Ground-based free weight lifts, especially the explosive Olympic-style lifts, are highly recommended for athletic conditioning for the core muscles. They can provide a moderately unstable stimulus to augment activation of the core and limb muscles, while still providing maximal or near maximal strength, velocity, and power output.

This PTQ article provides a review of the practical and the physiological benefits that resistance bands can provide. Visit NSCA online to read more on fitness news, exercise science and athletic performance.

In this episode, we learn from Emily Schilling, an Associate Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Illinois Fighting Illini Volleyball team. She shares her needs analysis for the growing sport of volleyball with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, including thoughts for training team sports, different positions on the court, and the progression from first-year students through graduation. Another important topic covered is the professional pathways strength and conditioning coaches take to gain meaningful early-career coaching experiences and pursue higher-level director roles. Hear about beyond the weightroom demands placed on college student-athletes today, and how National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) “Name, Image, Likeness” (NIL) policies are a topic that strength and conditioning coaches should learn about. You can connect with Emily via email at esselman@illinois.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

This NSCA Coach article outlines the best practices for Achilles recovery in soccer. Visit NSCA online to read more on athletic performance and sports recovery.

The purpose of this article is to help disseminate information on the thermal environment during track meets, risk management, and thermal reducing approaches coaches, athletes, and sports medicine personnel can employ for improved athletic performance in a hot environment.

In recent years, performance and prevention strategies have grown to include monitoring training load (TL) to understand fatigue and the potential effects of fatigue on training adaptation and performance.

Evidence-Based Program Design for Durability and Performance

Motivation techniques derive from building relationships of trust and honesty. In this session from the NSCA’s 2017 Coaches Conference, Marisa Viola, Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning at Rutgers University, teaches how to connect and impact this generation of athletes.

Get a close-up look at the anatomy of the hips and legs from a perspective rarely seen by those outside the medical field. Delve into the world of joint structure, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Watch hands-on demonstrations that apply anatomical insight to mobility and functional training and use this knowledge and takeaways to enhance your next client session.

Learn about the various forms of active resistance training and how to create active resistance devices that are inexpensive and reduce injury risk compared to traditional log bars and kegs. In this session from the NSCA's 2016 Annual TSAC Training, Jay Dawes also discusses how to progress, regress, and program active resistance into a comprehensive strength and conditioning plan.