Stew Smith Fitness News

My Pyramid Story The PT Pyramid is a classic workout for sure. I remember my first time doing a pyramid workout with calisthenics over 30 years ago on Farragut Field at the Naval Academy.  Farragut Field is well known for being a big practice field (drill and athletics) with pullups along the Chesapeake Bay and named for Admiral David Farragut of "Damn the Torpedoes - Full Speed Ahead" fame.  It was the classic PT 1-10-1 Pyramid of working your way up to level 10 and back down to one with the exercises of Pullups x 1, Pushups x 2, and...

New Programs and Books from 2019- 2020   More information about the Books and Ebook created at StewSmithFitness.com Calisthenics and Cardio - Don't want to join a gym?  No problem! Need to get better at muscle stamina and endurance?  This is the plan for you!  Whether you are just starting out with exercising or wanting to add in a 6-14 week cycle of intermediate / advanced PST workouts, this program has the answers for both ends of the fitness spectrum.  MINIMAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED GUIDE FOR EXERCISERS WITH NO GYM EQUIPMENT Well, you do need a pullup bar and a place to...

The Buddy System Works – But… There are countless benefits to having a buddy who shares the same journey and goals as you. The right buddy helps keep you motivated, inspired, and disciplined to get things done, show up on time, and push yourself to higher levels of performance. And if this is a mutally beneficial relationship, you do the same for your buddy.  That is how the buddy system works.  Being accountable to each other puts a positive peer pressure on you that helps you find the energy to get things done and at perhaps a higher level than...

What is Mental Toughness and How Do You Obtain It?  This is an accumulation of years of articles and videos about the topic of mental toughness.  None of the below will make you mentally tougher - that is not how mental toughness works.  Big Question: Mental Toughness: Are you born with it?Or can it be developed? Picture from @mcteams3842 - Instagram Answer:  Both.  As human beings we all have an element of basic survival instincts that will allow us to do amazing things that will keep us alive. But to fine tune these skills when not in a life or...

What Are the Functional Movements? Are You Doing Them? Are the movements you do functional? Are they helping you move in your personal and professional life? What exactly is functional training or the functional movement patterns of the human body?  Personally, I break down workouts into the following events: push, push, full, leg, core, cardio (run, ruck, swim).  However, the more widely accepted seven functional movement patterns are explained with more detail versus my over-simplified explanation.  You will see my five exercises placed into the seven functional movement patterns however. The Functional Movement Patterns are the following: Hip Hinge –...