Stew Smith Fitness News

The CSS - Combat Swimmer Stroke Typical Issues and Easy Fixes There are many ways to do the 500yd Swim part of the Navy Physical Screening Test (PST) - some work well - some methods requires too much effort. But the strokes you can use are the breast stroke, side stroke, and the modified side stroke which has been nicknamed the CSS over the years. You have to remember the swim is the first step of the Navy BUDS, SWCC, EOD, Diver PST. There will be pushups, situps, and pullups followed by a 1.5 mile run after the 500yd swim.  If...

 The Industrial Athlete - Manual Labor Jobs Require Special Attention As with anything we do, we start to get good at certain habits we create throughout our lives, but there may be a time when your body starts to outgrow those habits.  Yes - in other words - if all goes well, you will be older on this Earth longer than you will be younger. And many of the things we did in our teens and twenties, you cannot do anymore (see NEW RULES as they apply to everyone).  Jobs that require steady movement like standing or walking long hours,...

The Balance of Life, Work, Training (Stress) and Recovery / Stress Mitigation Think of the stresses that life brings upon us and the recovery from that stress as a see-saw. Too much stress whether from your daily experiences (real or imagined), work, personal, or life in general will weigh on one end of the see-saw and everything you do to help you balance and recover on the other end.  The pie chart below explains the importance of sleep, nutrition, and other recovery methods in order of importance.  As we age, the recovery response will take longer and will require more...

Old School Life HackWork Harder! Why do people always want to find the "easy button" or "life hack" to everything these days. Maybe it is because now we can push a button and get instant gratification with products and services, but we cannot confuse that with the good old fashioned hard work required for goal achievement especially when it applies to very challenging goals. You cannot just want to do something exciting and difficult - you have to work for it, prepare for it, have a solid WHY you started in the first place. Because there will be a time when...

Five Benefits Using Calisthenics to Exercise Every Person Who Lost Their Gym Needs To Know  After all the debate is over, if you want to get results with using primarily calisthenics to exercise then you need to realize these benefits. You will be surprised how calisthenics and cardio will help you get results a whole lot faster than you previously thought. Ever want to do your first pullup? How about 20 pullups? Calisthenics and Cardio will get you on your way. If you want simple, effective, and versatile exercises using classic workouts like pyramids, super sets, and others, check out...