Meet Tara De Leon, a former collegiate strength and conditioning coach who now works as a personal trainer in Edgewater, MD. De Leon shares insight with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, and episode co-host, NSCA Personal Training Program Manager, Blake Brightwell, on alternate routes for strength and conditioning coaches through personal training, group fitness, and private sector coaching. This episode discusses the “coaching identity” as it exists and impacts coaches’ beliefs across various stages of professional development. With the growth of the strength and conditioning field, De Leon challenges us to expand our thinking and perceptions around personal training, while holding true to our values and expertise as coaches. Regardless of your current role in the profession, learn more about how the NSCA can help you grow your career. You can connect with Tara on Instagram: @tara_de_leon_fitness or tara@edgewaterfit.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

This article explains the use of structured functional fitness programs for injury prevention and enhanced job performance in fire service personnel.

A review of the literature concludes that a strength training program including low-intensity to high-intensity resistance exercises and plyometric exercises performed 2 – 3 times per week for 8 – 12 weeks is an appropriate strategy to improve running economy in highly trained middle- and long-distance runners.

Brad Schoenfeld, MS, CSCS, CSPS, NSCA-CPT, spoke at the NSCA's 2012 National Conference on optimizing the fat-burning effects of metabolic resistance training.

This article is the second part of a two-part series that considers the potential role strength and conditioning coaches have in developing student-athlete leadership.

This video bundle includes six nutrition lectures from the NSCA’s 2016 National Conference. Topics include supplementation for strength, aerobic training, and body composition; alcohol and exercise; recovery nutrition for the high school athlete; and nighttime feeding.

From the NSCA’s 2019 Tactical Annual Training, Nathan Dicks explains the Critical Speed Concept. He presents the normative data, parameters for tactical professionals, and how it can be modeled with load carriage for use in prescribing high-intensity interval training.

Breaking into the Performance Training Arena as a Personal Trainer

In the second of this two part series, this article will discuss program design with an emphasis on integrating lower limb plyometric training into soccer training to enhance power actions, as well as, consider high school athletes’ biological characteristics and long-term athletic development (LTAD).

This article provides medicine ball exercise progressions to help build athleticism in youth athletes.