Sam Melendrez, full-time strength and conditioning coach for Discovery Canyon Campus High School, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about the value of strength and conditioning coaches at the high school level. Topics include advice for those who are interested in strength training youth and high school athletes, programming fundamentals, and the value of applying classroom management skills in the weight room. Find Sam on Twitter: @sammelendrez2 | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

J. Aggabao, former Assistant Strength Coach for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL), talks to the NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about coaching in the NFL. Topics under discussion include getting a foot in the door in the NFL, what happens when your head coach gets let go, and misconceptions about being an NFL strength coach.

Cross Fit Inc. recently filed a lawsuit against the NSCA. NSCA denies the allegations and claims made against it by CrossFit and will vigorously defend itself against this baseless lawsuit. At the center of the lawsuit is a research article published in NSCA’s Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. As with all research published in NSCA’s journals, the article in question was authored by independent researchers and accepted for publication following a rigorous peer-review process.

The purpose of this article is to present a brief review of research on the safety and efficacy of caffeine used by athletes participating in anaerobic-dominant sports.

In this session from the NSCA’s 2018 Coaches Conference, Bryan Mann discusses the latest research presentations from the NSCA National Conference that have immediate implications for the strength and conditioning coach.

This article will focus on three common areas of injuries that occur with ice hockey players and some recommended strategies for the strength and conditioning professional.

What training approaches are efficient and effective at developing functionality and resiliency at the core? The answer lies within an intelligent, systemic, multi-method approach to training the core, including an eclectic set of training tools to individualize specific needs of athletes.

Strength and conditioning professionals have a finite time to develop their athletes or clients. Too often the first 10 – 15 min of sessions are under-coached and poorly structured. In this session from the 2015 NSCA National Conference, Coach Emily Nolan explores ways to maximize the use of warm-ups.

Get to know Army Lieutenant Colonel Nick Barringer, Program Director for the United States Army-Baylor University Master’s in Nutrition. Barringer shares how he originally planned to become a strength and conditioning coach before a nutrition course inspired him to pursue dietetics. However, it was his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) credential that ultimately landed him his role as the first 75th Ranger Regiment (Army Rangers) Dietitian. He recounts drawing inspiration from the Navy SEALS to start the Ranger Athlete Warrior (RAW) program and seeing the Special Operations THOR3 program follow suit — laying the groundwork for the US Army Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system. Barringer and McMahon discuss the synergy between strength and conditioning coaches and dietitians, as well as cultural challenges and diverse training ages in tactical settings. The pair also stress the importance of sales and building relationships before discussing basic nutrition advice and pathways into tactical and dietetics careers. Connect with Nick on Instagram at: @nickbarringer.phd.rdn or by email: nickbarringer35@gmail.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs