Monitoring training load is essential for determining if athletes are adapting positively or negatively to their training program. This article goes over the various measurement metrics and includes recommendations to monitor training load for football athletes.

This article is an overview of several studies that look into the effects of intensity and volume in the training of combat soldiers and its relation to injury.

Bone tissue is “alive” and is a dynamic tissue that can respond to resistance training. In addition to the obvious effects of resistance training on muscle mass and strength, resistance training may lead to decreased risk for osteoporosis, fractures, and falls in later life.

Deloading is widespread, but its application is often inconsistent and undervalued. That gap caught Lee Bell’s attention after discovering there was no consensus definition. Bell is a Senior Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University who focuses on the deloading, overtraining, and overreaching spectrum. He explains how overtraining and overreaching are sometimes used synonymously. That confusion is compounded further by associations with overtraining syndrome (OTS). Instead, Bell frames overreaching as a “window of opportunity” when used intentionally. For example, a planned overreach can be functional or non-functional based on recovery. Bell also examines opportunities and tradeoffs in modern periodization models. He contrasts flexible and fluid approaches with more traditional, rigid programming; each approach has implications for athlete trust and recovery. Looking ahead, Bell envisions a collaborative approach to sport science driven by coaching needs. He reflects on recent coaching survey data and the key themes that emerged for the future. Hear his perspective on next steps in velocity-based training, individualized periodization, and variability. Reach out to Lee via Instagram: @lee3ell and LinkedIn: @lee-bell| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs → Read the SCJ article co-authored by Lee Bell referenced in this episode: A Practical Approach to Deloading: Recommendations and Considerations for Strength and Physique Sports.

Even though most high school athletes feel as though their diet is sufficient in quality and caloric value, this session from the 2015 NSCA National Conference explains that high school athletes usually do not meet their caloric needs to support their training volume. Tavis Piattoly identifies the challenges high school athletes face regarding their nutrition and the strategies that can be used to correct these issues.

This article provides a blueprint and “mini-macrocycle” that will assist the personal trainer in creating a program design for older adults by offering organized templates, direction in selecting exercise components, and the creation of volume controls specific to the client’s needs.

This article breaks down periodization into sequencing and integrating training factors to optimize training outcomes.

This Kinetic Select from NSCA’s Essentials of Personal Training, Second Edition gives a brief overview of respiratory adaptations, and how aerobic interventions of duration and intensity can be used for specific adaptations for endurance training.

Tactical jobs are fast-paced, physically and psychologically intense, and failure can have tragic consequences, making it vital to train tactical athletes to perform better under stress.

This article provides the personal trainer with sample exercise progressions for teaching resistance training movement patterns along with practical strategies for instruction and reinforcement of proper technique.