If you have read my articles and books in the past, you will see a common thread in all of my writings: _Surpass the minimum standards in physical fitness testing if your profession (or life) is physically demanding._ This mantra holds water with military, law enforcement, fire fighters and other public servants who daily job requirements have physical challenges that can ...

Often young men and women ask me about training for the military and police officer professions, but unfortunately most of them (about 60% who email me) have to lose weight in order to meet the minimum requirements for the height and weight / body fat standards.  The military refused more than 47,000 people due to not passing the height-weight / body ...

Have you ever heard of this statement? Often it refers to challenging military / law enforcement training programs. The first time I heard the saying was at SEAL training and I never quite understood what it meant at the time because it felt like 100% physical at the time. I promise you this. It does not refer to 90% mental being ...

After the National Geographic Channel’s Fight Science television show on Special Ops, a majority of the emails received this week discussed mental toughness, as if I had some magic solution for people to acquire it. The truth is the human body is built for survival and will adapt to better handle cold, heat, stress, pain and just about anything you can ...

Here is a great question from a sailor seeking to better his PFT run time and has gathered extra information about training with heart rate monitor training. _How much emphasis should I put on target heart rate while training for the PRT run? The Navy PRT web page says the target heart rate for my age group (25 years) is 117-146bpm, ...

As with any cardiovascular activity if you are going to perform for several minutes or even a few hours you need to find a sustainable pace.  Here is an email from someone who enjoys running with a group but struggles with running alone: Hey Stew - When I run with my group of friends, I am always faster than when I ...

This week, I received a frequently asked question about swimming with fins. Swimming with fins during rigorous military training like BUD/S, Coast Guard HRSS, Air Force PJ, or Public Safety Divers and some law enforcement SWAT programs is required in open water tests. My philosophy with teaching swimming is “a picture is worth 1000 words, but a moving picture is worth ...

*Do you have any advice with changing bad habits, or advice on what kinds of food I could eat on the run at work or could take in the patrol car with me through an entire shift? Also, any other changes I could make to my workout to help increase metabolism?* "This is what I do for food.":www.stewsmith.com/foodplan.doc But when on ...

Last week, I received an email asking if interval training was a good way to improve speed in your military PFT run. The answer is absolutely. “But what exactly is interval training and how do I determine what speed I should train?” the question continued. There are some general formulas that can help you determine where you should be, but I ...

I typically group men and women into the same workouts, especially if they are applying for positions in the military, law enforcement, and fire fighting careers. My personal opinion is that women can perform on a men’s standard (they do not have to, but can) with a little extra work and proper training. I have experienced this personally throughout my years ...

If you have been dedicated to your exercise routine and results have started to taper, it may be time to pump up your workout by adding something new - maybe even another workout in a day. Yes - good ole two a days! They worked back in high school preparing for sports. But, can you fit two workouts into your day ...

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 ...

Breathing – of course it is important in everything we do. From athletic performance, shooting, and relaxing, we all have had to control our breathing in some fashion. But did you know that you can speed up and slow down your central nervous system by learning some breathing techniques? Did you know you can fail a running test one day and ...

This week, a concerned Army Reservist asks, “I have heard about people dieing of drinking too much water. Is this possible?” This is a great question because so many times this issue is taken out of context causing people to stop drinking water altogether. When you read about people who die or get kidney damage “from drinking too much water” you ...

Here is an email from a distinguished military and law enforcement officer concerning physical fitness testing in military and police professions. He writes: _Stew - I like your programs and articles but what is the big deal with physical fitness testing? Do you really think that maxing a fitness test is going to make you a good soldier or police officer? ...

Here is an email that is often received from men and women seeking to lose the "spare tire" or weight around their hips, help reducing their blood pressure, and overall just get healthier. It is a journey that can lead to many enjoyable future years if you can catch up with Mother Nature and Father Time before they catch you! Here ...

This week, I had a question that comes from a frustrated exerciser who likes to swim and either cannot make the pool times or the pool is closed at the times he can reserve time in his schedule. Cross-training with other cardio options is always healthy. Runners get injured three times as much as people who cross-train with swimming, biking and ...

We all are susceptible to lower back injuries– military, law enforcement, advanced athlete, beginning exerciser, or sedentary person – we all get back injuries of some sort. The back injuries seen most in doctor’s offices and chiropractic clinics world wide involve the lower back / hip region and can occur from a variety of different causes. According to Dr. Steve Erle ...

Here is an email I get often from people seeking to improve calisthenics scores in PT tests. Either they ask to do pull-ups, pushups, dips, etc every day or how to mix them into a weight lifting program. Here is what I recommend: Hi Stew - I really enjoy weightlifting three times a week. I was wondering if I can do ...

For the past few years, I have started an outdoor running program as the weather breaks from Winter to Spring. This running plan works as the sun rises in the morning prior to work or school as we are about 65% more likely to accomplish a workout if done at any other time than immediately after work. As you know, life ...