Developing a program for a general population client requires understanding their movement needs. Expand your training programs by implementing all ten of the major human movement patterns.

Building athletes who are strong, healthy, and resilient requires more than sets and reps, starting with a shift in mindset. Christi Edson, Head of Performance for the Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), shares how she integrates strength and conditioning with sport science to sustain athlete health and performance. She reflects on the field’s evolution from the well-known “Bigger, Faster, Stronger” program to a training culture emphasizing resilience, active recovery, and durability. Drawing from her experience coaching high school athletes to NWSL professionals, Edson highlights the adaptability and creativity coaches need. Those qualities help her to develop athletes who can thrive through a demanding 11-month season. She details how tools like GPS, force plates, and velocity-based training sharpen communication and reshape expectations in the gym. Her story points coaches toward the future of athlete development: collaboration, precise load management, and long-term health as the foundation of strength. Connect with Christi on Instagram: @christiedson and LinkedIn: @christiana-edson | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Read the article, “A Creative Mind in the Professional Development of a Strength and Conditioning Coach,” from NSCA Coach, 11(1), February 2024 — referenced in this episode’s return-to-play discussion. NSCA Members enjoy full publication access. Interested in bridging coaching and sport science? The Certified Performance and Sport Scientist (CPSS) credential can help you expand your qualifications, open new career paths, and strengthen cross-department collaboration.

Congratulations to the 2020 NSCA Award Winners!

This article discusses the influence of lower-body power on soccer performance in collegiate female soccer players. It also covers testing for muscular power qualities, different training modalities to use, and sample training programs as examples.

This article highlights some of the benefits, components, and training methods involved with time-efficient training.

This NSCA Coach article explores how neck training programs can reduce the severity of sport-related concussions. Visit NSCA online to read more on sports science and athletic performance.

This article summarizes current populations and descriptions of sedentariness and deconditioning, and offers practical considerations for personal trainers working with these behaviors.

This TSAC Report column summarizes physical training outcomes for firefighters and practical guidance on program design and results. Visit NSCA online to read more on firefighter fitness and tactical performance in the fire service.

This article examines why the Romanian deadlift (RDL) provides a suitable in-season strength training application, explores the interlinked relationship between the demands of practice and resistance training, and identifies how the RDL functions with other lower-extremity exercises.

Part 2 of this series on allostatic load theory will focus on how monitoring personnel holistically can contribute to a well-rounded health and performance model supporting the tactical athletes.