Stew Smith Fitness News — stew smith

A new system used by Naval Special Warfare has been helping to screen recruits before they get to SEAL or SWCC training. It is called the Spec War Draft. Please do not get this confused with Vietnam era draft. It is more like the NFL draft process and the PST is now considered the Spec War version of the combine. But yes you have to compete to get to go to BUD/S or SWCC - no more minimum standards will get you to SEAL / SWCC training. See email from a young man confused by the terms being used:"About the...

Here is a question I get often concerning the way a person prepares for Special Ops type training programs for both military and law enforcement SWAT teams. My answer is usually, “It depends - Not only on the training you seek, but your athletic history / background.” Here is his question and my lengthy answer that takes many of the body types and foundation of fitness issues that arise when people start a training plan for Spec Ops.Stew I'm going to guess you've already answered this question somewhere, so forgive my redundancy. I'm 27 and looking to get into the...

This week I received an email from a soldier who writes:Every time I take the PFT, I ace the PT part but my run is much worse than if I ran first. Does the PT take that much out of me that I cannot run my normal pace had I not done the PT first?As with any test, you have to learn how to take tests to score better. There are entire schools and curricula devoted to helping students pass the SAT, ACT and even the ASVAB. The schools are not so much devoted to teaching subjects, but showing students...

This 15 day plan was written for a military member who had two weeks to pass his fitness test of 1.5 mile run, pushups, and situps. It is not designed for those members who have not exercised in months, but for those who just need an extra push to surpass the minimums. You could also use this routine to help you hit the maximum standards if you are hitting a plateau in your testing for the Most Common PFT. Knowing that this test is the most common fitness test in the military and law enforcement, I thought I would post...

          As a fitness writer / trainer, I enjoy receiving emails from people asking for help with achieving their goals.  In fact, many of the emails I receive each week give me great ideas to develop into articles, APPs, eBooks, and occasionally a published book.  The primary goal of a fitness writer should be to provide insight and safe methods to assist readers with a path to better themselves physically.  This is a very powerful responsibility to hold, because it is often experienced that through increased physical fitness levels people improve their capabilities in many other...