This career series article focuses on the calling of the tactical strength and conditioning facilitator. It touches on the drive, commitment, and dedication necessary to work with tactical populations.

Explore the applied sport science research process in college baseball, and how academic research can be optimized to benefit player programming. This episode features Dr. David Szymanski, the Director of Baseball Performance at Louisiana Tech University, and co-editor of the recently published book NSCA’s Strength Training for Baseball. Hear about Szymanski’s career path, from college baseball player to coach and sport scientist. This episode covers a wide range of relevant topics, including exercise selection, performance technology, student pathways, and the emergence of performance director roles across Major League Baseball (MLB). Find David on Instagram: @drdavidszymanski or at his program website: LA Tech Sport Science| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

When considering applying advanced methods to affect and augment maximal power output, this excerpt from Developing Power explains three key points to consider.

Sled exercises provide a training stimulus that closely mimics real-world physical demands of sports. This article provides examples of how to implement sled training into a program.

There are inherent challenges to designing training programs for firefighters, Mark Abel says in this member-only lecture from the 2014 TSAC Conference. Join Mark as he provides valuable insight into programming for these tactical athletes, including appropriate periodization and training strategies that address these challenges.

“The goal of what we’re trying to do is make a difference in someone’s life,” says Gary Schofield in this session from the 2015 NSCA National Conference. Coach Schofield explains areas where you can make a difference for your athletes, including movement efficiency, recovery and regeneration, autoregulation, velocity-based training, and conditioning with purpose.

As athletes return to training in the heat, Doug Casa, CEO of the Korey Stringer Institute, covers safety and considerations for strength and conditioning coaches. Casa discusses guidelines for heat acclimatization, signs and symptoms of traumas, emergency action plans, prevention strategies, and provides valuable resources for coaches.

This 2018 TSAC Annual Training video features Charles Kornhauser and Ryan Holmes discussing their experience in identifying the challenges in physical training for police recruits, and their development of programs based on task analysis and injury prevention for individuals in the academy.

Static and dynamic conditioning of the core musculature is important in activities of daily living and in sport. This book excerpt includes sample static exercises to strengthen the core muscles responsible for stabilization against, or movement through, the four basic movement patterns.

In this session from the 2018 NSCA Coaches Conference, Ben Gleason brings awareness to the circumstances that lead to rhabdomyolysis syndrome, and some of the exercise programming that can cause this condition. Ben offers recommendations for preventing exertional rhabdomyolysis when training athletes at a variety of preparedness levels.