The purposes of assessment are to gather baseline data and to provide a basis for developing goals and effective exercise programs. Gathering and evaluating the various pieces of information give the personal trainer a broader perspective of the client. The process and the data collected assist the trainer in identifying potential areas of injury and reasonable starting points for recommended intensities and volumes of exercise based on the goals and fitness outcomes.

Because habits are contextually linked, it is reasonable to suggest that modifying the environment may disrupt the habit process and allow conscious intention to guide behavior. This article focuses on providing practical recommendations to aid individuals with intentions to exercise and eat healthy to reach their goals in the face of undesirable habits.

John Mackersie speaks at the 2018 NSCA TSAC Annual Training about how to apply variations of Olympic-style lifts into programming. As well as prescribing regressions, progressions, and modifications to individuals with injury or who are new to Olympic-style lifts.

Learn about common misconceptions about shoulder function and the process for improving shoulder mobility and stability. In this session from the NSCA’s 2017 TSAC Annual Training, Lee Burton—one of the founders of Functional Movement Systems (FMS)—provides easy-to-prescribe screens and exercise progressions to improve and maintain shoulder function.

This excerpt walks strength and conditioning coaches through the Turkish get-up exercise.

Despite an incidence of approximately 3.8 million sports-related concussions per year, prevention of this injury remains quite challenging. Neck strengthening may limit transmitted forces to the head and mitigate trauma to the brain. In this session from the 2015 NSCA Coaches Conference, Tad Seifert reviews current evidence-based data in neck strength and its association with concussions.

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Professional standards can differ from gym-to-gym, studio-to-studio, and personal trainer-to-personal trainer, but all professional personal trainers can benefit from focusing on specific goals.

In this 2018 TSAC Annual Training video, Jay Sedory and Arron Prowett discuss the development of the Force Fitness Program used to create and advance the understanding of physical, mental, and spiritual wellness in order to prepare a well-rounded soldier for combat.