In this session from the NSCA’s 2017 Personal Trainers Conference, Doug Sheppard explains simple tips that studio/gym owners can utilize immediately to improve efficiency in management and operations. Learn about common errors of studio/gym owners and how to avoid them.

Discover how hospitality-focused ownership and management can create a gym that attracts and retains members for long-term success. Visit NSCA online to read more on professional development, the fitness industry, and health.

This PTQ article shares a real-world story to give inspiration and practical advice on creating your own sport performance business. Visit NSCA online to read more on athletic performance and professional development.

Optimize quality of care and mitigate potential litigation in your personal training practice through a clear understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of personal training.

While social media can serve as an efficient business tool, it can also complicate the legal rights of the entrepreneurs who use them. This article focuses on three specific—and perhaps surprising—ways in which social media can alter the employment rights of fitness professionals and the gyms they work for.

The purpose of this article is to present pedagogical content knowledge to personal trainers aimed to enhance client performance and satisfaction.

This PTQ article discusses how Kaizen and the seven flows of personal training can streamline operations and improve the client experience. Visit NSCA online to read more on fitness news and performance optimization.

This article articulates important independent personal trainer and employee personal trainer differences, research and planning guidelines moving forward, important marketing considerations, financial literacy, and the importance of moral support.

Building athletes who are strong, healthy, and resilient requires more than sets and reps, starting with a shift in mindset. Christi Edson, Head of Performance for the Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), shares how she integrates strength and conditioning with sport science to sustain athlete health and performance. She reflects on the field’s evolution from the well-known “Bigger, Faster, Stronger” program to a training culture emphasizing resilience, active recovery, and durability. Drawing from her experience coaching high school athletes to NWSL professionals, Edson highlights the adaptability and creativity coaches need. Those qualities help her to develop athletes who can thrive through a demanding 11-month season. She details how tools like GPS, force plates, and velocity-based training sharpen communication and reshape expectations in the gym. Her story points coaches toward the future of athlete development: collaboration, precise load management, and long-term health as the foundation of strength. Connect with Christi on Instagram: @christiedson and LinkedIn: @christiana-edson | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Read the article, “A Creative Mind in the Professional Development of a Strength and Conditioning Coach,” from NSCA Coach, 11(1), February 2024 — referenced in this episode’s return-to-play discussion. NSCA Members enjoy full publication access. Interested in bridging coaching and sport science? The Certified Performance and Sport Scientist (CPSS) credential can help you expand your qualifications, open new career paths, and strengthen cross-department collaboration.

Little information is available for personal trainers in regards to differentiating the requirements and responsibilities of working as an employee or an independent contractor. Personal trainers and gym owners would benefit from understanding professional guidelines, details, and general knowledge of these two options.