Develop a better understanding of the brain’s role on exercise and recovery for the tactical athlete, and learn how to identify and implement heart rate variability (HRV) markers for prescribing recovery strategies. Presented by Mark Stephenson, Director of the Human Performance Program at a special operations unit for the Department of Defense, at the NSCA’s 2016 TSAC Annual Training.

This infographic discusses how testing for the change of direction deficit may be a more specific measure of change of direction ability in athletes.

Tex McQuilkin, Director of Training and Education at Power Athlete talks to the NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about Coach McQuilkin’s work at power athlete, his athletic background, and his start into Strength and Conditioning. Topics under discussion include: Power Athletes education program, Coach McQuilkin’s experiences working with athletes, his GA position,

Isolated muscle training methods do not necessarily transfer to better sports performance, because technique as well as strength contributes to successful performance. Resistance training for dynamic sports must involve ground-based movements that incorporate the coordinated stabilizing and dynamic functions of multiple muscles.

In this session from the NSCA’s 2018 TSAC Conference, Josh Hagen explains the importance of having an understanding metrics and how to implement monitoring for tactical athletes to influence training for optimal performance.

In this session from the 2020 NSCA Coaches Conference, Matt Nein, Coordinator of Sports Performance at Salisbury University, discusses his fluid periodization model for coaches to use to easily adapt to the changing situations on a week-to-week (or even day-to-day) basis, and still optimize training for the athletes.

The purpose of this article is to discuss relationships between current fitness testing within the United States Army and its effect on overall tactical readiness.

This article discusses the background, statistics, mechanisms, timing, dosing, influences, and practical applications for the use of caffeine as an ergogenic aid.

The importance of sprinting in many sports has resulted in the search for the most appropriate training methods to improve sprint performance. Authors of recent reviews conclude that resistance training is an effective means to improve sprint performance. Others, however, have reported that resistance training is not as effective as simply engaging in sprint training.

When collegiate athletes are also cadets, coaching requires adaptability and flexibility at its finest. In this Gatorade Performance Partner Special Episode, Scott Caulfield shares his coaching philosophy as the first Director of Strength and Conditioning at Norwich University, a senior military college. Coach Caulfield oversees 23 varsity teams and over 600 student-athletes — including Corps of Cadets members and civilians — while also serving as a campuswide resource and adjunct instructor. With field training taking precedence, he describes adapting to varying student needs, goals, and readiness levels. As a veteran and Vermont native, he reflects on returning home and the higher service component of preparing students for careers beyond sport. Coach Caulfield also brings his certified therapy dogs into the weight room, creating an “immediate barrier breakdown” that helps students feel at ease. He calls on coaches to get involved, take advantage of NSCA Foundation opportunities, and keep pushing the profession forward. Reach out to Coach Caulfield on Instagram at: @coachcaulfield, and see his weight room therapy dogs at: @atm_riv_g_therapydogs. Explore the latest from the Norwich weight room at: @norwichsc | Email Jon at: jonathan.jost@pepsico.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs. Explore scholarships, grants, and assistantships at NSCA.com/Foundation. Apply for volunteer leadership opportunities by December 15 at NSCA.com/Volunteer. Read the free TSAC Report article on coaching philosophy to enhance communication between strength and conditioning professionals and firefighters, co-authored by Scott Caulfield. This special episode is brought to you in part by Gatorade Performance Partner. Learn more and join their community at GatoradePerformancePartner.com.