Former collegiate hockey athlete Cole Hergott thrived in the offseason, but it took a setback to accelerate his path in strength and conditioning. After losing his spot on the team, he channeled his work ethic into interning with Trinity Western University. Years later, he returned to his alma mater as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach. Only 25 at the time, Hergott recounts the unique challenge of coaching athletes who were older or previous classmates. Leading over 300 athletes as the sole full-time strength and conditioning coach, he quickly learned to “write all your plans in pencil,” while building trust, optimizing logistics, and adapting through COVID-19 disruptions. Hergott emphasizes mentorship and encourages coaches to lean on those who navigated similar challenges. As part of the NSCA British Columbia Advisory Board, he encourages listeners to share their practical insights at local events. Hergott’s journey underscores the value of continual growth and embracing uncertainty. Connect with Cole via email at cole.hergott@twu.ca | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs | Join the NSCA Canadian Community on LinkedIn! Learn more about volunteering with the NSCA at the local level at NSCA.com/Volunteer. Interested in presenting at a local or national NSCA event? Submit your application here.

Flexibility training is important because of the role that flexibility plays in improving movement performance and reducing the opportunity for injury. Learn more about the role of flexibility training in this exclusive excerpt from the book NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training, Second Edition, published by Human Kinetics.

This PTQ article focuses on the use of the back squat along with innovative technology to measure velocity during lower body lifts. Visit NSCA online to read more on personal training news and athletic performance.

This article is part of a continuing series on practical, evidence-based approaches to reducing the risk of injury while developing tactical strength and conditioning.

This article describes the various strength training processes that can be implemented to build a soldier’s ruck march capacity.

This excerpt from Developing Agility and Quickness aims to provide a snapshot of programming volleyball-specific agility and quickness sessions.

This article explains the specific considerations of building a tactical training space and how to maximize the potential of the dedicated space by having a stable of equipment that reflects the needs of the audience.

Supplements that claim to boost nitric oxide have not been proven to be all that effective since the actual conversion in the blood cell is rather complicated and requires oxygen, which is usually in short supply during exercise or at high altitude. So how does an athlete boost their nitric oxide production?

Eating a diet rich in leucine and supplementing HMB may be beneficial for tactical athletes as long as they are following the recommended guidelines.

Interest is growing in warm-up procedures that involve dynamic activities and sport-specific movements that maximize active ranges of motion at different movement-specific speeds while preparing the body for the demands of sport training and competition.