Stew Smith Fitness News

Tactical Groundhog Week = Assessment Week When going from the Winter Lift Cycle when you focused more on strength / power / speed / agility, you should assess yourself as the time toward Spring gets closer and closer. Your scores may justify another 3:1 cycle of lifting depending where your strengths and weaknesses are after such a week of testing.  Here is what we are doing prior to making the switch to Spring / Summer Cals / Cardio / Running Progression Cycle: Day 1:  Your Fitness Test - For instance, the PST / IFT Test (500yd or 500m swim, pullups, pushups,...

Winter Bulking Season is Over!  Time to Make a Change Spring is just around the corner and if you purposely went on a Winter Lift Cycle and added some needed mass or by "accident" you picked up some extra weight being less active than normal, it is time.  Time for a change of pace. Every year for the past 23 years, our Winter lift cycle and blossomed into a Spring Training Cycle where we shift from heavier weights and less running to more calisthenics / less weights, and a running progression that peaks in the late Summer / Early Fall. ...

3 Weeks Cals / Cardio Focus with 1 Week Strength(deload from running miles - high reps) Focus New Spring Training Version of the 3:1 Block Periodization System similar to the Increase Strength and Crush the PST / IFT Winter Lift Cycle just completely opposite.  This Spring Summer Training program has a 3 week cycle of progressively more difficult Calisthenics and Cardio focusing on muscle stamina and endurance (PST plus Longer Timed run, rucks, swim) with a 1 week strength / running / high repetition deload.  This program is four cycles of these 4 week (3:1) progressive sets for a total...

Wanting To Be Something and Working Tirelessly To Achieve It Are On Opposites Sides of the Goal Achievement Spectrum Wanting it is NOT ENOUGH. It is a good place to start...but there is so much more ahead of you no matter what the goal you have for yourself.  You can apply this to any goal you "want" to achieve, but the journey to become a member of any special ops unit is going to be a long, dark, and cold road that takes you to places in your own head to test how bad you really want it.  Failing, Quitting,...

Do You Need Help with Your Kick and Glide?  Most Non-Swimming / Land Athletes Do... KICK AND GLIDE- You cannot have a good glide without a strong kick and you cannot utilize an effective kick without a good streamlined body position (good glide). The kick and glide and essential to you creating a fast/efficient CSS.  I prefer a scissor kick, and most land athletes who do not have well-developed breaststroke/frog kick muscles typically do as well.  The kick is your preference as well. You can do a scissor kick with the top leg moving forward during the kick on either side,...