This TSAC Report article discusses why female firefighters need sex-specific training to improve biomechanics, reduce injury risk, and support career sustainability. Visit NSCA online to read more about exercise science and occupational readiness.

This article analyzes heavy barbell lifting, load management, injury risk, and practical evidence-based programming recommendations. Visit NSCA online to read more about weightlifting and injury prevention

The NFL Combine is a week-long evaluation process that allows NFL scouts, coaches, general managers, and owners to get an up-close and personal evaluation of the talent that comprises the given year’s draft class. This is a day-by-day program outline to maximize results and effort for the NFL combine.

As performance staffs grow and develop, professional athletes today have a broad array of services and expertise available to them in the locker room and around competition. This episode features the Vice President of Health and Performance for the National Basketball Association (NBA) Phoenix Suns, Brady Howe. Howe tells Eric McMahon, the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, how humble beginnings as an NBA Developmental League athletic trainer contributed to his current performance-first mindset for leading a multifaceted health and performance department. Topics include often misunderstood developmental factors for training elite athletes and advice for how to serve your athletes at the highest level. Connect with Brady on Instagram: @bhowe6 or Twitter: @brady_howe | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs You can learn more about NBA strength and conditioning from the National Basketball Strength and Conditioning Association (NBSCA), an Official Sport Partner of the NSCA.

Learn about the emerging field of biomechanics in professional baseball from Georgia Giblin, the Director of Performance Science for the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Giblin shares her professional journey with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, from working with Olympic athletes in Australia to educating coaches on emerging technology tools within MLB. This episode features discussion on the recent growth of athletic performance departments, the current state of sport science in the United States, and the helpful role of strength and conditioning coaches in supporting sport science initiatives. Connect with Georgia on Twitter: @GeorgiaGiblin| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

This episode unites strength and conditioning perspectives across three continents. David Joyce and Dan Lewindon, the co-editors of High-Performance Training for Sports, discuss their new book, including the high-caliber list of expert contributors from around the world. Discussion centers on the expansion of performance environments to include new perspectives, and the increased need for professional collaboration to deliver maximally effective training programs. Learn about “Zombie Killers,” as Joyce and Lewindon share with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, in an episode that provides insight into everyday coaching practices. Find David on Twitter: @DavidGJoyce | Find Dan on Twitter: @DanLewindon | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

How can lessons from professional football help you prepare injured athletes to return to competition? Thomas Myslinski III is the Reconditioning and Return to Football Coach for the New York Jets in the National Football League (NFL). A third-generation strength and conditioning coach, Myslinski recalls the joy of tagging along at NFL training camps with his father, who encouraged him to learn beyond one specialty. He discusses workload management and how sport science helps him understand each player’s progress. Myslinski reverse engineers each player’s programming from sport demands and adjusts it to their current capacity. He describes himself and his sports medicine counterpart as “partners in everything” and explains how he keeps fellow strength and conditioning coaches informed. Looking ahead, he considers how strength coaches can match technology to training goals and plan recovery as deliberately as training. Hear what you need to know about a returning player, and what information your colleagues need you to share.

Hear from Cristi Bartlett, Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Olympic Strength and Conditioning at North Carolina State University, about her path through the professional ranks from student to department head. Bartlett talks to NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about making moves in the field, seeking opportunities for growth, the current state of strength and conditioning coach salaries, and other areas that can be improved in the profession. Connect with Cristi on Instagram: @bartlettc42| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

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.