This PTQ article discusses a Mini Quality System (MQS), an ISO 9001-inspired framework designed to help small and growing fitness centers establish better operational control. Visit NSCA online to read more on fitness management.

Ron McKeefery, Vice President of Performance and Education for PLAE, talks to the NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about how he got started with the Iron Game Chalk Talk, his involvement with the NSCA, the value in attending and putting on events, the future of the profession, decision paralysis, and creating culture in the weight room.

This article examines training from collegiate lacrosse programs and how this data can be used to develop data-informed recommendations and refine current approaches towards preparing military and tactical personnel for the Army Combat Fitness Test.

Job descriptions, schedules, personal responsibilities, and physical training experience are all factors that should be taken into account when designing a unique and specialized training program for tactical athletes.

Mentorship isn’t flawless — and that’s where its power lies. Erik Hernandez, Associate Director for Sports Performance – Olympic Sports at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, has built his career on turning imperfect scenarios into lasting lessons for athletes and young coaches alike. For over 14 years at UNC, he has guided lacrosse, volleyball, and golf, adapting his voice to each culture while holding firm to shared standards of accountability and growth. Hernandez streamlines training into a three-phase model — explosive, strength, and remedial — yet emphasizes that delivery and communication matter more than complexity. He reminds athletes, “modifications are part of progress,” linking health, recovery, and seasonal demands to long-term development. For interns and early-career coaches, his advice is clear: earn mentors by serving others, and learn from every scenario, even the imperfect ones. Hear how mentorship, adaptability, and athlete health point the way forward for stronger teams and longer careers. Reach out to Coach Hernandez on Instagram: @hernandezstrength or by email: ehhernan@email.unc.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Answer Bryan Mann’s “call to arms!” Many volunteer applications are open now through December 15. Step up and give back to your strength and conditioning community at NSCA.com/Volunteer.

Velocity-based training (VBT) has been generating a lot of buzz lately. In this session from the NSCA’s 2017 TSAC Annual Training, Dr. Bryan Mann explains how and why VBT works, how different devices work, and how to account for them in training.

Joel Raether, Director of Sport Performance at Authentic Performance Center, uses this session to take a closer look at how all variables within a program must be addressed to account for cumulative fatigue, density of variables within, and how to manage stressors for the tactical athlete with high demands for physical, mental, physiological, and emotional stress.

Specificity of training involves an analysis of physiological, anatomical, and psychological needs for an activity. This article explains how to create a well-designed program that takes exercise specificity into account.

This article explains how having the right systems in place (such as accounting, training, and marketing) can help a personal trainer take his or her business to the next level.

The ability of strength and conditioning professionals to bridge the gap between sports medicine and coaching is the focus of this session from the NSCA’s 2016 Coaches Conference. Coach Ted Perlak explains why coaches should take into account the “why” and the “how” more so than the “what.”