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

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).

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.

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

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

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

National Diet Cheat Day is was here this week. Many Americans are thankful for this day of feasting as it can bring together family, friends, and lots of food with no excuses. If you are considering making Thanksgiving Day your “cheat day” and combining eating a masterfully prepared meal by someone prideful in their cooking with sitting around watching football, parades, and dog shows, try some of these ideas to help with some activity. Get the Physical Activity Done BEFORE Eating – There are many tradition-making ideas to get you moving on Thanksgiving morning. The low-hanging fruit for physical activity can start with home and yard cleanup if you are hosting a dinner. Local Turkey-Trots for a good cause are also available in most areas, OR you can make your own family/friend-oriented Turkey Trot. If you have a big family or group of friends, maybe create your own Turkey-Bowl Flag Football game. These are all great ideas for morning activity.Start a Tradition - My own Thanksgiving Day workout consists of current students and prior students who are back home on leave for a traditional run and calisthenics / some lifting workouts. While they have varied in detail throughout the 25 years of workout tradition, having a mini-reunion with old friends is a fun hour or so. It has been more reunion than a typical difficult workout, but remembering where you came from is also a nice touch. Long before this tradition, when I would go home, my high school buddies and I would meet old coaches in the morning at the high school and have the gym to ourselves.  I am sure this is where I got the idea to continue creating a moment for former students to join in a homecoming workout.  If you are a coach, consider building a new tradition if it fits your abilities and facilities. 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

See related article on the topic: https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/training-overload-when-less-is-moreIf you are burned out from life, previous high volume cycles, you may want to do a deload week prior to getting your lift cycle on. As you know we do Fall / Winter Lift cycles and will progress into lifting.  We even do a 4th week deload during the Fall progression and throughout the winter lift cycle. WHY? - It helps....both with recovery and progress. When training hard, especially those preparing for a Special Ops level selection program in their future, multiple challenging workouts in a week always requires a strict recovery regimen.  That means your sleep, nutrition for fuel, nutrition for recovery, electrolytes / hydration, recovery days, and a smart balance of training using split routines that allow for muscle group recovery ALL have to be in perfect alignment.  When any of those get neglected, you will start to see the signs of over-training or under-recovery start to show themselves usually as lack of energy to train and decreased performance.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

New Article: https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/most-common-training-mistakes-made-by-former-athletes-preparing-for-spec-opsIt is no secret that attrition rates are historically high among the Special Ops units across the military and SWAT Teams. Becoming a tactical athlete is a requirement for any tactical profession, as the job tends to be physically demanding, and the members are placed in dangerous situations. Life-or-death situations are common in the tactical professions (military, police, firefighters, EMT), and your fitness level may be THE determining factor in someone (or you) living or dying. So, fitness and your ability to learn tactical skills while remaining calm in stressful situations are that important.  The attrition is high in these jobs because the training has to be tough physically, mentally, and emotionally to best prepare you for when it is real. Check out my info at https://www.stewsmithfitness.com for more on tactical fitness training, testing, and getting TO and THROUGH Selection. https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/physical-assessment-tools-for-to-and-through-selection Personalizing Spec Ops Programming to Logically Fit Your Abilities...then Progress from There... See ideas: https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/test-article Also - Two Programs To Turn Weakness into Strength - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/two-programs-that-turn-weakness-into-strengths-or-much-less-of-a-weaknessDon’t Skip Mobility Day - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/dont-skip-moblity-dayCheck out more info on my YouTube, TIKTOK (CSS Critiques), Instagram pages as well as my site https://www.stewsmithfitness.com

Before I go down this rabbit hole, I will explain where I heard this comment. An older candidate gave his opinion to a younger candidate when asked, "How are you crushing everything like you do?"  See full article at https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/update-to-articleThe new guy is still in his teens, played sports in high school, and is preparing for the Navy SEAL program. The "older guy" is 23 years old, spent his high school years playing multiple sports, and continued wrestling through college. During the off-season, he practiced swimming, treading, and getting comfortable in the water. My involvement with the "older guy" was to fine-tune his swimming, to be honest. He had all the other scores on PST, longer runs, rucks, swims with fins, lifting, etc...He continued: "Before I even considered going to SEAL training," the wrestler who can swim said, "I was working out hard since 12 years old, getting my ass beat by high school wrestlers." My life was practicing, lifting, running (for other sports), and cutting weight during the wrestling season. I always kept in shape and spent the summer preparing for football season. I just lifted more and ran faster for that season. At the end of his story, he said the phrase, "I have spent many years living in the "pain cave."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

