The purpose of this article is to strongly suggest and offer a pragmatic and stepwise approach that takes into account the ideas and concepts of shared decision making that allows for the “best practices,” pre-participation screenings, evaluations, and stratification flow charts for safe and effective return to play for athletes.

This excerpt from Developing the Core briefly defines closed- and open-chain exercises and their respective roles in training.

Congratulations to the NSCA's 2022 winners! This page is updated as new award winners are named throughout the year.

NSCA has a network of volunteer leaders who direct NSCA’s efforts at the state and provincial level. NSCA’s Great Lakes Regional Coordinator provides oversight and training to local state and provincial directors. Members in the Great Lakes Region can connect at local and regional events as well as on Facebook to others in this area.

Traditional lower-body resistance exercise alone may not be an optimal means of developing agility. Further, the effectiveness of straight-sprint training on agility performance has not been well established. In contrast, jump training, including loaded jump squats and horizontal and lateral jumps, holds promise.

Some of the major misconceptions concerning Olympic-style weightlifting for sport are addressed in this article, providing evidence-based recommendations to better implement the snatch, clean and jerk, and their derivatives in the training of high school and collegiate athletes.

Focusing on developing the core muscles in a strength and conditioning program for ice hockey players can improve performance of movements on the ice.

The Boyd Epley Award honors individuals who exhibit historical impact, achievements, and dedication to the NSCA over the course of their career. The Board of Directors carefully deliberates to select the recipient of the Boyd Epley Award, as it is the most prestigious award a Member of the NSCA can receive.

Kelly Dormandy, Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Performance at Loyola Marymount University and Head Strength Coach for the Los Angeles Sparks Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team, talks to the NSCA Coaching Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about championship culture. Topics under discussion include constantly seeking new challenges, training WNBA athletes, and being proactive about networking in the field. Find Kelly on Instagram: @kdormandy | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

All fitness components depend on body composition to some extent, and the demands of many sports require that athletes maintain standard levels of body composition.