Heart rate variability (HRV) testing is at the forefront of a wave of cutting-edge assessment tools that are becoming available to the personal trainer. In this session from the 2015 NSCA Personal Trainers Conference, Carmine Grieco provides an overview of the physiological background and dynamics of HRV, including the most current supportive evidence, with an emphasis on the practical application for personal trainers.

The path to the top is not always linear. For Jill Costanza, it included returning to school and stops in collegiate and military performance before becoming Director of Sport Science and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach with the National Football League (NFL) Detroit Lions. Costanza describes today’s sport science landscape as a “Wild West,” where definitions differ by perspective. Her focus centers on assessing the athlete and program effectiveness against the demands of the game to identify holistic interventions. She outlines how intentional systems, a clear communication funnel, and data visualizations help athletes and stakeholders understand the “why,” build buy-in, and tap into competitiveness. Addressing common misconceptions, Costanza clarifies that elite athletes can still have foundational qualities that need rewiring. She emphasizes movement quality, proprioception, and breathing while adapting for individual needs and neurological fatigue. Learn how to build sport science systems, turn insights into action, and keep progressing on your professional path. Reach out to Jill by email at: jill.costanza@lions.nfl.net | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Join the NSCA Football Special Interest Group (SIG) and explore 24 other specialized communities designed to support your development on the Special Interest Groups page.

Potentially, an instability training program that first involves static balance and then progresses to dynamic balance activities would improve intrinsic balance. This improvement in balance would increase movement confidence, releasing the neuromuscular system from a stiffening strategy to more unimpeded motion, force, and power development.

Coaching staffs need to be mindful of how groups are formed for training, who the leaders are, and what group norms are established across the different combinations of athletes training.

With this hands-on session, David Otey discusses the anatomy and biomechanics of rotational training for the everyday athlete. Also covered is how to structure implementation of rotational training and establish parameters for any client.

This book excerpt reviews functional isometrics as a way to build strength at the weakest point in the range of motion.

This article considers some of the main differences between the training of Olympic weightlifters and the use of Olympic weightlifting exercises in strength training for sport.

Almost all functional movements of the trunk are combinations or variations of four basic movement patterns: trunk flexion, trunk extension, trunk rotation, and trunk lateral flexion. This article lists exercises to address each of these movement patterns.

This NSCA Coach article explores how combining strength and plyometric training can improve volleyball hitters’ vertical jump and power. Visit NSCA online to read more on athletic performance and sports science.

This excerpt from NSCA's Guide to Tests and Assessments briefly discusses the method behind a lactate threshold test and the pretest considerations one might take prior to this test.