What makes a well-rounded athlete, and more importantly, how do you train them? Andy Zalaiskalns, MARSOC Human Performance Strength and Conditioning Coach, discusses a systemic approach to developing the well-rounded tactical athlete.

This article is a personal perspective on utilizing the Functional Movement System (FMS) as a tool to identify potential problems and function efficiently on a large group scale to reduce the risk of injuries.

Several obstacles can derail women from reaching or succeeding in the elite combat schools and will need to be mediated. The main obstacles this article focuses on are the current standard fitness requirements for attending an advanced combat school, the high absolute strength and power demands required by these combat schools, and the unique physiology of women compared to men.

This article is intended to assist tactical facilitators in the construction of a well-designed tactical return to duty program to help combat against the musculoskeletal injury burden that exists within tactical professions.

The purpose of this article is to guide tactical leaders in their development of a unit combatives program (UCP).

Despite best efforts, musculoskeletal injuries among active duty service members continue to be pervasive and on the rise. Tactical facilitators can each do their part as a member of one team to avoid the injuries that are preventable and to rehabilitate, recondition, and optimize performance in the ones that do occur and are treatable.

This article discusses performance under stress, as well as factors influencing this performance in tactical personnel.

Joe Denk, Applied Sport Scientist and Strength and Conditioning Coach for Naval Special Warfare, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about immediate and actionable sports science data for tactical athletes. Topics under discussion include the dynamic of working with tactical athletes, how resiliency and recovery are connected, and how technology has enabled coaches the ability to implement training programs effectively from a distance. Find Joe via Email: denkjc@gmail.com| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

This excerpt from NSCA's Essentials of Tactical Strength and Conditioning explains the importance of wellness programs for tactical athletes.