StewSmith.com:  Puts the "S" in the FITT Principle (or the "T")

After over a decade of creating workout plans for future military, law enforcement, special ops, and fire fighters, when people ask me what fitness genre I work with, , I say I specialize in “SPECIFICITY”.  Usually that brings the average fitness buff to a strange, inquisitive stare, but most people in the fitness business are well aware of the FITT principle, or in my case the FITS principle.  If you have had any basic class on fitness and health you likely were required to remember the FITT Principle:

Frequency – How often do you exercise per week?  Usually my workouts are constructed on a 5-6 day a week cycle of a mix of full body, upper body, lower body workouts every other day (3 days a week of either), 4-5 days a week of some form of cardio depending upon the activity you seek (swimming, running, rucking, or other non impact options), as well as 1-2 days of rest or light stretching days. 

Intensity – This depends upon your fitness level and how much rest in between sets you require.  The better in shape and more advanced programs you seek, the less rest in between and more intensity is programmed into the workout.  If you are beginning, you will have less intensity and more time to recover from circuit training or cardio intervals.

Time – How long are your workouts per day?  Logical progression of time is essential to growth without injury of overuse, especially when it comes to running, rucking, or weight lifting, and higher repetition calisthenics.  Usually beginner / intermediate workouts last 20-30 minutes and more advanced workouts can last 1-2 hours or more.

Type (Specificity) – This is where Stew Smith and StewSmith.com specializes.  If there is a fitness test out there to pass, we likely have developed a proven and effective plan for you to ace it.  We have generic plans for military units such as the Navy SEAL, Army Rangers, and regular Army, Navy, Air Force branches.  We also have programs specializing in federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, DEA, and FLETC fitness test.  We also have worked with many fire fighting units from the NYC, Mississippi Fire Academy, and the DOD Fire Fighter programs and developed programs for the CPAT and Fire Fighter Occupational Assessment Tests. 

Whether you follow other training programs, make up your own, or do not exercise at all, when you do exercise you should always consider the four elements of the FITT Principle and if each is right for you and your future goals.   See below for all of our options in fitness testing / training preparatory programs:

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. If you are interested in starting a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle - check out the StewSmith.com Fitness eBook store and the
 Stew Smith article archive at StewSmith.com. To contact Stew with your comments and questions, e-mail him at stew@stewsmith.com.

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