Stew Smith Fitness News

Goal Accomplishment is All About One Bite at a Time, Baby Steps, Sub-Goals...Shortening the Tunnel PC - D.McBurnett @mcteams3842 A recent question about Hell Week prompted an answer I have never used before, as the question required some thoughtful introspection. The questions were "What is Hell Week like on Monday (Day 1) - What is your mindset when you have until Friday to keep doing the things you have been doing since midnight that day?" My response: "On Monday, you are already tired, and the light at the end of the tunnel is not visible. It is a dark tunnel. But you...

To Add the Breaststroke Pullout to the CSS or Take It Out? It Depends...  For many years, I have been learning how to best coach the Combat Swimmer Stroke (CSS) to non-swimming athletes, primarily those preparing for a career in any military special ops programs involving diving or combat swimming. I have always taught the breaststroke pullout as a way to kick off the wall; however, many candidates have difficulty adding it to the 500-yard swim test of the Navy PST (SEAL, SWCC, EOD/Diver, SARC). I am now teaching to do the Navy PST WITHOUT the pullout as an option if you...

Where Many Spec Ops Candidates Fail to Go Before I go down this rabbit hole, I will explain where I heard this comment. An older candidate gave his opinion to a younger candidate when asked, "How are you crushing everything like you do?" The new guy is still in his teens, played sports in high school, and is preparing for the Navy SEAL program. The "older guy" is 23 years old, spent his high school years playing multiple sports, and continued wrestling through college. During the off-season, he practiced swimming, treading, and getting comfortable in the water. My involvement with the...

Coaching the CSS The Combat Side Stroke (CSS) has evolved from the side stroke to the modified side stroke. It is still an underwater recovery stroke, which is the Navy Physical Screening Test rule used to screen potential recruits for SEAL, SWCC, EOD/Diver, and Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman (SARC). The CSS has some more efficient features.  Recently, a swimming coach joined a coaching session with me, teaching about 20 members of the Navy how to learn the stroke. Yes, there is a difference between the CSS and elementary side stroke (see both side by side). Some of the coaching cues...

Trust the Process...But Verify / Assess Regularly  If you plan to challenge yourself by attending any Special Ops program selection course, you likely are training hard just to get accepted into the training. If you are wise, you are focusing on the both phases of tactical training (getting to and THROUGH the training), then you likely have been on this journey for quite some time. Here are some questions:Do you trust your efforts each day? Consistency? Sleep? Nutrition? Did you push your perceived limits? Intensity? Do you see the results toward your goal / timeline?  Are you patient and trusting the process? ...