Hear from two-time Olympian, Meg Stone, the first female strength and conditioning coach to head both men’s and women’s strength programs at a major American university. Stone shares her story from being an elite discus thrower towards an unexpected coaching career, with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Manager, Eric McMahon. She discusses what she believes needs to change to further the strength and conditioning field in support of athlete health and safety. Stone also tells us about what makes the Sport Science Program at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) so unique and beneficial for students. The episode highlights the ongoing work of the NSCA for the prevention of catastrophic injury and sudden death in sport. You can read more about this topic in a recent NSCA press release: NSCA Reaffirms Position on Appropriate Qualifications for Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches. Connect with Meg by email at stoneme@etsu.edu| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

Is the squat or hip thrust a better exercise for increasing jump and sprint performance? The results of this study support the force vector theory.

The purpose of this article is to discuss the theory behind the French Contrast Method (FCM), current evidence demonstrating its effectiveness, as well as proper implementation and execution for athletic populations.

This study compared the effectiveness of the single-leg Roman chair hold exercise with the Nordic hamstring curl exercise in athletes with previous hamstring injuries.

Gatorade Forum: Building Blocks for Strength & Conditioning Coaches Success Sponsored by Gatorade

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.

Exercise Technique: High Bar Back Squat

This article aims to share practical application strategies that strength and conditioning coaches can use in fostering a positive change in their athlete’s performance by understanding intrinsic and extrinsic performance motivation and how to adopt an autonomy-supportive coaching style.

This TSAC Report article discusses incorporating stress inoculation to help first responders reduce stress response and expedite recovery. Visit NSCA online to learn more about exercise research.

The path to actual integration of mental and physical training for the tactical athlete is paved with growing empiricism. The current challenge is to sustain creative development of functional approaches and demonstrate that integration can deliver potential benefits.