This article discusses using the principle of specificity as an important component in tactical training programs to enhance performance, decrease injuries, and improve functional longevity of a tactical athlete.

Specificity of training involves an analysis of physiological, anatomical, and psychological needs for an activity. This article explains how to create a well-designed program that takes exercise specificity into account.

From the 2020 NSCA Alabama Virtual State Clinic, Christina Myers discusses the benefits, training considerations, and exercise selection factors for maximal strength training, as well as how these techniques improve sport performance.

During 2018 TSAC Annual Training, the NSCA’s own Tactical Strength and Conditioning Program Manager, Nate Palin, discusses his personal and professional take on running in the military setting. Here Palin identifies the pros, risks, and shortcomings associated with run-centric physical training for special operations forces, as well as discusses more safe and efficient strength and conditioning alternatives to running-based fitness programs for these tactical operators.

This infographic discusses unilateral limb dominance and how to evaluate it.

In this session from the 2015 NSCA Coaches Conference, Cal Dietz, MS, presents the best applications in training of several sports that can be applied to most sports at various times of the year. The systematic approaches and the reasoning behind the step-by-step approach to block training, and the application of specific needs in the sport and energy system training also are covered.

Instead of tactical athletes initially focusing on training programs that address specific aspects, training programs should emphasize proper movement patterns as a foundation before progressing.

This article highlights the scientific evidence on exercises like the seated leg extension, leg curl, and adduction machines to highlight their potential benefits on enhanced performance and potentially reducing injury risk.

Due to the principle of specificity, training should be tailored to the goal of the lifter in terms of the prioritization of strength, hypertrophy, health, and functional outcomes. If the goal is muscular hypertrophy, it may be beneficial to vary the repetition range, and to utilize a variety of loads and loading strategies in the pursuit of maximizing hypertrophy.

Considering that the term "power" typically evokes the perception of high-speed movement, many people are inclined to take the tenets of specificity to literally mean “train fast, be fast.” However, to create the most strategic methods of training and adaptation, it is vital to compartmentalize power into the primary testable and trainable elements.