Whole body cryotherapy through cold air exposure has been used to accelerate recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage. Questions remain, such as: does cryotherapy work, is there a minimum effective dose, and if so, what is it?
Personal trainersTSAC FacilitatorsCoachesExercise ScienceRecoveryAlternative MethodsCryotherapy
This article highlights the key benefits of deadlifts in exercise therapy, addressing the often-overlooked issue of low-back pain in strength and conditioning.
CoachesExercise ScienceExercise TechniqueProgram designOrganization and AdministrationTesting and EvaluationClient Consultation|AssessmentBasic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition and Disorder or DiseaseWorkout InjuryJoint HealthResistance trainingLumbar Spineposterior-chain rehabilitation exerciseLow-Back InjuryWeight LiftingExercise TherapyDeadlift
Sheri Walters’ journey to Director of Sports Medicine at Texas A&M University reflects a career defined by innovation, collaboration, and comprehensive integration. Walters discusses the "arms race" in collegiate athletics and how Texas A&M shatters silos through unit alignment and being intentionally present. Drawing from her EXOS experience, she highlights the impact of integrating sports medicine with strength and conditioning. Walters employs research-based cross-body training to maintain strength, prioritizing long-term rehabilitation over limb symmetry index testing. She explains how her Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) and Certified Performance and Sport Scientist® (CPSS®) credentials enable her to elevate rehabilitation and speak the language of sport performance professionals. Walters underscores the importance of getting student-athletes back to team strength and conditioning as soon as tissues can tolerate it to promote physiological and psychological healing. She also shares how strength and conditioning coaches can optimize return to performance and reduce reinjury risk.
Email Sheri at swalters@athletics.tamu.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs
Catch Sheri’s session on bridging the gap in the collegiate setting LIVE at the 2025 NSCA Coaches Conference! Register to watch online at NSCA.com/Coaches.
Fascinated by the intersection between strength and conditioning and sports medicine? Join other professionals in the Sports Medicine/Rehabilitation Specialist Interest Group (SIG) to discover more resources and engage in discussion.
Listen in as Angelo Gingerelli, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coordinator at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, tells the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about his journey in the strength and conditioning profession. Topics include working collaboratively as a strength and conditioning staff, positive social media practices, taking on additional staff responsibilities as an adjunct professor, and working with endurance athletes.
You can reach out to Coach Gingerelli on Instagram: @finish_strong_book| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs
In this article, renowned fitness expert Brandi Binkley provides an overview of the personal training industry; including where it was, where it is, and where it is going.
Personal trainersProfessional DevelopmentPersonal TrainingPersonal Trainer Certificationpersonal training online
This article describes how introduction of evidence-based practices requires today’s fitness professional to raise the bar of his or her education and analytical experience by actively and consistently using techniques of research in order to perform their job as a fitness professional.
Personal trainersProgram designOrganization and AdministrationProfessional DevelopmentEvidence-based PracticesResearchAnalytics
Few strength coaches have shaped sport performance like Al Vermeil — the only strength coach to earn championship rings in both the National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA). In this Gatorade Performance Partner Special Episode, Vermeil shares how a career built on explosiveness, adaptability, and relentless curiosity has transformed teams at every level. From advancing plyometrics and Olympic lifts in the 1970s to creating the performance pyramid and the innovative “time machine” testing system, his methods have influenced generations of coaches and athletes worldwide. Known for blending timeless principles with fresh, actionable ideas, he explains how mechanics, group management, and collaboration create consistent results and lasting trust. Along the way, Vermeil offers rare perspectives on coaching longevity, revealing how his adaptability and curiosity have kept him learning — and lifting — into his 80s. Gain practical insights to keep explosiveness central, integrate performance science, and strengthen your long-term coaching impact.
Reach out to Coach Vermeil by email at: a60vermeil@sisna.com | Email Jon Jost at: jonathan.jost@pepsico.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs.
This special episode is brought to you in part by Gatorade Performance Partner. Learn more and join their community at GatoradePerformancePartner.com.
Matt Wenning a renowned power lifter and strength and conditioning coach who has over 12,000 hours of experience as a Division I college strength coach in a variety of sports, including football, track and field, swimming, baseball, as well as United States Army Rangers, firefighters, triathletes, and general populations. Matt talks to the NSCA’s Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield. Matt’s discusses the obstacles he had to go through both academically (undergrad and grad school) and physically (powerlifting) to get where he is today.
CoachesOrganization and AdministrationProfessional Development
In this episode, we hear from Kerry Harbor, the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Winston-Salem State University, on his experience at the 2023 NSCA Coaches Conference. Coach Harbor shares with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, unique aspects of serving student-athletes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II level. The discussion includes Coach Harbor’s early aspiration to become a physical therapist, to how a college football injury introduced him to the coaching profession. From teaching physical education classes to coaching in both high school and college, Coach Harbor reflects on recent growth and areas of opportunity in the strength and conditioning profession.
As mentioned during the episode, you can learn more about the results from the 2022 NSCA Strength and Conditioning Salary Survey.
Connect with Kerry on Instagram: @harborkerry or Twitter @CoachHarbor | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs