Stew Smith Fitness News
End of Summer Assessments and Next Cycle Training Options
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Get Ready to Level Up Your Training with Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization! Training With the Seasons - Get Used to It If Your Job is Outdoors By the end of the summer, the calisthenics and cardio programming take their toll on you. High reps and high mileage is not easy to maintain for much longer periods of time. This is why we start to make a change. Many are mentally ready to transition into more lifting, but are they physically ready to move on? We assess after each season and will continue for an extra 3-4 weeks before transitioning to a new training phase or moving...
The Dilemma: Pushing Through a Workout When Fatigued or Taking a Recovery Day
The Dilemma: Pushing Through a Workout When Fatigued or Taking a Recovery Day Like most people who like to train hard for challenging competitions or selection programs, one thing that maybe holding you back is pushing too hard when pulling back may be the answer. Quick answer - I usually let my 15-20 minute warmup be the assessment to how the rest of the workout goes. If you feel good after the warmup, give it a go. If the warmup did not work, consider pulling back on time, intensity, and overall effort. Maybe move the mobility day to this day or...
Defining and Becoming Fatigue Resistant - A Discussion with Jeff Nichols
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Fatigue Resistance - What is it and How do we Build it? Stew Smith and Jeff Nichols discuss (TFR 240) what being fatigue resistant is and how to build it. Check out the wide spectrum of ways to build it and how to feed it throughout all the phases of tactical fitness and special ops selection prep. What is Fatigue Resistance?Defined by the Google Machine - "Fatigue resistance is the body's ability to resist developing fatigue. It's related to factors that can improve endurance in specific situations, such as stress due to heat, metabolism, and cardiovascular demand. Fatigue resistance is genetically linked...
CSS Help Series: Quick Fix to Crushing the Swim
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Spec Ops Swimming Tests: Learning the CSS to get TO and THROUGH Spec Ops Selection The RULES: First, the 500yd Navy Physical Screening Test (PST) allows for the elementary side stroke, the breaststroke, or the modified side stroke nick-named the Combat Swimmer Stroke. The general theme is that these strokes must be "underwater recovery strokes." However, beyond the PST (getting accepted into training) will require the addition of swimming and SCUBA diving with fins mostly in open water. 99% of your swimming will be done in fins once you are accepted into the training. So, if you choose to use breaststroke as your PST stroke, you will also need to learn...
CSS Help: To Flutter-kick or Not During the Glide of the CSS (without fins)
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To Add the Flutter-kicks to the CSS or Not? Opinion - Yes with fins - No without fins. See recent critique show testing the flutter-kick option in a swimming athlete who is great at flutter-kicking. Teaching the CSS For many years, I have been learning how to best coach the Combat Swimmer Stroke (CSS) mainly to non-swimming athletes. Those who need to master this stroke are primarily those preparing for a career in any military special ops programs involving diving or combat swimming. I have always taught doing the CSS without extra flutter-kicks for a reason - it is a waste of energy that may...