Emily Zaler, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the National Football League (NFL) Denver Broncos, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about the benefits of being persistent and proactively seeking out opportunities in the field. Topics under discussion include working with professional athletes, facing adversity head on, and how no task is too small to show how you can add value to a program.
Find Emily on Instagram: @ezaler or Twitter: @EZaler | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs
Have you ever considered getting a K-12 teaching license, with your CSCS, to gain employment as a high school strength and conditioning coach? Coach Justin Loudon serves as the Chair of the NSCA High School Coaches Professional Development Group (PDG). He shares PDG updates with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, including highlights from the 2024 NSCA Coaches Conference and direction for the future of high school coaching. Learn about the impact of school-based strength and conditioning beyond the weight room, and important benefits for students over their lifetime.
Connect with Justin on Instagram at: @coach_loudon or by email: loudonsc@gmail.com| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or X (Twitter): @ericmcmahoncscs | Here is a link to engage with NSCA Professional Development Groups.
As mentioned in the episode, check out the book: NSCA's Guide to High School Strength and Conditioning
Military and law enforcement needs analyses are not specifically matched to firefighting, but those training styles are better than basic fitness regimens or no regimen at all. For firefighters who are attracted to other styles of training not specific to firefighting, there are ways to train for all the demands of firefighting without making the firefighter use training modalities that they dislike or are not comfortable using.
TSAC FacilitatorsExercise ScienceExercise TechniqueProgram designfirefighter trainingtactical strength and conditioningTSAC-FTSACfirefighters
Before opening a facility, fitness professionals should perform the proper due diligence of researching and obtaining all the required documents to legally operate in a given municipality, learn the different types of commercial property, and build an equipment list that is in alignment with their business model.
Personal trainersOrganization and AdministrationProfessional DevelopmentPersonal Training BusinessOwning Your Own GymFitness BusinessFitness Professionals
This article provides guidance for women on the steps involved in an academic career, including earning graduate and terminal degrees and obtaining tenure and promotions at universities.
CoachesOrganization and AdministrationProfessional DevelopmentWomen in Strength and ConditioningCSCSAcademicsCareers in Strength and Conditioning
While social media can serve as an efficient business tool, it can also complicate the legal rights of the entrepreneurs who use them. This article focuses on three specific—and perhaps surprising—ways in which social media can alter the employment rights of fitness professionals and the gyms they work for.
Personal trainersLegal IssuesProfessional DevelopmentNSCA-CPTpersonal trainingemploymentSocial media
Sam Moore’s path into sport science is defined by taking risks and chasing meaningful questions. After a devastating knee injury as a collegiate athlete, Moore not only returned to compete, but she also discovered her calling in strength and conditioning. She recounts her coaching, sport science, and hybrid roles prior to leaving a full-time position to pursue her PhD at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Moore describes sport science as problem-solving and drawing evidence across disciplines to drive innovation. She discusses her research on female athlete availability in elite settings, including nuances like body composition, recovery, and high speed exposure in training. Moore advises young professionals to remain open-minded, pitch their ideal position if it does not exist, and go “all in”— knowing one decision does not define forever. Whether you are a coach or researcher, this episode delivers real-world insights on navigating your career with courage and curiosity.
Connect with Sam on Instagram: @sammoorestrong and Twitter/X: @SamMooreStrong | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs
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
This article discusses the influence of lower-body power on soccer performance in collegiate female soccer players. It also covers testing for muscular power qualities, different training modalities to use, and sample training programs as examples.
Once strength and conditioning coaches have a better understanding of some of the differences between coaching and training philosophy, they can build their coaching philosophy and ensure it is a combination of both the “why” and “how.”
CoachesProgram designProfessional DevelopmentCoaching PhilosophyTraining PhilosophyStrength and Conditioning Coach