Stephanie Mock, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Performance at the University of Pittsburgh, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about growing a comprehensive sports performance program. Topics under discussion include tips for interviews, graduate assistantships, staff development, and the ongoing collaboration with academics to advance sport science initiatives at University of Pittsburgh. Find Stephanie on Instagram: @_mockstephanie_ or @pitt_sportsperformance | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

In this session from the NSCA’s 2015 Training for Hockey Clinic, Joe Maher from the University of Michigan covers the process of developing an annual plan for a collegiate ice hockey year. It will cover the benefits and results of an annual plan, and how it relates to long-term athletic development for a collegiate ice hockey player.

This article considers some of the main differences between the training of Olympic weightlifters and the use of Olympic weightlifting exercises in strength training for sport.

From the virtual 2021 NSCA Coaches Conference, human performance specialists from the O2X Human Performance network discuss the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), including what it entails, how strength coaches can best prepare individuals for it, and the nutritional and mental demands of training for the test.

Rob Orr, co-lead of Bond University’s Tactical Research Unit, explains the differences in load carriage requirements and contexts between different tactical forces, and how to prepare tactical personnel for load-carriage tasks. This session from the NSCA’s 2018 Tactical Annual Training also looks at how to employ fitness assessments to determine future load carriage requirements.

In this session from the 2015 NSCA Personal Trainers Conference, dietitian Dawn Weatherwax discusses how knowing a client’s body composition can help in setting nutrition and training guidelines. Weatherwax reviews nutrient timing; eating the right mix of carbs, fats, and proteins at the right times; and other important facts that may impact a client’s outcomes.

Learn about the pros and cons of popular diets, and how each diet will impact the training of your clients. In this session from the 2016 NSCA National Conference, sports nutritionist, Marie Spano explains the key factors that determine dieting success, and shares resources to help your clients decide which approach is best for them.

In this session from the NSCA’s 2017 National Conference, Iñigo Mujika explains the scientific basis of tapering and peaking in sports, and the effects of manipulating training components during the taper process. Mujika provides the scientific background and examples of tapering and peaking for a league format competition and a major tournament in team sports.

This article details the proper pick up, or deadlift, technique for the older adult, including progressions of three exercises that can aid in their ability to perform them properly.

With the pervasiveness of chronic disease, personal trainers need to be vigilant in their efforts to gain new clients and retain current clients, while maintaining the scope of practice boundaries. By reviewing the needs and expectations of customers and stakeholders, a process for improving service can be developed.