Stew Smith talks about training for goals and assessing yourself regularly to see if you are on the right program. https://www.stewsmithfitness.com

Trust the Process...But Verify / Assess Regularly

If you plan to challenge yourself by attending any Special Ops program selection course, you likely were training hard just to get accepted into the training. If you were one of the wise ones to focus on the following phase of training (getting THROUGH the training) after crushing the entry-level fitness test process, then you likely have been on this journey for quite some time.

See - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/do-you-trust-your-training-regardless-test-it-often

Stew Smith https://www.stewsmithfitness.com discusses consistency and hard work along with talent and genius.  Check this out:

Making day 2 of the week is even more important as getting a good day 1 (Monday) completed. Consistency wins in this world with no matter what goal you have. I saw a good quote the other day that read like this: 

Talent hits a target no one else can hit. Genius hits a target no one else can see. 

We all know the saying "Hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard." So, with that in mind, I added this sentence to the above quote: 

Hard work hits a target no one thought possible. 

Keep Grinding is the key. Check out other LIVE QA sessions on YouTube as well as Tactical Fitness Report podcasts, swim videos exercise videos, and much more. Without these steps, success is delayed or not achieved. Get moving - even if an easy time place holder at first. See related article: 

https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/online-pt-club-one-on-one-coaching-with-stew-smith-cscs

Stew Smith - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com discusses bringing back physical education and training in schools. New Meta-Analysis proves what many of us have been thinking / saying for decades: 

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-023-01881-6

 Throughout time, the discussion of the younger generation not being capable of taking on the challenges of adulthood has been taken place by the older generations. When I was going through SEAL training, the Vietnam Veteran SEAL instructors called our class the MTV generation – having grown up in the 80s and had access to increasingly more TV channels to tune into than earlier generations. Therefore, the article's tone is based on the science behind this decade-old opinion and the audience of parents, teachers, and school administrators. 

This is not just the opinion of a grumpy old fitness writer who grew up with PE Classes throughout every grade of school, but a thorough meta-analysis of scientific studies on children and adolescents who needed more physical activity in their day. The question is how dangerous a higher percentage of unphysically fit youth is for our youth and our National Defense. To have generations of military-aged men and women unable to join due to obesity, failure to meet the height/weight/body fat standards, and not being physically able enough to pass any of the entry-level fitness tests. There have been suggestions at one end of the spectrum to get rid of physical fitness standards for not just the military but for police and fire services as well. 

Robinson, K., Riley, N., Owen, K. et al. Effects of Resistance Training on Academic Outcomes in School-Aged Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01881-6

See https://www.stewsmithfitness.com for more articles like this as well as dozens of fitness training programs to get you to and through any military, police, and fire fighter training. 

You should create an assessment week for your training program at some point. A logical time for that assessment during a 12- or 16-week cycle would either be at the beginning, the end or both. About midway through the cycle, check your progress to see whether you are moving in the right direction. These assessments have to be honest if you want accurate measures of your ability, but the test should also cover the basics of training. See ideas for building your own fitness test if you do not have one to take: 

https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/developing-fitness-tests-for-selection-into-special-ops 

How do you feel? Are you burned out? (see recovery help) Do you think you're consistent with your training? Missing any days during the week? How are you eating at each meal and sleeping each night? These somewhat subjective assessment marks are just as important as objective grades during your assessment day or week. You can decide how many events to assess, but for anyone who wants to become a better tactical athlete, maintaining your strengths and improving your weaknesses will require more than a few days of testing. Here is something we do about six weeks into our winter lift cycle right around Groundhog Day. Our goal is to improve strength, power, and speed and agility, but maintain our PT test scores for cardio and muscle stamina.

As Humans, We All Make Mistakes - Learn From These - See full article at 
https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/avoid-these-mistakes-save-your-spec-ops-dream

My ebook, “Get Ready to Serve in the U.S. Military - How to Avoid the Common Mistakes That Keep You Out of Special Operations” is the perfect guide for military recruits and special ops candidates to learn the ins and outs of military life. As a former Navy SEAL and coach, I am well-versed in the physical, mental, and emotional demands of the military spec ops training and I share my knowledge to help you prepare for your future career.

