In the first of a two part series, this article explores the possible benefits for strength and conditioning coach development and discusses how mindful meditation can improve reflective practice and the coach-athlete relationship.

This Personal Trainers Quarterly article promotes the benefits of walking to boost physical activity and improve overall health outcomes. Visit NSCA online to read more on health science and low-impact exercises.

Given the numerous approaches and variables which contribute to leadership effectiveness, it is unlikely any single approach is sufficient. This article briefly discusses the leadership approaches most commonly associated with team sports with the intent of providing a foundational understanding of leadership to strength and conditioning coaches.

The evaluation, treatment, and management of concussions are an ongoing evolution in sports injury management and medicine. Strengthening the neck and shoulder region has been one way of trying to reduce head and neck injuries.

Building athletes who are strong, healthy, and resilient requires more than sets and reps, starting with a shift in mindset. Christi Edson, Head of Performance for the Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), shares how she integrates strength and conditioning with sport science to sustain athlete health and performance. She reflects on the field’s evolution from the well-known “Bigger, Faster, Stronger” program to a training culture emphasizing resilience, active recovery, and durability. Drawing from her experience coaching high school athletes to NWSL professionals, Edson highlights the adaptability and creativity coaches need. Those qualities help her to develop athletes who can thrive through a demanding 11-month season. She details how tools like GPS, force plates, and velocity-based training sharpen communication and reshape expectations in the gym. Her story points coaches toward the future of athlete development: collaboration, precise load management, and long-term health as the foundation of strength. Connect with Christi on Instagram: @christiedson and LinkedIn: @christiana-edson | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Read the article, “A Creative Mind in the Professional Development of a Strength and Conditioning Coach,” from NSCA Coach, 11(1), February 2024 — referenced in this episode’s return-to-play discussion. NSCA Members enjoy full publication access. Interested in bridging coaching and sport science? The Certified Performance and Sport Scientist (CPSS) credential can help you expand your qualifications, open new career paths, and strengthen cross-department collaboration.

This article discusses how personal trainers can utilize the strength zone training system in order to develop true full range of motion strength, and thus help clients perform better and further reduce injury risk.

The aim of this article is to review the research into the knowledge of personal trainers, their misconceptions, and to provide evidence-based strategies to help correct any misconceptions.

This article discusses how first responder organizations can optimize their training programs through scientific techniques, including the measurement of training load.

The second in a planned series to review essential considerations of each Functional Movement Screen (FMS) pattern, this article will examine the FMS hurdle step pattern in finer detail.

This article provides eight important considerations when designing a program to optimally build the glutes.