Stew Smith Fitness News

Even though you may be working out several times per week, many get into a rut of doing the same old routine. It is true that this “rut” is better than the alternative of not exercising at all, but it can lead to plateaus in progress whether your ultimate goal is performance or aesthetics based. This can be somewhat de-motivating. A recent email prompted me to create a method for people to develop goals by using a standard PFT style program for testing.Do you have any previous research on making physical fitness tests to give my workout group some goals...

This week, a typical email crossed my desk and I realized that I have not devoted an article to answering this question fully. There are several articles in the Article Archive that will help you with running speed, endurance, pushups, situps, and pullups but here is a comprehensive answer to the age-old question – “What do I need to do to prepare for Bootcamp?” This article will be a one-stop shop for people to find links on training and techniques on many of the physical events that occur during Bootcamp. Here is the question: I am currently planning on enlisting...

Bootcamp (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard) and the Naval Academy Plebe Summer with this all in one workout at StewSmith.com When you arrive at a Service Academy or Bootcamp, not only will most of you be away from home for the first time, you will be placed in a stressful environment and expected to excel in military education, close quarter living, team work, and physical fitness tests (PFT). Though each service differs in testing exercises and measuring criteria, most NEW military personnel labor over this event for several weeks prior. But for those who properly prepare themselves,...

The new Army calculator is located here:http://army.pftcalculator.comThis week, I sent several emails to people seeking to ace their ARMY physical fitness tests for both bootcamp and OCS. In my closing, I always remind people not to give up and that they will "succeed by failing." Some people get it and understand that to improve with pushups, pull-ups, situps, and other high-repetition calisthenics testing exercises, you have to push yourself until you can't do any more reps. Then, you can try a few more of the easier versions like knee pushups, assisted pull-ups or negatives, and crunches respectively. Once you get...

The Army Physical Fitness Test is a three-event physical performance test used to assess endurance. It is a simple way to measure your physical strengths, abilities, and cardio-respiratory fitness. The intent of the APFT is to provide a baseline assessment regardless of your Military Occupational Specialty. The APFT is to be taken at least twice a calendar year and you must be able to meet the minimum standards to be eligible for promotion or transfer, and to attend Army schools.The three PFT events are two minutes of push-ups, two minutes of sit-ups, and a timed 2-mile run. Your results from...