If you have listened to or read any of my advice over the years, you may have heard that I am not a fan of 18-year-olds going straight to spec ops training immediately after high school. I say this ONLY due to statistics as the bulk of the attrition rates in spec ops training are teens who are in way over their heads - typically speaking. The other thing that I see people get wrong more than anything is walking into a recruiter’s office not already able to crush a fitness test. The setup for failure comes quickly for the unprepared. But there are many more mistakes people make that ruin their spec ops dreams. 

More Mistakes That Crush Your Spec Ops Dreams

Mistake #1: "Trusting Everything the Recruiter Says"
"Do your research on the process to join the military. Trust but verify everything the recruiter says to you. Do not leave the next several years of your life in the hands of a recruiter because you failed to know the details of the process OR what you even want to do in the military.”

Do your research - Spec Ops Research One Stop Shop (articles / podcasts)

Mistake #2: “Over 200 Jobs to Choose and You Can't Decide? Treat this like a job interview, not a job hunt."
"Do not go into the first interview with a recruiter asking what is available. Know exactly what you want to do in the military, and do not settle for anything else. This is NOT a job hunt. It is a calling to serve your country doing a job you will be proud of and enjoy doing for your military career. If SpecWar is mentioned by the recruiter and it is your first time hearing about it - Do NOT even try."

Go in ready to crush the PST and the recruiters will take you seriously. 

Mistake #4: “Not Practicing Fitness Tests and Specific Selection Events to Assess Your Strengths/Weaknesses."
"If you are not assessing, you are only guessing. You will be tested in many events, from fitness tests to daily physical challenges at Spec ops training. You should be good at these selection events NOW."

Mistake #5: “Not Understanding the Differences Between Phase One and Phase Two of Tactical Fitness"
"You have to pass a fitness test to get accepted into the training. You also have to pass specific events in selection to get THROUGH the training. These are the two phases of tactical fitness - getting TO and THROUGH the training. Most people neglect one or the other and end up an attrition statistic."

Mistake #7: “Not Taking Your Training / Nutrition / Recovery Seriously…Optimal Performance = The Mastery of Recovery."
"People have big dreams, but they need to be more serious with the specifics of training, rest, recovery, nutrition, and sleep. The mastery of recovery is vital to your optimal performance."

Start taking things seriously with your training. 

This last one is the easiest to avoid but the most common that people manage to screw up (sometimes no fault of their own). But most can be avoidable with some practice tests and organizational skills. 

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.

Check out link for classic Log PT Simulation Plus Listen to a new idea - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/the-official-sandbaby-devil-murph-workout-log-pt-plus-simulation

Preparing for Log PT is a constant worry in a young person's mind considering military service in combatant jobs or special operations selections. Log PT is used throughout the military to develop teamwork, leadership, and physical and mental toughness. In these training programs, it is about as hard an evolution as you will have on land. If you are looking for effective ways to help you better prepare, check out these two options below that can be added to the back end of any weight, calisthenics, and cardio workout. 

This week, we developed a supplemental Log PT simulation workout to top off an upper body day and a full body (mostly leg) day. Try this challenging progressive workout add-on after fully warming up and finishing your routine. Get a 40-pound sandbag and try the following one-minute circuit:

Log PT Simulation #1: 

One minute overhead press hold – Hold the sandbag or 40-50lb weight over your head for 1 minute.
One minute Chest-carry hold and walk – Hold the sandbag or weight against your chest, resting on your forearms, and walk for 1 minute. 
- Repeat for 6 minutes alternating overhead hold and chest carry hold every minute on the minute. There is no rest. The rest is the other exercise, so active rest - different muscle groups are used each minute. 

Build up to 12 or even 15 minutes.

Log PT Simulation #2: 

Full body Option: Here’s another log PT preparation routine you can do that adds in some leg activity:

One minute overhead squat – The same overhead hold as above but add a full squat keeping the arms extended over your head. If you have difficulty with this, it could be an issue of shoulder and hip mobility, so start adding in mobility days and stretching daily. 

One minute chess carry walking lunge – For the next minute of the similar circuit, start walking lunges for 1 minute with the sandbag or weight on your chest, resting on your forearms. 

