What defines true toughness in coaching? Dan Perlmutter presents an alternative to the “tough strength coach” stereotype, reframing success as adaptability, resilience, and relentless positivity. As Director of Sports Performance and Head Olympic Sports Performance Coach at Duke University, Perlmutter reflects on building a strong culture rooted in genuine relationships and longevity. He explains Duke’s structured approach to developing interns and coaching assistants, highlighting purposeful recruiting and intentional mentorship to transform passion into professionalism. Perlmutter emphasizes a gratitude lens and people-focused philosophy, always prioritizing the athlete in front of him. He also addresses how strength and conditioning coaches can navigate collegiate shifts, such as Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals and the transfer portal, by reinforcing the weight room environment and culture. If you are seeking practical strategies to build a sustainable career and a workplace you look forward to each day, this conversation is your blueprint. Connect with Dan via email at dan.perlmutter@duke.edu and on Instagram: @theothercoachp | Meet the Duke University Sports Performance Staff on their website | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs

Confused about which diet is best? Alan Aragon examines the evidence behind the claims made by each of the main diet perspectives in this session from the 2015 NSCA Personal Trainers Conference. The questions answered include: “which diet is best for weight loss?” and “which diet is best for promoting health and preventing cardiovascular disease?” Individual goals and circumstances will be discussed as well as practical applications.

This article discusses what muscle dysmorphia is, the ways in which adolescents can fall victim to it, and how to intervene when body image becomes distorted.

Passion, while imperative to training, must be paired with energy, enthusiasm, intention, and knowledge to truly make a difference and create your “sonic boom.” Being an effective strength and conditioning coach is a lifestyle, not a job, and with continued passion, you can affect many lives positively.

This article provides a sample six-week, non-linear program for improving muscular strength, power, endurance, anaerobic capacity, and aerobic capacity. However, this is not a “one-size fits all” program, and manipulation of the program variables may be warranted for some individuals.

Given the high prevalence of injuries that occur during rucking, implementing an injury prevention program is paramount. Disseminating information on proper injury prevention training methods and reducing the risk of ruck-related back injuries can improve overall mission readiness with minimal lost training time.

Personal training clients may need to make both exercise and nutrition changes to achieve their goals. Combining the nutritional knowledge of registered dietitians and training aspects of personal trainers may be of benefit to clients.

A constant long-term mindset of system improvement, although often time consuming at first, will pay big dividends in the long run. All of this is done with the intent of spending more time on what truly matters: making money by helping people and changing lives.

This article is part of a continuing series of tactical strength and conditioning (TSAC) research reviews. It is designed to bring awareness to new research findings of relevance to tactical strength and conditioning communities.

Exercise and physical activity are necessary for the development of optimal bone health, as well as the preservation of bone mass density (BMD) throughout life. It is imperative, as health and fitness professionals, to understand the impact of exercise on skeletal health and overall wellness and to serve as an educational resource for clients.