Check out https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/rucking-progression-rules-of-rucking for more rucking tips. But here is the latest info to help beginners:Here are seven things to consider when new to rucking for exercise:Walk, Don’t Run – In the military, there are often races with moderately heavy rucks that many can still run with (40-50lbs). Your goal as a new rucker is to put time under the load and walk.  If you want a standard, shoot for 15-minute miles (4 mph), which you will see is a moderate pace that borders on the casual stroll and a power walk. Start Light – You may have heard stories about 100+ lbs. rucks from your military friends. While this is true with many who served in the Infantry, Rangers, and other special operations ground pounders, the beginner doesn't need to go heavy. Start Short and Progress Smartly – If you walk 30 minutes a day already, try making 5-10 minutes of that normal walk with the added new weight. Progress every week or two with an additional 5 minutes under the ruck. You can build up to 30-60 minutes of rucking in a few months as long as you are consistent with your walking/rucking regimen. Don’t Do Daily – Progress with the number of days you ruck as with the weight and distance increases. Start off once or twice a week at first. I recommend calling your rucking day a leg day. Rucking is a great way to top off leg day if you lift. Good Shoes / Boots – The shoes, boots, and socks will largely be preferred by the individual, but it is smart to ruck with boots if the terrain you are walking is uneven (trails, fields, etc.). But good walking shoes are fine if you walk on roads and pavement. Get a Good Backpack (or Weight Vest) – Many people start off wearing a backpack to build strength in a more balanced way, as the weight vest has front/back weights distributed on your torso better than a backpack. Don’t Forget Weight – Adding weight to a backpack seems common sense. Just put in a plate or a dumbbell to get your desired weight - right? Wrong. Unless you like metal grinding on your ribs and spine, you may want something softer and equally dense. Try sand. You can buy a 40-50lb bag of play sand (think sandbox filler) for less than $5 and adjust it to fit nicely in any pouch in your pack. 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

Stew Smith https://www.stewsmithfitness.com and Jeff Nichols https://www.performancefirstus.com discuss students and coaches who take their training seriously.  What does that actually mean? Here are some great examples of cues given off by students to the coaches that show a lack of seriousness with the process of becoming a __________.Check out other videos of combat swimmer stroke, workouts, and other spec ops-related training.  See http://www.stewsmithfitness.com for more information about the military, law enforcement, special ops, fire fighting training programs.

No doubt, you have seen countless ways to lose weight in your life, from dieting, fasting, and sweating (water weight) to portion control; all work if you are consistent with your chosen process of restricting calories consumed.  See https://www.stewsmithfitness.com for more info. The one thing you must realize no matter what method you choose to try to lose extra weight is it takes an effort to burn more calories than you consume. Typically, this process takes weeks of consistently either burning more calories than normal or reducing the number of calories you eat during this time. As a person who is not a dietitian or nutritionist, I want to share some experiences over the decades of trying to gain weight as a young athlete, maintaining a healthy weight during military service, and even losing weight throughout my forties and fifties.  Though each scenario is different, it all comes down to keeping track of the number of calories IN versus OUT.  Here are some classic examples: (see LIVE QA show)Also if you have not been to https://www.stewsmithfitness.com in a while check out the latest articles, updated books and ebooks on tactical fitness, and online coaching is available too by Stew Smith CSCS - former Navy SEAL and long time tactical fitness and spec ops swim coach.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/stew50smith  Go to https://www.stewsmithfitness.com and use LIVE15 and save 15% on the store purchases

Stew Smith discusses running / rucking activities for various athletes in jobs where load bearing is needed.  See more at https://www.stewsmithfitness.com and use LIVE 15 to save 15% with books / ebooks / programming.If you have ever served in a unit that rucks as its primary method of transportation, you may have noticed three different groups. A group that could outrun everyone but only ruck at a mediocre pace. A group that could out-ruck everyone but ran at a mediocre pace. Then there is the hybrid guy who is just above average in both.  Think of The Groups As Cars, Trucks, and SUVsThank you for your watching, if you need anything you can find me on social media, email - stew@stewsmith.com, and my articles at Military.com and https://www.stewsmithfitness.comVoted Top Ten Military Fitness Blog (#1 and #3)Check out Most Common Mistakes Report for Spec Ops CandidatesFollow Stew Smith on:  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

Stew Smith https://www.StewSmithFitness.com discusses what you ask about today. Some of the most common topics and related articles about prior questions are here.Related introduction topic article: https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/two-programs-that-turn-weakness-into-strengths-or-much-less-of-a-weaknessCheck out my info at https://www.stewsmithfitness.com for more on tactical fitness training, testing, and getting TO and THROUGH Selection. https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/physical-assessment-tools-for-to-and-through-selection Personalizing Spec Ops Programming to Logically Fit Your Abilities...then Progress from There... See ideas: https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/test-article Also - Two Programs To Turn Weakness into Strength - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/two-programs-that-turn-weakness-into-strengths-or-much-less-of-a-weaknessCheck out the System’s Check article - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/perform-a-systems-check-after-long-bouts-with-illness-injury-or-not-trainingWho is Ready for FALL Transition Training? It is coming up....When in doubt – go with Mobility Day workouts to keep the habit of training alive:https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/mobility-day-easy-day-recovery-day-technique-day-call-it-what-you-want-you-still-need-itDon’t Skip Mobility Day - https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/dont-skip-moblity-dayCheck out more info on my YouTube, TIKTOK (CSS Critiques), Instagram pages as well as my site https://www.stewsmithfitness.com

Stew Smith talks about training for goals and assessing yourself regularly to see if you are on the right program. https://www.stewsmithfitness.comTrust the Process...But Verify / Assess RegularlyIf 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-dreamMy 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 DreamsMistake #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.