This excerpt from NSCA’s Essentials of Sport Science highlights the importance of quantifying training load for both programming and monitoring an athlete’s progression or regression over time.

Examine different measures of velocity that can be used in resistance training and understand how each measure may be more applicable to either strength or power exercises. In this session from the NSCA’s 2016 National Conference, Daniel Baker, President of the Australia Strength and Conditioning Association, explains how to use velocity data to monitor changes in strength or power, and how to use velocity scores for readiness/performance monitoring.

The NSCA Foundation awarded nearly $195,000 to 15 Grant Recipients in 2026 to support strength and conditioning research, coaching advancement, and equipment

This excerpt from the NSCA’s Essentials of Sport Science, discusses some of the benefits and validity of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) data.

This column from the TSAC Report explores the impact of physical fitness and cardiovascular disease risk factors among firefighters and law enforcement officers. Visit NSCA online to learn more about tactical fitness.

This NSCA Coach article provides a proposes a framework for standardizing SEB resistance training based on principles of kinetic and potential energy. Visit NSCA online to read more on exercise science and sport performance.

This article aims to explain why integrating multiple tests such as Anaerobic Speed Reserve (ASR), Intermittent Fitness Test (IFT), and Maximum Aerobic Speed (MAS) can provide a comprehensive evaluation of soccer players’ fitness levels and help to design effective training programs tailored to their individual needs.

Elite sport often gets more attention, but youth training gives strength and conditioning coaches an earlier chance to build athletes’ competence and confidence. Kelli Brightwell specializes in youth development and brings more than a decade of sports training experience, including four years at Michael Johnson Performance. Brightwell defines peak height velocity as the period during which height increases fastest. She then explains why its timing can differ among teammates of the same age. So what should strength coaches test, and what do the results mean? The answer changes with each athlete’s maturity and training experience. Brightwell addresses the growth-spurt “awkward phase,” when familiar movement patterns can break down as an athlete adjusts to a changing body. She also considers how sport sampling can expand children’s range of physical skills and help them discover what they enjoy. Learn how maturation can affect movement, testing, and programming — and why young athletes need foundations before specialization.