This continuing education opportunity explores a variety of topics as they pertain to common racquet sports - badminton, racquetball, squash, and tennis. To earn your CEUs, it will be necessary to review 5 articles from the NSCA Strength & Conditioning Journal and pass a 50-question quiz. Please note: this quiz awards 1.0 CEU (10 contact hours). Articles include: 1) Agility Training for Experienced Athletes, A Dynamical Systems Approach 2) Review of the Badminton Lunge and Specific Training Considerations 3) Strength and Conditioning Considerations for Racquetball Athletes 4) Physical Preparation for Elite Level Squash Players, Monitoring, Assessment, and Training Practices for the Strength and Conditioning Coach 5) New Approaches for On-court Endurance Testing and Conditioning in Competitive Tennis Players

The use of exercise interventions to maximize athletes’ performance is a common practice in competitions. This systematic review aimed to compile research that explored the effectiveness of priming strategies to maximize physical performance in track and field. The literature search was conducted from PubMed and Scopus. One hundred eighty-two studies were assessed against the inclusion criteria: (a) minimum 1-year participation/competition experience; (b) randomized controlled trials with pre-post intervention outcomes; and (c) studies involving exercise interventions applied #6 hours before outcome measures were collected. Fifteen studies satisfied the criteria and were categorized according to the exercise interventions used (i.e., resistance training, plyometric/ ballistic training, resisted sprints, and modified warm-ups). Heavy-loaded resistance training (i.e., .85% 1 repetition maximum) and resisted sprints increased subsequent sprint performance. Plyometrics/ballistic training also positively impacted subsequent jumping (i.e., long jump) and throwing performance (i.e., shot put). Modified warm-ups (i.e., high-intensity sprints and heavier throwing implements) also improved subsequent running and throwing performance. Overall, exercise interventions performed at high intensity and low volume augment subsequent physical performance as close to 4 minutes before the event. However, a sufficient recovery interval must be considered for a positive performance response.

Dr. Whitney Moore and Val Smith from Wayne State University use this session, from the 2019 NSCA National Conference, to provide evidence-based motivational strategies and leadership behaviors, strength coach tested relationship-building strategies, and explain different levels of informal leadership training opportunities

Give your athletes a competitive edge on the ice by developing speed, agility, and quickness inside the weight room. Master off-season training, skill development drills, and performance-based nutrition strategies from NHL and collegiate level coaches with years of experience in the rink. Learn the latest training methods backed by science to help your players dominate the competition. Whether you train youth athletes, collegiate teams, or NHL professionals, the NSCA Hockey Strength and Conditioning Clinic is for coaches of all levels. Aside from learning new skills, capitalize on networking opportunities with the pros and other experts in your industry. Join us for the 5th annual NSCA Hockey Strength and Conditioning Clinic Unable to make the trip? We’ve got you covered. Tune in from anywhere in the world via live stream!

In this session from the 2020 NSCA Coaches Conference, Matt Nein, Coordinator of Sports Performance at Salisbury University, discusses his fluid periodization model for coaches to use to easily adapt to the changing situations on a week-to-week (or even day-to-day) basis, and still optimize training for the athletes.

Access the video collection for the 2018 Hammer Strength West Regional Clinic.

Falls resulting from trips are a leading cause of injury and can sometimes result in death, especially in the older population. Numerous researchers have studied the biomechanical mechanisms that differentiate fallers from nonfallers and determined whether training can beneficially impact those outcomes. Exercise and task-specific interventions have demonstrated fewer falls after trips but can be costly and often require specialized equipment, making their applicability less practical. Qualified health and fitness practitioners can develop evidence-informed, exercise-based programs focusing on 3 components (balance training, task-specific training, and resistance exercise). Such programs may help to reduce fall risk in older adults based on previously documented studies identifying the biomechanical demands of a successful fall arrest after a trip perturbation. These multicomponent programs should include a safe task-specific training element that does not require specialized equipment.