Allen Hedrick provides a detailed introduction to launching a successful career as a strength and conditioning coach. If you're looking to become a strength coach, or are interested in learning more about this competitive yet fulfilling career, read this article. From obtaining the right degree(s) to providing appropriate references, Coach Hedrick's words provide insight into building a long-lasting strength and conditioning career.

This excerpt from NSCA's Essentials of Tactical Strength and Conditioning aims to educate on some fundamentals of energy systems training in tactical personnel.

Read the latest happenings with the NSCA. Stay up-to-date on the latest announcements and developments with the NSCA by browsing our recent press releases and archives.

The Nutritional Research Award is given annually to recognize a nutritionist for their breakthroughs and contributions in field of nutritional research for athletes.

The Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year Award is given to an outstanding Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS) with RSCC distinction, for their dedication to improving the performance of athletes with safe and effective science-based programs.

Velocity-based training (VBT) is an increasingly popular programming strategy used by strength and conditioning professionals to develop their athlete’s ability to express force rapidly. To implement the varying forms of VBT effectively within their training regimes, strength and conditioning professionals need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of strategies, such as predicting 1 repetition maximum using the load-velocity profile, modulating training loads using the load-velocity profile, and controlling training volume using the magnitude of velocity-loss. The aim of this review was to highlight these strengths and weaknesses and then provide practical examples of when each programming strategy may be most effectively implemented.

Since traditional sport-specific training or exercise programs do not create enough stimulus to improve the function of the respiratory muscles, the rationale to introduce respiratory muscle training (RMT) emerged. RMT is associated with improved endurance performance and pulmonary function, and it reduced respiratory fatigue, perceived exertion, or breathlessness. The purpose of this article is to provide coaches with tools to select the appropriate form of RMT in the context of the athletes’ needs, using appropriate methods, techniques, devices, and testing protocols. The video abstract is presented in Supplemental Digital Content as SDC 1

Congratulations to the 2021 NSCA Award Winners!

This excerpt from NSCA’s Essentials of Sport Science briefly explains the force-velocity-power profile and how it can give strength and conditioning coaches a more holistic view of athletes.

This excerpt explains the importance of optimal nutritional strategies in conjunction with good sleep hygiene and how that can help mitigate damaging effects of deployment and shift work on performance.