The purposes of assessment are to gather baseline data and to provide a basis for developing goals and effective exercise programs. Gathering and evaluating the various pieces of information give the personal trainer a broader perspective of the client. The process and the data collected assist the trainer in identifying potential areas of injury and reasonable starting points for recommended intensities and volumes of exercise based on the goals and fitness outcomes.

This article discusses how suspension-based resistance training may help develop the stability and muscular endurance in the shoulder joint needed to decrease the risk of shoulder injuries as a result of the demands of firefighting.

This article provides practical suggestions that personal trainers can use to help their clients become and stay motivated to stick with their exercise routines.

This article is the first of a continuing series of tactical strength and conditioning (TSAC) research reviews. It is designed to bring awareness to new research findings of relevance to tactical communities.

In this session from the 2019 NSCA National Conference, Professor and Chair of the Department of Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina, Shawn Arent, discusses different nutritional strategies for optimizing performance versus optimizing body composition. He also reviews the current research for various nutritional approaches and trends in nutritional recommendations.

This article briefly explains different squat variations, as well as how they differ from a physics and biomechanics standpoint.

This article applies LTAD principles to guide the process of generating an athletic profile (part 1) and sample program design (part 2) for a middle school athlete and a high school athlete.

This article will demonstrate why personal trainers should consider the use of blood flow restriction (BFR) and BFR technology for appropriate medically-screened clients that provides an objective way to apply pressure, whether that is through manual or automated cuffs.

Knowledge of metabolic rate can help athletes as well as health-conscious people improve their exercise performance or obtain the fat-to-lean-mass ratio optimal for their personal situations. Two examples of how this works follow.