Stew Smith Fitness News

Building Endurance and Muscle Stamina: Running and Leg Calisthenics for Better Performance  Running Hills is Another Great Way to Work the Lungs and Legs When it comes to improving fitness, few things can rival the transformative power of running and targeted leg exercises. Yet, despite their importance, lower-body workouts are often undervalued or skipped entirely by even the most dedicated athletes. Strengthening your legs not only enhances your running performance but also improves your body's overall stability, boosts calorie burn, and increases muscle stamina. However, many individuals face challenges with traditional leg exercises due to knee or lower back injuries....

This week, a female Army soldier asked me about the week prior to taking the Army Fitness Test (AFT): On Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade Women’s Mentorship Group put on an Army Combat Fitness Test team-building event to boost deadlift and leg tuck scores on April 14, 2021. (S. Sangster/U.S. Army) Stew, "What is it that you recommend doing 7-10 days out from your AFT? Is it similar to preparing for a marathon and tapering a few weeks before it? I have a few questions about adjusting my workouts in preparation for the fitness test. My current...

 Thanks for Choosing to Serve!Now, Are You Ready? Throughout the decades of writing about military fitness, I have observed recruitment ebb and flow in response to various situations. Before 2000, the economy was booming and a military down sizing caused a tightening in recruitment. After 9-11, 2001, people wanted to serve at above-average rates as a call of patriotism and to defend against future attacks. When the economy suffers and unemployment is high, recruitment tends to increase. When the economy is strong, recruitment tends to decrease. A 20-year war did not help recruitment (final 10 years). COVID hurt recruitment. The...

What Training Program is Right for Me? (Book, eBook, Online Coaching?) This is a very common question and the answer is always - "IT DEPENDS." It depends on your scores compared to other successful students.  See the Assessment Tool to Make it To and Through Selection and see where you stack up with all the elements of fitness - not just a PST score.  Assess your weaknesses, as they will likely be exposed during your first PST and especially during your first day of selection.  Typical Transitions of Weaknesses That Must Occur Special Ops Selection is specifically designed to expose weaknesses, and...

  Typical Errors and Corrections with the Combat Swimmer Stroke   1 – Kick off the wall – Kick off hard like you are trying to jump and grab the rim of a basketball hoop – just horizontally in this case. Stay streamlined with hands interlocked and biceps on your ears.  Hold the glide off the wall for about 4-5 seconds, add in a double arm pull, kick and recover your arms over the head – hold that glide for a few seconds.  THEN start your stroke (top arm pull…See #8 for full sequence)       ~ search “breast stroke pullout” for...