Lauri wrote the nutrition chapter. * Eat very S-L-O-W-L-Y and enjoy the flavors. Try to chew your food at least 40 times per mouthful. * Do not ever skip...

  This week an email prompted me to write about one of my favorite and most frequently done exercises in my workouts – the CRUNCH! The question asked was concerning when in your workouts do I like to do abs – in the beginning, after cardio, or in the middle? I have found that I do two types of abs that work very well for me as well as many of the people I train - - I REST WITH CRUNCHES and WARMUP WITH CRUNCHES! Many will say that crunches are in no way a resting exercise, but I disagree....

With the weather turning colder, many emails to me this week discussed running in the cold weather, or alternative exercises you can do in the weight room that will also have a cardiovascular effect. Circuit training is one of the best ways to make a resistance and strength training workout that is also challenging for your heart and lungs. It is also an extremely efficient use of time as you tend to "rest" by doing another exercise.Below you will see several types of circuits that you can do in most weight rooms, hotel weight rooms, or your living room with...

This week my brother-in-law got a check up as he nears his 40th birthday and was alarmed with elevated cholesterol scores. Knowing he is not the healthiest eater and chooses to get his exercise by playing sports (basketball, volleyball, etc), he asked me what he should eat / not eat and do for better exercise. It is important to know and understand your cholesterol scores as well as know the difference between HDL, LDL, and triglycerides as high cholesterol has long been proven to lead to heart disease, the number one killer in the US. As defined by the National...