Nsca's Essentials of Training Special Populations
Editor
Patrick L. Jacobs, PhD, CSCS,*D
Patrick L. Jacobs is the Owner and Head Coach at Superior Performance and a Fellow of the NSCA. His research focuses on exercise and nutritional interventions in populations ranging from individuals with spinal cord injuries to elite athletes. He has also coordinated performance programs for collegiate and professional championship athletes across a variety of sports and holds several exercise device patents.
Textbook Description
The Authoritative Guide to Special Populations Training
NSCA’s Essentials of Training Special Populations provides a comprehensive foundation for professionals who design and modify training for clients with chronic or temporary health conditions. These include individuals with functional limitations or age- and sex-specific considerations. Built by contributors with extensive clinical and performance expertise, this text supports those working across fitness, allied health, and tactical environments where individualized needs are the norm. It also serves as an in-depth resource for individuals preparing for the Certified Special Population Specialist® (CSPS®) exam.
Grounded in Condition-Driven Exercise Science
Built around how health conditions and life stages alter exercise response, this text guides program customizations that extend beyond general training templates. Each chapter links basic pathophysiology with health appraisal, screening, precautions, and condition-specific considerations that inform safe program adjustments. By framing intensity, volume, mode, and progression around medical and functional factors, it reinforces effective decision-making within an appropriate professional scope. Together, these elements align with the core competencies evaluated on the CSPS exam and the standards expected of today’s special populations specialists.
Helping You Provide Training That Changes Lives
With clear explanations and case study examples, NSCA’s Essentials of Training Special Populations shows how health-informed insights shape evidence-based modifications in daily work. Chapter objectives, key points, study questions, and visual summaries reinforce essential concepts and strengthen understanding for applied decision-making. By improving how you interpret and act on health considerations, the text helps you deliver specialized exercise interventions that improve function, restore client confidence, and elevate overall quality of life.
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Table of Contents
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Chapter 1. Rationale and Considerations for Training Special Populations
Patrick L. Jacobs, PhD, CSCS,*D, FNSCA
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Chapter 2. Health Appraisal and Fitness Assessments
John F. Graham, MS, CSCS,*D, RSCC*E, FNSCA, and Malcolm T. Whitehead, PhD, CSCS
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Chapter 3. Musculoskeletal Conditions and Disorders
Carwyn Sharp, PhD, CSCS,*D
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Chapter 4. Metabolic Conditions and Disorders
Thomas P. LaFontaine, PhD, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, Jeffrey L. Roitman, EdD, and Paul Sorace, MS, CSCS
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Chapter 5. Pulmonary Disorders and Conditions
Kenneth W. Rundell, PhD, James M. Smoliga, DVM, PhD, CSCS, and Pnina Weiss, MD, FAAP
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Chapter 6. Cardiovascular Conditions and Disorders
Ann Marie Swank, PhD, CSCS, and Carwyn Sharp, PhD, CSCS,*D
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Chapter 7. Immunologic and Hematologic Disorders
Don Melrose, PhD, CSCS,*D, Jay Dawes, PhD, CSCS,*D, NSCA-CPT*D, FNSCA, Misty Kesterson, EdD, CSCS, and Benjamin Reuter, PhD, ATC, CSCS,*D
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Chapter 8. Neuromuscular Conditions and Disorders
Patrick L. Jacobs, PhD, CSCS,*D, FNSCA, Stephanie M. Svoboda, MS, DPT, CSCS, and Anna Lepeley, PhD, CSCS
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Chapter 9. Cognitive Conditions and Disorders
William J. Kraemer, PhD, CSCS,*D, FNSCA, Brett A. Comstock, PhD, CSCS, and James E. Clark, MS, CSCS
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Chapter 10. Cancer
Alejandro F. San Juan, PhD, PT, Steven J. Fleck, PhD, CSCS, FNSCA, and Alejandro Lucia, MD, PhD
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Chapter 11. Children and Adolescents
Avery D. Faigenbaum, EdD, CSCS, CSPS, FNSCA
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Chapter 12. Older Adults
Wayne L. Westcott, PhD, CSCS
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Chapter 13. Female-Specific Conditions
Jill A. Bush, PhD, CSCS,*D
Excerpts
Case Study: Client with Fibromyalgia
By Don Melrose, PhD, CSCS,*D, Jay Dawes, PhD, CSCS,*D, NSCA-CPT*D, FNSCA, Misty Kesterson, EdD, CSCS, and Benjamin Reuter, PhD, ATC, CSCS,*D
Mrs. P is a receptionist in a dental office. Her job entails sitting for long periods of time, entering information into a computer, and retrieving dental records. For several years she has noticed diffuse muscle discomfort throughout her upper body and thighs. She has made several modifications to her workstation to help alleviate her issues, but this has been unsuccessful... Having attempted alternative forms of treatment, Mrs. P sought the help of an exercise professional who was knowledgeable about FM...
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Professional Opportunities for Those Training Special Populations
By Patrick L. Jacobs, PhD, CSCS,*D, FNSCA
The exercise professional with expertise in the training of special populations (via formal education and professional certifications) is properly positioned to meet the growing need for professionals with appropriate background in this area. Various special populations are expected to grow in size with the increasing rate of inactivity in the general population compounded with specific growth in certain special populations. Almost one-half of all U.S. adults (117 million) have at least one chronic medical condition...
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Understanding and Recommending Exercise for Clients with Joint Replacements
By Carwyn Sharp, PhD, CSCS,*D
Joint replacement surgery (also known as arthroplasty) involves replacement of part (e.g., articular cartilage) or all of a damaged or arthritic joint with a metal, plastic, or ceramic prosthesis in order to return the joint to normal pain-free movement (figure 3.7). While total hip and knee replacements are the most common, other joints are also replaced, including, but not limited to, shoulder, elbow, and ankle. In 2011 approximately 1.4 million joint replacement surgeries were performed in the United States...
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