Most people suffer from some degree of injury, illness, or disease at some point. As a result, there is a need for strength and conditioning professionals who can develop effective exercise programs for people with disabilities.

Coaching elite mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes demands creativity, adaptability, and a global mindset. Gavin Pratt, Senior Director of Strength and Conditioning at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Performance Institute, shares insights from his international career. Pratt reflects on preparing athletes for the Chinese National Games and managing strength and conditioning at the world’s first MMA academy in Shanghai. Applying a systems-based approach, he tackles MMA’s unique challenges — including unpredictable training schedules, diverse personalities and backgrounds, session intensity, and load management. Driven by passion rather than prestige, Pratt emphasizes he’s never been a "tracksuit hunter" — someone motivated primarily by titles or status. He highlights MMA’s innovation potential, especially when using individualized technology based on athletes' force or velocity deficiencies. Pratt contrasts the United States’ expertise in speed, agility, and change of direction with Australia’s early adoption of sports science. He also provides valuable interview advice to help coaches communicate effectively under pressure. Discover practical strategies to elevate your coaching impact. Connect with Gavin via email at gpratt@ufc.com and on Instagram: @gav_pratt | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs If this episode sparked your interest in MMA and other combat sports, take the next step by joining the NSCA Combat Sports Special Interest Group (SIG) on LinkedIn. Connect with a global network of professionals shaping the future of performance. Inspired by Nick Barringer’s recommendation? Register early to save on 2025 NSCA Tactical Annual Training. Catch Barringer’s talk on performance bloodwork and more nuggets of wisdom.

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.

The Durable Endurance Athlete

In this session from the 2016 NSCA Coaches Conference, Doug Bull addresses the multitude of problems faced by high school strength coaches every day. These include constraints on time and available space, training multisport athletes, dealing with the developmental level of the athlete, and ways to utilize a coaching staff to aid in running a successful program.

This article provides a firsthand account with knowledge and advice for personal trainers looking to start and grow their business.

Tex McQuilkin, Director of Training for Power Athlete HQ, defines athleticism as a trainable performance variable at the 2019 Coaches Conference. McQuilkin illustrates the four phases of the competitive lifecycle for sport athletes and empowers coaches with strategies to best apply progressive overload and support the long-term trainability of novice athletes.

Jim Kielbaso, MS, CSCS, spoke at the NSCA's 2013 Personal Trainer Conference about finding balance between working with personal training clients vs athletes.

NATCON 2022

From the virtual 2021 NSCA Coaches Conference, human performance specialists from the O2X Human Performance network discuss the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), including what it entails, how strength coaches can best prepare individuals for it, and the nutritional and mental demands of training for the test.