Check out the new Tactical Fitness Report about adding new training pieces to your workouts to add to your overall tactical fitness ability. Check out https://www.setforset.com for today's topic.  The mace, kettlebell, bands, TRX, sleds, tires, logs, sandbags are many of the devices you can use to change things up from the typical gym workout. 

Sam Coleman educates Stew on the mace, its history, and applications.  Check out the website, blog, and social media (videos / articles) on the usefulness of the mace. 
Website:  https://www.setforset.com
One of Many Blog Articles:  https://www.setforset.com/blogs/news/5-movements-to-cure-back-pain

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Tactical Fitness Reports:  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 204: TFR203 - Learning About the Mace & Applying to Tactical Fitness

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

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 273: TFR 238   Saving Your Nostalgic History While Serving with Jeff Nichols

See latest article on the introduction topic of the day: https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/you-failed-or-quit-how-hard-is-it-to-get-back-to-bud-s-spec-ops-programs-other-goalsUnfortunately, humans fail, get injured, and simply quit when things get difficult. Sometimes, it is an accident, but more often than not, it is a lack of preparation and failure to deal with inherent weaknesses we all have (physical, mental, emotional, and maturity). This article is going to explain the process of trying to get back after you fail, quit, or get sick/injured specifically as it pertains to Navy SEAL training (BUD/S). However, many of these same pieces of advice will help you with your awareness to allow yourself to be human, forgive yourself, quit living in the past, and focus on getting stronger and better for the next challenge - whatever that may be for your personal journey in life. See more at https://www.stewsmithfitness.comWant to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6164612443013120

Episode 272: Getting Back into BUDS is Harder than Getting To/Through the First Time

Have you been told that static stretching is bad, and it does not doesn't prevent injuries? See - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/dont-skip-moblity-dayMost of us have been coached to avoid stretching altogether, don’t stretch before a workout, or use dynamic stretches instead. For me personally, stretching more has been life-changing, with increased joint mobility, reduced pain, and even injury prevention. Despite what you may have been told, a well-balanced mix of cardio warmups, dynamic stretching, and static stretching can make a real difference in your physical health. Finding the right warmup routine for your body and your specific physical activities is a process that will take some trial and error, but the benefits are well worth the effort.The Benefits of Daily StretchingDaily stretching can be spread throughout the day with short walks mixed with any stretch for just minutes a day. But it is recommended to add a stretching session after exercise or stressful days or as a cooldown to cardio activity. Helps Decompress – Both physically and mentally, stretching allows you to relax, brings stress levels down, and puts you in a better mindset. Stress in the body makes muscles tight and stiff, leading to tension headaches and lower back pains. Stretching helps to relieve aches from common soreness and tension. Stretching increases blood flow throughout the body and the brain. Increasing feel-good hormones like serotonin stretching reduces stress, anxiety, and general fatigue—stretch/stress study. See https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23764394/Increased Flexibility and Joint Range of Motion – This major benefit also allows you to be more balanced with your posture and will help you prevent injuries. From avoiding common daily aches and pains to being more durable during workouts and athletic activity, stretching reduces pain and injury through soft tissue flexibility and joint mobility. Helps with Treading Water and Swimming – For many non-swimming athletes, swimming and treading are more difficult, mainly due to the lack of shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle mobility and tight leg, back, and shoulder muscles.  See related article and recent coaching tips. see article - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/treading-might-be-a-mobility-issue-try-these-stretches-movementsCooling Down After Workout – Most people who stretch will stretch on the back end of a workout, but often, this section is skipped due to busy lives and lack of time. But stretching helps us move better. When you bend over to pick up a heavy box or even a pen on the floor, you can throw your back out just by bending over at the hips if your back, hips, and legs are tight (lacking flexibility and mobility). Sitting is the New Smoking – Getting up every 30-40 minutes for a quick walk and stretching session of the legs, hips, and shoulders can reduce stress and back pain and help you with your productivity and mood. Sitting too much is one of the biggest reasons why we need to pursue a daily stretching habit actively. See more great training ideas at https://www.stewsmithfitness.com in the form of free articles, free APP, and books, ebooks, and online coaching too.Find more about our programs at our social media:Facebook    Instagram  TikTok  Youtubehttp://www.facebook.com/stewsmith182http://www.instagram.com/stewsmith50https://www.tiktok.com/@stewsmith50https://www.youtube.com/stew50smithGo to https://www.stewsmithfitness.com and use LIVE15 and save 15% on the store purchases

Episode 271: Skip Stretching at Your Own Risk...Plus LIVE QA with Stew Smith

Get good at both - learn about Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/seasonal-tactical-fitness-periodization-what-is-it-why-is-it-importantFor the best athletes in either the endurance or strength world, you will find both athlete types excel in one and perform rather miserably in the other.  While this may be true for the elite athletes who need to master their competition events, it does not matter for the tactical athlete in the military, who needs to have a solid foundation in both but does not need to be great in either strength or endurance. Just being good at both is the goal of the tactical athlete in the military, police, and firefighting professions. A recent study was published ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35971745/ ) discussing that after a cycle of endurance training, athletes who did a resistance training cycle immediately following saw an increased rate of muscle growth. This is news as, for as long as I can remember, those who like to lift for both strength and mass gains avoid cardio as if it were a disease that could negatively affect their performance and/or aesthetics. Granted, this study was done in untrained teens, who typically see quick increases in gains when exposed to any new stimulus. See more great training ideas at https://www.stewsmithfitness.com in the form of free articles, free APP, and books, ebooks, and online coaching too.Find more about our programs at our social media:Facebook    Instagram  TikTok  Youtubehttp://www.facebook.com/stewsmith182http://www.instagram.com/stewsmith50https://www.tiktok.com/@stewsmith50https://www.youtube.com/stew50smithGo to https://www.stewsmithfitness.com and use LIVE15 and save 15% on the store purchasesWant to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/6164612443013120

Episode 204: TFR203 - Learning About the Mace & Applying to Tactical Fitness

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