Assessing clients is a vital component of the personal training experience. This article gives an overview of breathing mechanics and how to apply proper breathing exercises into a client’s assessment and program.
Personal trainersCoachesExercise ScienceExercise TechniqueClient Consultation|AssessmentClient AssessmentsBreathing MechanicsBox Breathing
Matthew Ibrahim, Co-Owner of TD Athletes Edge, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about using setbacks as a learning opportunity. Topics under discussion include creating a holistic approach to a client’s training by collaborating with other professionals, and the importance of deceleration technique and eccentrics in his programs for skill acquisition.
Find Matthew on Instagram: @matthewibrahim_ | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs
What defines true toughness in coaching? Dan Perlmutter presents an alternative to the “tough strength coach” stereotype, reframing success as adaptability, resilience, and relentless positivity. As Director of Sports Performance and Head Olympic Sports Performance Coach at Duke University, Perlmutter reflects on building a strong culture rooted in genuine relationships and longevity. He explains Duke’s structured approach to developing interns and coaching assistants, highlighting purposeful recruiting and intentional mentorship to transform passion into professionalism. Perlmutter emphasizes a gratitude lens and people-focused philosophy, always prioritizing the athlete in front of him. He also addresses how strength and conditioning coaches can navigate collegiate shifts, such as Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals and the transfer portal, by reinforcing the weight room environment and culture. If you are seeking practical strategies to build a sustainable career and a workplace you look forward to each day, this conversation is your blueprint.
Connect with Dan via email at dan.perlmutter@duke.edu and on Instagram: @theothercoachp | Meet the Duke University Sports Performance Staff on their website | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs
This article serves to educate people about the menstrual cycle in the tactical female population. It provides a framework for how to work through the phases of menstruation to increase training response, and thus, overall success in military training.
TSAC FacilitatorsExercise ScienceProgram designBasic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition and Disorder or DiseaseSpecial ForcesMenstrual CycleHormonesPremenstrual Syndrome
The goal of this brief review is to describe what classifies as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and summarize the potential benefits for various populations: athletic, general, and clinical.
Personal trainersExercise ScienceProgram designHIITMaximal Aerobic CapacityModerate-Intensity Continuous TrainingTabata
This article in PTQ 11.4 shares the latest fitness news to provide personal trainers with strategies for perimenopausal clients. Visit NSCA online to read articles on exercise science and fitness.
Personal trainersExercise ScienceNutritionProgram designTesting and EvaluationClient Consultation|AssessmentBasic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition and Disorder or DiseaseBehavioral InterventionFitness StrategiesNutritionResistance TrainingSarcopeniaMenopauseMuscle Mass
Strength and conditioning coaches should strive to teach athletes in a way they can understand: by hearing, seeing, and practicing. This article describes some techniques that a coach can use to accomplish this.
CoachesExercise TechniqueProgram designyouth athletic trainingyouth athletesmotivational toolsYouth training guidelineshow to motivate childrenhs-coaching