Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL Lieutenant and an NSCA CSCS who graduated from the US Naval Academy and Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, also known as BUD/S. For over 25 years, he has been writing workout books that prepare people to ace fitness tests and selection programs. People from all fitness levels use his military preparation products for help with everything from losing weight and getting ready for basic training to preparing for special operations.

Stew founded StewSmithFitness.com and Heroes of Tomorrow Fitness – an online fitness resource for people seeking to join the Military, Law Enforcement, and Firefighting professions.

He and his team train over 5,000 young men and women who wish to serve their country and communities locally for free each year.

In this episode, we discuss his career, his approach to coaching everything from the specifics of the CSS to big-picture SOF prep training, and what he's learned about successful SOF candidates in his 25+ years of coaching.

Timestamps:

00:00:22 Intro
00:01:12 Background
00:03:50 What Have You Learned Since You Started
00:06:31 Approach to Coaching CSS
00:08:49 Technique Preference
00:13:23 Working on Range of Motion
00:16:25 Alternating Breaststroke Kick
00:17:50 What Are You Currently Doing
00:19:03 How Far do People Travel to Train With You
00:20:05 How Does Your Coaching Change From Person to Person
00:24:20 Helping People Prepare For The PST
00:29:12 Most Common Beginner-Level Issues
00:34:34 Balance of Treading Training
00:37:01 Biggest Differences in Prep Strategies
00:41:12 Reasons Attrition is High
00:43:29 Have They Been Doing the Work
00:45:21 Main Variables in Prep for Individual Characteristics
00:48:09 Advice for Talking to Recruiters
00:51:48 Scruff Duty
00:54:10 Best and Worst Advice You’ve Ever Received
00:58:21 Learn More About You
00:59:24 Outro

Stew Smith: How to Master the CSS and Crush the PST - Ep. 45