Getting started comes with many levels. You could be an athlete and getting started on military / spec ops level training.  That is a process. You could be a 50 yr old and have not done anything for 20 years except to gaining 5 lbs a year for the past decades. Getting started will be all about assessing strengths and weaknesses, building habits that include movement and nutrition, and breaking old habits that interfere with new goal progress. One Step at a time - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/fitness-over-40-and-50-answers-to-your-concerns-one-step-at-a-timeSpec ops prep - start here - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/spec-ops-prep-list-of-articles-research-one-stop-shopFor more information about military, special ops, police, and fire fighter physical preparation - check out https://www.StewSmithFitness.com for hundreds of articles, over 50 books, ebooks, and online coaching too.

Episode 239: Getting Started with Your Training from Beginner to Spec Ops Level plus LIVE QA with Stew Smith

This is the Tactical Fitness Report with Stew Smith podcast. We will post these each week and discuss a variety of topics focused on Tactical Fitness Training for Military, Special Ops, Police, and Fire Fighting Training. We will also review videos on swimming, give quick power point presentations and discuss all things Tactical Fitness related. Check out other videos of combat swimmer stroke, workouts, and other spec ops related training. See www.stewsmith.com or www.stewsmithfitness.com for more information, training programs, books, ebooks, and online coaching for military, law enforcement, special ops, fire fighting training programs.

Health & Fitness

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 yourself, true, but you will find that really tough workouts can be divided by a team of people to reduce the total load on the individuals and involve significant training in strategizing, thinking while tired, and working together to accumulate reps to complete the workout.Take the Sand Baby Devil Murph for instance, we did this workout the other day with 4 groups of 4 people:  https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/the-official-sandbaby-devil-murph-workout-log-pt-plus-simulationEach team of four had to discuss their strategy to complete the workout, then work together, keep track of reps, distances, and times, and communicate effectively. Using the strengths of each team member to offset any weaknesses of others worked well for the teams, as did a simple group division of 4 on each event. Some teams divided and conquered. Some teams doubled up some events with a single member to balance a weakness or injury that prevented a team member from being helpful on a particular event. All in all, the teams finished the tasks at about the same time, completing them in four different ways. Discussing those methods and best practices in the debrief again demonstrated the need for more communication throughout the team. Now, let's take some questions.Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6164612443013120

Episode 277: There is More to Training for Spec Ops Selection Than Beat Down Workouts

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 even when you cannot run for a few weeks or longer. It is possible to take some time off from running, heal up, and get back to running again even faster than before you were injured, but let’s explore these options:The bike workouts listed below are not your typical leisurely rides. They are designed to replicate the intensity of your running efforts. Even zone two biking, considered moderate, requires a level of pacing that is work. These workouts are intense, pushing your leg, lung endurance, and muscle stamina to the limit. The result? You'll likely return to running faster than before you were injured.Bike Workout #1:  Bike Tabata Intervals – This high and easy intensity interval works in 20-second fast / 10-second easy segments. Hold the 20 fast / 10 easy intervals for the time of your timed running event. If you run your 1.5-mile run in 10 minutes, these intervals will last 10 minutes. However, take an easy 5-minute rest (slow bike) and repeat the 10 minutes of the Tabata Interval again. Bike Workout #2:  Bike Pyramid (increase resistance EMOM) – For this pyramid workout, you start at 80 RPMs at level one on the resistance scale and keep it in between the range of 70 and 90 RPMs the entire workout. Every minute on the minute you increase the resistance by one or two levels depending on the amount of time you have. You can apply the Tabata interval for any cardio machine, but many have also used it for work-to-rest ratios for calisthenics and kettlebells.Bike Workout #3: 100-calorie burnout set – as fast as possible - This is meant to be a higher-intensity workout. That would be like a sprint workout if you were running. Then, it is your job to go as fast as you can for as long as you can until you reach 100 calories.  This workout/test estimates caloric burn, but it feels like you are timing yourself and a mile run. Typically, 100 calories burned on a bike or elliptical takes about the same time to run a mile fast with similar effort. This is one of those workouts that takes five and seven minutes to bike. After you burn 100 calories, rest with easy peddling for 5 minutes and do it again for a second set. If you have anything left in you, try for a third set after another 5-minute easy period.Let's not overlook the power of rest and recovery, especially from impact exercises like running. Sometimes, the body needs a de-load. Occasionally, you can take an easy week, or an injury will dictate your de-load weeks. Give it to yourself and allow your body the rest it needsWant to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6164612443013120

Episode 276: Can't Run - Try These Bike Workouts

This is one I can talk to a long time on as I have written and done podcasts that you can find here:  https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/recovery-training-systems-periodization-rest-de-stress-mobility-nutrition-and-sleepCheck out the LIVE QA and we will discuss many other topics as the questions roll in and you can watch as I critique some CSS swims live as well:See this link for CSS Series:  https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/css-help-series-quick-fix-to-crushing-the-swim

Episode 275: Over-Training or Under-Recovery plus LIVE QA and CSS Critique

What is the best way to grip the pullup bar? It depends. I think a wide variety of grips can make your pullup workouts more enjoyable and diversify the strain on wrists, elbows, shoulders, joints, and muscles. But what is the best way to grab the bar? That also depends.Grabbing the BarDepending on the grip you select and how many pull-ups you plan to do in a workout, you may want to consider how you grab the bar. One of the ongoing debates in the fitness world is where the thumbs go when the bar is grabbed. I call these grips the barbell grip and the mountain climber grip. A classic workout incorporating all the grips is the half pyramid repeated five times, one for each grip. This workout totals 150 pullups in a single workout, but you can adjust to 100 total repetitions by not doing the 10-rep set below:Regular Pullup – 2,4,6,8,10Reverse Pullup - 2,4,6,8,10Close Pullup - 2,4,6,8,10Wide Pullup – 2,4,6,8,10Commando Pullup - 2,4,6,8,10Discussions on pull-ups are popular mainly because they are so difficult. The percentages of men and women able to perform one unassisted pullup are low, as this exercise is the “heavy weightlifting” of the calisthenics world.  As a nation that is increasingly getting heavier and heavier every decade, the statistics will likely continue in the negative direction until we get stronger and lose weight (generically speaking).

Episode 274: Pullup Grips - What is the Best Grip or Way to Grab the Bar?

Jeff Nichols (https://www.performancefirstus.com) and Stew Smith https://www.stewsmithfitness.com created a fun podcast with this topic and share many of there keepsakes from the Teams, Boot Camp, and the Naval Academy. Check out other videos of combat swimmer stroke, workouts, and other spec ops related training.  See http://www.stewsmithfitness.com for more information about military, law enforcement, special ops, fire fighting training programs.

Episode 239: Getting Started with Your Training from Beginner to Spec Ops Level plus LIVE QA with Stew Smith

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