Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Exam Description. The Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) exam is comprised of two sections that test the candidate's knowledge in the Scientific Foundations and Practical/Applied areas.

This excerpt from NSCA’s Guide to Sport and Exercise Nutrition discusses carbohydrate loading strategies for athletes to achieve optimal athletic performance.

As Director of Sport Science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Heather Farmer spearheads comprehensive integration efforts. This includes ensuring every stakeholder, from sport performance staff to academic advisors, has a seat at the table. Farmer also outlines developing an internship and graduate assistantship program to meet staffing needs and offer opportunities for practical experience. She recounts how leveraging relationships — not data — has been her key to scalability. Additionally, Farmer recognizes that to make an impact, she must meet athletes and sport coaches where they are, which she uncovers through “highlights” and “hurdles.” She suggests that sport scientists with strength and conditioning backgrounds, like herself, are uniquely equipped to excel due to their communication skills. Farmer and McMahon also discuss avoiding “analysis paralysis” and how to incorporate data to elevate the student-athlete experience — an unignorable factor as athletes bring an element of “self” in the age of name, image and likeness (NIL). Reach out to Heather by email at: heather.farmer@unlv.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs

By understanding the means by which athletes encounter risk, strength and conditioning professionals can integrate exercise programs that may offset one of the steps toward injuries.

This article provides a narrative of the effects of a five-week strength and conditioning program on collegiate female volleyball athletes and shows the potential benefits that may occur in lower-body performance.

This article provides a narrative of the effects of a five-week strength and conditioning program on collegiate female volleyball athletes and shows the potential benefits that may occur in lower-body performance.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association is governed by a Board of Directors that is elected by the NSCA membership. The board is comprised of eight members of the NSCA and one elected public member.

This excerpt from Developing Agility and Quickness aims to provide a snapshot of programming volleyball-specific agility and quickness sessions.

This article discusses the effects of instability on force and velocity throughout the body.

Strength and conditioning coaches can help bridge the gap between research and anecdotal experiences by reporting subjective and objective information obtained while carrying out everyday responsibilities.