- Rest your legs with a one-minute shoulder carry walk. Repeat for 6 minutes and build up to 12 and even 15 minutes over time.

Stew Smith takes a common question:  See https://www.stewsmithfitness.com for more articles, training programs, coaching, and more. 

Depending on a military recruit's athletic history, the preparation process may differ from one person to the next. Endurance athletes do well on calisthenics and cardio fitness testing, but not on strength, power, speed, and agility. The opposite is true for the strength athlete, who struggles with running, swimming, and higher repetition calisthenics ranges needed for good scores on fitness tests. Here is an email from a Navy recruit who is preparing for the Navy PST to secure a contract in one of the fields (SEAL, SWCC, EOD/Diver, Rescue Swimmer, or SARC):

Hi Mr. Smith. I've got a question. Since I'm training for a PST, my weakness is mainly in running and CSS swimming technique, but I have solid calisthenics numbers (pushups 90, Situps 95, Pullups 22). Should I focus more on running/swimming workouts and stop lifting and doing calisthenics?  Both my run and swim are over 11 minutes at this point. Any recommendations?

Calisthenics and Cardio training go hand and hand and that is what you need to focus on. Since you need to work on your running and swimming the most, do them first in the workout, then follow the workout with the testing calisthenics on upper body days and squats and lunges on lower body days. But the best option is to get on a proven plan that has resulted in more spec ops success in history:  See

https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/get-ready-to-get-through-the-training-with-my-3-part-series

Stew Smith will take live questions and give answers but the introduction is the focus of today's article - Gaining Assets Often causes the Loss of Being a Capable Asset.   See more articles / books / coaching at https://www.stewsmithfitness.com

This generational story has played its cycle out multiple times long before me and will continue especially as we advance into a more highly technical society. The young person who works hard and trains typically gains the strength and abilities to be an asset in life’s dangerous situations long before they have acquired any monetary assets. However, as we all age, life requires more responsibilities such as providing for your family and the chase for gaining assets causes many people to lose the ability to be a capable asset in life’s potential dangers.

Stew Smith CSCS USN (SEAL)

www.stewsmithfitness.com
Voted Top Ten Military Fitness Blog (#1 and #3)

StewSmithFitness.com - Where Candidates Learn to Get To and Through Selection

If You Are Serious About Getting TO and THROUGH Selection:

STEP 1:  Read the Tactical Fitness Articles AND
               Watch Podcasts and Swimming Videos at Youtube.com page  

STEP 2:  Use the Programs in the eBooks and Books  OR
               Try the Free Navy SEAL Fitness App -iPhone (Android)

STEP 3:  Join the Stew Smith Fitness Club membership site OR
                Get Personalized Coaching from Stew Smith Online Coaching 


Follow Stew Smith on:  Facebook    Instagram    Twitter  TikTok  Youtube

After a quick discussion on workouts of the week,  Stew Smith will take questions LIVE about training for the tactical professions or other topics of interest if you have them. See https://www.stewsmithfitness.com for more info. 

Check out other LIVE QA sessions on YouTube as well as Tactical Fitness Report podcasts, swim videos, exercises videos, and much more. 

Without these steps success is delayed or not achieved. Get moving - even if an easy time place holder at first. See related article: https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/online-pt-club-one-on-one-coaching-with-stew-smith-cscs

After a quick discussion on the countless benefits of resistance training / lifting weights and one of the most important is longevity. If you are getting older and think it is time to give up resistance training, you could not be more incorrect. But if you do not like going to the gym, you can just do calisthenics to get started. Body weight with gravity is our most common form of resistance training as we do this style of resistance training just walking up a hill, or stairs, or sitting down and standing up. After this quick discussion, Stew Smith will take questions LIVE about training for the tactical professions or other topics of interest if you have them. See https://www.stewsmithfitness.com for more info. 

Check out other LIVE QA sessions on YouTube as well as Tactical Fitness Report podcasts, swim videos, exercises videos, and much more. 

Without these steps success is delayed or not achieved. Get moving - even if an easy time place holder at first. See related article: https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/online-pt-club-one-on-one-coaching-with-stew-smith-cscs