Check out this video of the weekly mobility I write, post, and talk about all the time. It is really life changing! Don't Skip Mobility Day. These are so important that all my latest books / programs have them incorporated into them each week and I am revising older programs to include them as well.
Just because it is the easiest workout of the week, doesn't mean it is not the most important workout of the week! I have found these mobility days to be truly life changing. They are that important to me anyway.
About 7 years ago (at age 45), I actually thought I might have to give up running as my hips, lower back, feet, and knees were in near constant achy pain. Nothing debilitating, but always hurting and it took a long time to warm up for any workout. I decided to turn a longer run day into a non-impact day and mix in some stretching and foam rolling regularly. I came up with the 5 minute on / 5 minute off cardio / stretch routine that now looks like this:
Repeat 5 times
5 minutes of non-impact cardio
5 minutes of stretching, foam rolling, or massage tool
I left the gym feeling great and started adding it in the middle of my week as well as on Sundays (my day off). Man was that perfect!. And I never gave up running, but I am running lighter (less than 200lbs) and focused on staying mobile and lighter on my feet.
It has evolved just a little by adding in more tools as well as adding in a session of swimming immediately after. The swim session is more of a technique based training session that mixes in treading, stroke technique, as well as other pool skills like drownproofing.
Here are some of our tools of the mobility day:
HyperVolt, Ryobi Orbital Car Buffer, massage balls, foam roller, hard plastic half balls to help work out any knots that are not loosening with just stretching.
After the 50 minute session above, we like to cooldown in the pool with some technique swim for 10-15 minutes, treading water for 10 minutes, then doing all the dynamic stretches you can think of in chest deep water for 5-10 minutes.
Check out Seasonal Tactical Fitness Programming
Who Is The Tactical Fitness Coach / Author Stew Smith?
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I'm the former Navy SEAL that military recruits and special ops candidates go to for books, ebooks and online coaching to prepare themselves to get to and through intense tactical assessment and selection programs and qualify for service in their chosen tactical profession. See More at StewSmithFitness.com |
Check out the Complete List of Training Programs (Spec Ops, Military, Police, Fire)
We Have Answers For Beginners to Advanced Spec Ops Level Training Programs (see below)
Fitness for Beginners - Get Started for Free!
- Run - Learn how to run and get in shape to run 2-3 miles without stopping. See beginner / intermediate running plan. But, you may need to start off with just walking depending on your fitness level. If you played sports that had a little bit of running in it (football) or no running in it like swimming, you need to practice running regularly to get over the growing pains accompanied with impact cardio like running and rucking. To do well on timed runs, you need to practice that distance at a goal pace. Learn about GOAL PACE Running.
- Calisthenics - You will be doing calisthenics not only throughout the day in basic training, but as a fitness test as well. Get used to exercises like pushups, crunches, plank poses, pullups, squats, and lunges to work the entire body. If you need some ideas, see the programs below that address all the physical fitness challenges you will see in preparation, testing, and basic training and beyond. The Boot camp, PFT, Bible, and Cals and Cardio are all encompassing workouts that will prepare you for the challenges of Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard basic training and fitness tests as well. The Army and Marine Corps will require more challenging workouts and fitness testing. See links of the books below to see more details of the Combat Fitness Test you must be able to accomplish when you join.
DO NOT RELY ON THE MILITARY TO GET YOU INTO SHAPE AT BASIC TRAINING. You will get into better shape for sure during your training if you arrive in lower fitness form, but you need to arrive with a foundation of physical fitness that is specific to your future job in the military / fitness tests / training. If you show up out of shape, you could end up failing standards or injuring yourself causing longer delays or removal from training altogether.
For You Special Candidates (Get in Shape LONG Before You Join)
High Intermediate Military / Advanced Spec Ops
Building Programming:
Which Program is Right For Me?
It Depends...Special Ops Candidates
Navy SEAL Workout Phase 2 - 3 - Intermediate Weeks 1-12
Navy SEAL Workout Phase 4 Grinder PT - Four weeks before Hell Week
It depends: The Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Fitness is a classic and focuses on high rep calisthenics and running and swimming base. You will build up your running over 12-18 weeks to 20 miles but very fast paced focus on both the 1.5 mile run for the PST and the 4 mile timed run for weekly run test at BUDS. If you are an athlete with a strong power / strength background in lifting and not running or swimming, Navy SEAL Fitness is ideal for you. IF you need some place to start Navy SEAL Fitness is ideal for you as well because a calisthenics base / running / swimming progression is a good place to build a foundation. Though you will likely need to spend some time in the Navy SEAL Weight Training Book OR if Navy SEAL FItness is too challenging, go with Navy SEAL SWCC, EOD, Diver, PST Phase 1 Workout. Phase 1 is a good starting point if Navy SEAL Fitness program is too tough.
Navy SEAL Weight Training - This is part two (winter lifting phase) of my SEAL Prep program. If you have done the Navy SEAL Fitness (12 weeks to BUDS) program a few times and need a break, this is the next program that integrates lifting with the Navy SEAL Prep training.
Other EBOOKS (Special Ops) – Most of my programs tend to focus on getting TO and THROUGH a specific tactical training program. So you may see a mix of all the seasons in some of these books, but if you are training long term, you can take advantage of Seasonal Periodization and save yourself some of the over-use, long term pains that tend to follow many of the tactical preparations - especially on the spec ops level of training.
Start training today with workouts that focus on the specifics of getting to and through tactical profession training from firefighter, police, swat, military to special ops. We have programs to help you get TO and THROUGH training. We also have training programs to help you with training as you age in these professions (Tactical Fitness 40+ series).
You may have seen my Winter Lift Cycle that I discuss in the Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization article as well as have our actual lift programs we have done over the years in the following books.
It is not all just calisthenics and cardio at Stew Smith Fitness
Tactical Fitness, Tactical Strength, Navy SEAL Weight Training Workout, Weight Vest Workout, Stew Smith's Fall Winter Cycle, Warrior Workout #2, Maximum Fitness
These programs as well as my online coaching programs have Winter Lift Cycles in them as part of our Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization System. But, do not get these lift cycles confused with ACTUAL strength / power lifting programs, these are strength / power programs that also have a focus on cardio fitness maintenance BECAUSE you need to be good at all the elements of fitness and develop into an all-round Tactical Athlete.
(click to read more)
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If You Need a More Personalized Approach to Fit Your Needs, Goals, Time per Day, Days per week, Facilities, Abilities, etc...Try Online Coaching
Questions? Just email me at Stew@StewSmith.com
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