This article walks personal trainers through how to present a program for the common goals and what to do if the process does not produce a sale.

This PTQ article reviews the research comparing injury rates across major resistance training styles and ranks them from the safest to the riskiest and provides practical recommendations to improve training safety. Visit NSCA online to learn more about bodybuilding and strength training strategies.

This article explores the process and reasoning behind integrating an athletic trainer within a fire department to provide clinical care and injury prevention protocols.

This article addresses three main areas of resistance exercise that best prepares tactical personnel for load carriage.

This article in NSCA Coach shares a research-driven framework for dryland training in competitive swimming. Visit us online to learn more on sport performance and exercise science.

Soldiers must be physically prepared to meet a broad range of challenges. This article is designed to help identify risks and discuss recommended strategies to implement in order to minimize those injury risks at the company, commander, and soldier level.

In this session from the 2017 NSCA Personal Trainers Conference, Kamal Patel explains the main mechanisms involved in the development of pain, and identifies the nutrients and supplements that play a role in pain and recovery.

PT 2022

Exercise is increasingly recognized as an effective, nonpharmacological approach for managing both acute and chronic pain. However, accurate pain assessment methods tailored to different exercise settings and populations are essential. This review evaluates existing pain assessment techniques, highlighting self-report measures such as the Visual Analog Scale and Numerical Rating Scale, as well as quantitative measures, such as Pressure Pain Threshold and Conditioned Pain Modulation. These techniques provide valuable insights into the neurophysiological mechanisms behind pain reduction. Although exercise commonly produces a temporary reduction in pain sensitivity known as exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH), the effectiveness of this response depends on various factors, such as exercise intensity, psychological state, and pre-existing pain conditions. In addition, exercise itself can sometimes lead to short-term discomfort due to muscle fatigue or delayed-onset muscle soreness. This review offers strength and conditioning providers, as well as researchers, a clear framework for (a) selecting appropriate pain assessment tools, (b) designing research protocols, and (c) customizing exercise interventions for specific populations and pain conditions. By examining self-report and quantitative assessment techniques, along with considerations for data analysis and practical application, this review helps strength and conditioning professionals interpret the literature surrounding EIH and apply practical pain monitoring strategies to guide training and recovery in various populations.