This brief excerpt breaks down agility into different target movement patterns to help develop an effective agility and quickness program.

Researchers and practitioners have highlighted the necessity to monitor jump strategy metrics and the commonly reported outcome measures during the countermovement jump (CMJ) and drop jump (DJ) tests. However, there is a risk of confusion for practitioners, given the vast range of metrics that now seem to be on offer via analysis software when collecting data from force platforms. As such, practitioners may benefit from a framework that can help guide metric selection for commonly used jump tests, which is the primary purpose of this article. To contextualize the proposed framework, we have provided 2 examples for how this could work: one for the CMJ and one for the DJ, noting that these tests are commonly used by practitioners during routine testing across a range of sport performance and clinical settings.

This second article of a two-part series continues the discussion of long-term athletic development (LTAD). This article provides practical application of the LTAD principles by examining two sample programs.

Football requires very fast, high-intensity, and high-impact movement patterns with each position requiring various movements and speeds. This article reviews how coaches are currently observing movement, and offers a framework on how to identify and improve movement in each player without over-coaching movement patterns.

This article in TSAC Report 76, explores fitness testing methods in military training spaces. Visit NSCA online to read more on tactical populations, and performance training

This session by Dan John from the 2015 NSCA Coaches Conference explains the “concept first” method as a simple way that allows the athletes to learn movement quickly and begin to load appropriately.

According to Shawn Myszka, if we optimize on-field movement efficiency, we can maximize athletic performance. Shawn spoke during the NSCA's 2014 National Conference on the importance of mastering the fundamentals of movement. Don't just work to change strength characteristics, he says - change behavior because behavior becomes patterns.

Is the squat or hip thrust a better exercise for increasing jump and sprint performance? The results of this study support the force vector theory.

The exerciser with 8 to 12 months of training experience can begin to include exercise complexes that combine trunk movement patterns with multijoint movements. Single-plane and multiplane movements can be performed using both open- and closed-chain exercises.

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