Alex Calder, Head of Sports Science for the Houston Dynamo Major League Soccer (MLS) team, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about sports science data driving better decisions on and off the field. Topics under discussion include the importance of traditional strength training for soccer players, as well as, the variety of strength and conditioning opportunities there are to gain experience from at the high school, college, private, and professional level of sports.
Find Alex on Twitter: @calder_05 or Instagram: @calder_05 | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs
This article seeks to provide personal trainers with eight brief modifications that clients can benefit from if they suffer from both acute and chronic lower back pain (LBP).
Personal trainersExercise TechniqueProgram designLow Back PainConventional Back SquatMachineBracingCore Stability
The purpose of this article is to address the key elements when designing a training program for firefighters, provide evidence for utilizing circuit training, and suggest recommendations on how to incorporate circuit training into the training program.
Coaching staffs need to be mindful of how groups are formed for training, who the leaders are, and what group norms are established across the different combinations of athletes training.
Circuit training is quick and effective way to induce training adaptations that are similar to the demands that tactical officers face in their career. This is a basic layout of a circuit training program that can be implemented to recruits during training to prepare them for the physical demands they will face.
Ashley Jackson, Nicole Dabbss, and Kourtney Thomas have been very influential in each of their careers in the field of strength and conditioning and are a part of the executive council of the National Strength and Conditioning Associations (NSCA) Women’s Committee. They talk with NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about their journey in the field of strength and conditioning and how to teach and influence future coaches. Topics under discussion include: internships, experience, networking, mentorship, and current/ future roles of women in strength and conditioning.
CoachesOrganization and AdministrationProfessional Development
This article discusses the findings of a recent study on the effectiveness of a time-efficient occupationally-specific training program to improve performance in qualities related to physically demanding tactical tasks in law enforcement officers.
Much in the same way that a single movement or a single workout does not make or break a training cycle, the same holds true for mental skills. The challenge is that the strength and conditioning coach will likely need to reach out to another professional trained in sport psychology to help establish the plan and construct the appropriate interventions.
Hear from the 2023 NSCA Assistant College Coach of the Year, Gary Calcagno, from Oklahoma State University. In this episode, Calcagno shares highlights from a more than 30-year strength and conditioning career and how being resourceful as a once aspiring coach prepared him for lasting professional success with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon. Calcagno also discusses his long history with the NSCA, recent areas of progress across the profession, and the role of quality leadership in managing a successful strength and conditioning program.
You can reach Gary by email at gary.calcagno@okstate.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs