Tactical Fitness Report with Stew Smith Podcast

Here is a top ten list of “What Makes Your Workout the Best”: 1 - The one you do consistently.  The number one rule for exercise and physical activity is to make it more than a workout of the day, but something that fits into your schedule and becomes your lifestyle.  2—The one designed for your goals. Doing workouts that do not address your specific goals is generally unhelpful if you hope to see...

Stew Smith and Mark Christiani discuss the transition from military service into coaching and how the Army has evolved in it's creation of training programs for active duty and reserve soldiers with the H2F program. If you are interested in becoming a coach with military units, check this out. If you are a soldier and looking for answers on how to train, the Army has a group of highly trained coac...

Join Stew Smith, Alex Gendzier, and former Navy SEAL Officer Rob Sarver on the type of preparation needed to transition from the military into civilian life optimally.   See more at https://www.heroes-journey.net The new book,  Warrior to Civilian - The Field Manual to the Hero's Journey Amazon - https://amzn.to/4l1QI4v  is a 5-year research project by Alex, Rob, and dozens of veteran experts on t...

Check out the options we have at https://www.stewsmithfitness.com if you are looking for a cycle to focus on running progression, calisthenics improvement, and strength maintenance - this is it:  https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/spring-training-options Or if you need to focus on specifics of a fitness test or selection, we have options for you as well here - https://www.stewsmithfitness...

Being coachable is a vital quality that can significantly impact your journey as a student-athlete, especially as you start the process as a military recruit and spec ops candidate. If you aspire to elevate your skills and enhance your performance to new levels, understanding what it means to be coachable can be the difference between getting to and through the goal in front of you. - Article - ht...

I am just curious - what is it that you do to challenge yourself everyday? Wake up early to train? Get hot / Get cold / Get uncomfortable? Diet / Fast? Set goals? Do tough endurance events?  Remember there is a fine line between mental toughness and stupidity - what do you think that line is? For me it is pushing into injury - now you cannot train anymore.  But in life or death situations there is...

See article on the intro topic: https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/your-path-to-spec-ops-any-success-starts-and-ends-with-you Are you preparing for the rigorous demands of military special operations or law enforcement SWAT training? If so, you are likely aware that success in this field combines thorough and intense physical preparation and mental resilience. While the journey to getting...

We are starting off with an answer to this question then taking yours.  What is better when doing PT Pyramids to improve cals / cardio:  More rest to get more volume or active rest and do the best you can until failure?  Check out https://www.stewsmithfitness.com for more programs and articles on topics of tactical fitness and more. Both actually - consider it an adjustment in intensity to produce...

In a physical activity study that collected data from over 300,000 participants for decades, those who started adding physical activity/exercise to their lives later in life (after 40-50 years) reaped the same benefits as those who never stopped working out from their teens to their 60s. So, it is never too late to start, whether you took a few decades from exercise after your early 20s or are ent...

How many have noticed this week that cold is relative. What was cold in December about 35 degrees now feels like a heat wave after a few weeks of 10-15 degrees.  Just an observation on the ability of the human body to acclimate and "get tougher". Check out more articles on the topics of mental toughness and tactical fitness at https://www.stewsmithfitness.com

This LIVE QA intro is about the Top Ten Ways (I think) that you can build mental toughness.  Check it out - ask questions after the intro. Check out https://www.stewsmithfitness.com for more information found in article, books, ebook, coaching, and membership pages.  Setting high standards is a commendable goal, but you are not going to win everything. You will have good days and bad days. Perfect...

See more articles at https://www.stewsmithfitness.com While it is a little more complicated than the title may imply, fueling with the right food (not caffeine), sleeping better, and exercising are the three activities that will give you the energy to exercise and be more productive throughout the day.  The next time you say you don’t have the energy to exercise, try these helpful physical and men...

