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Notice: The NSCA website is scheduled to undergo system maintenance from 12:00 AM - 2:30 AM EST. During this time, there may be short service interruptions across the site and some parts of the site may not be accessible. We apologize for any inconvenience while we work to improve the website experience and security.
Determining VO2max can be useful in all areas of health, from potential diagnosis of heart disease in the elderly to measuring peak performance in elite athletes. This article will discuss the physiological limiting factors of VO2max and the role each plays in cardiovascular improvement.
Developing a truly successful program involves several layers that the personal trainer must address with time, competence, and critical thinking. A thorough and complete initial consultation can ensure that the personal trainer has all the data that they need to design a program that is time-efficient and successful.
Planning and designing training programs for a new group of athletes (e.g., a new recruiting class or a new coaching job) can be problematic without a base level understanding of the athletes’ current skill levels. This article describes one system that can be used to determine an athlete's self-confidence on different exercises.
This article summarizes several sessions at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) 62nd Annual Meeting, held in San Diego, CA, May 27–30, 2015 that examined various aspects of tactical performance.
In this lecture from the NSCA's 2014 Coaches Conference, Mike Robertson talks about corrective exercise and its application. Invoking Gray Cook, Mike defines corrective exercise as "a holistic approach where an assessment is used to determine specific weaknesses and/or limitations of the athlete" - be it aerobic, strength, or agility.
This article will explain the interference effect and provide a rationale for why low-intensity steady-state (LISS) cardiovascular training may be a useful tool for those interested in improving their body composition.
Because habits are contextually linked, it is reasonable to suggest that modifying the environment may disrupt the habit process and allow conscious intention to guide behavior. This article focuses on providing practical recommendations to aid individuals with intentions to exercise and eat healthy to reach their goals in the face of undesirable habits.
This article serves as a guide for current and future strength and conditioning professionals who oversee program design for fire academy recruits. This includes a summarized needs analysis and a sample training program that considers the unique challenges of the fire academy.
This article will discuss why it is important for first responders to have abdominal and lumbo-pelvic strength in relation to movements and tasks in their specific jobs. A list of possible exercises and implementation are also included.