The purpose of this article is to provide the strength and conditioning coach with a template on how to integrate the clean and power clean into athletic training programs.

In this session from the 2015 NSCA National Conference, Nelson Ayotte—the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the St. Louis Blues National Hockey League (NHL) team—explains how to design and implement a specific energy systems program at the elite level. Ayotte demonstrates the characteristics of each of the three energy systems and their trainability, and explores how to understand the energy demands of a sport by analysis of its characteristics, competition intensity, and duration of efforts and recovery periods.

Learn how to coach various weight room exercises and understand the differences of “intention” between the various levels of football. In this session from the NSCA’s 2017 Coaches Conference, Pete Bommarito dives into the details of building strength in the weight room for youth and early high school football players, how to maximize all aspects of speed-strength and power by heavy variable loading, and advanced techniques at the elite and professional levels.

Coaching staffs need to be mindful of how groups are formed for training, who the leaders are, and what group norms are established across the different combinations of athletes training.

The purpose of this article is to provide warfighters and tactical facilitators with an evidence-based approach to improve maximal strength and power using the trap bar deadlift as it relates to combat preparedness.

During 2018 TSAC Annual Training, the NSCA’s own Tactical Strength and Conditioning Program Manager, Nate Palin, discusses his personal and professional take on running in the military setting. Here Palin identifies the pros, risks, and shortcomings associated with run-centric physical training for special operations forces, as well as discusses more safe and efficient strength and conditioning alternatives to running-based fitness programs for these tactical operators.

This TSAC Report article discusses the training load of GPS technology and blood lactate monitoring for first responders. Visit NSCA online to learn more about tactical fitness.

Hydration, footwear, and exercise frequency are only a few of the essentials to safe participation in cardiovascular activity. Make sure to include all six essentials in your program to ensure safe participation.

The importance of recognizing a closed-chain activity lies in the fact that the motions of multiple joints are coupled. Weakness at any one joint will consequently limit performance of the entire movement.

The purpose of this article is to identify and discuss some barriers and benefits of training initiatives among professional firefighters.