Stew Smith and Jeff Nichols the coaching of gut checks. Defining gut checks and understanding how to incorporate them into your training so that they are actually useful activities is a challenge.  Check out more programming at Stew Smith Fitness - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com and with Jeff Nichols at https://www.performancefirstus.com

Most people, even scientists studying physiology and psychology, are puzzled by the mind-body connection. While we can classify and function areas of the brain, developing them determines toughness, attitude and why you want to do something challenging to achieve. The areas of the brain we understand well are thinking and feeling, but thoroughly understanding the "doing" part of the brain is compl...

See latest article - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/dont-do-these-things-with-your-css-technique-and-training INTRO to LIVE QA - Look at all the health and wellness benefits you may be neglecting by not exercising your legs: Burn More Calories - You burn more calories whenever you decide not to skip a leg day. Because of the larger muscle groups working (legs, glutes, and back), you u...

This book focuses solely on our most recent Fall transition phase. The transition from high-repetition calisthenics to a high-mileage running phase is a reverse progression. Mileage and reps are reduced throughout the weeks as you focus on shorter and faster runs and heavier repetitions of calisthenics using some weights, sandbags, weight vests, TRX, and other tools to make calisthenics more diffi...

Stew Smith (https://www.stewsmithfitness.com)  and Jeff Nichols (https://www.performancefirstus.com) discuss what being fatigue resistance is and how to build it. Check out the wide spectrum of ways to build it and how to feed it throughout all the phases of tactical fitness and special ops selection prep. #1 – FUEL / HYDRATION  - ALL THE TIME PERIODICALLY  - 1-2 TIMES A WEEK: #2 – Hills, beach, s...

Tactical Fitness Report 240 - Top Ten Questions About Tactical FItness and Selection Prep See link for article version:  https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/transforming-weakness-the-top-ten-questions-received-by-readers-podcast-listeners It is no secret that I receive countless emails, DMs, and texts from readers of my articles and listeners to my podcasts and LIVE QA sessions (Mon/Tues)...

Peak performance or just surviving hard training days in extreme weather conditions can be blamed on or sustained by the quantity and quality of the fuel entering the body. Hydration, adding electrolytes, and nutrition choices are critical to success regardless of the intense activity, but your strategy of re-filling and re-fueling matters in high temperatures.  Start with the basics of hydration,...

See more articles and embedded videos at https://www.stewsmithfitness.com The term “tactical” often finds its way into discussions to set apart the extraordinary as “military grade” or the stylishly functional as “tactic-cool.” About 15 years ago, this term extended into a new realm—tactical fitness, which focuses on the physical preparation essential for military, law enforcement, and firefightin...

Check out related article: https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/summer-training-what-is-your-weakness-that-you-are-ignoring The summer presents a unique opportunity to elevate your performance as you prepare for military or special operations service. Learn about Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/seasonal-tactical-fitness-periodization-wha...

Here is a group workout I do with 800+ high school recruits / candidates at Naval Academy Summer Seminar. My goal is to teach them some strategies to improve on their entrance fitness test as well as the Naval Academy fitness test:  Plank, Pushups, 1.5 mile run - taken every semester. Warmup 100-meter run or 20 jumping jacks or jump rope, 10 push-ups, 10 squats 200-meter run or 20 jumping jacks or...

Tyler Koch has a degree in psychology and a master's degree in exercise physiology. Developed and implemented the first-ever S&C initiative for Undergraduate Pilot Training. Former Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the 71st Flying Training Squadron. Former Head of Human Performance for the 158th Fighter Wing. Current Physician Assistant Student at Penn State University pursuing orthoped...

You have to push yourself—YES, but programming smartly so you see improvements in your self-assessments (PST, runs, rucks, swims, lifts, etc.) is the goal of your training. Obviously, this is relative to your athletic history, as someone's "beat-down" could be another person's warmup.  Have you considered teamwork drills, communication, and problem-solving with your workouts? You cannot do this by...

There are moments in every runner's journey when they face setbacks like tendonitis, shin splints, sprained ankles, or foot pain. It's a common experience, with over half of all runners encountering a running-related injury yearly. However, these challenges don't have to stop your progress. By incorporating these effective alternative training options, you can maintain your cardio training habit e...