This article explores the possible causes of low back pain, as well as three potential strategies that a personal trainer may use to work with someone dealing with low back pain.

The aim of this article is to highlight the functional importance of the foot, and to provide recommendations for foot conditioning.

This article takes a closer look at training strength and stiffness in connective tissues.

This article provides a first-hand account of the usage and benefits of dumbbell training programs with athletes.

The purpose of this article is to review the related literature that has explored the influence of resistance training programs on the onset of fatigue and muscular power as it relates to non-contact high-intensity intermittent sports, in order to provide suggestions for creating same-day training programs.

The squat is one of the most widely used exercises in resistance training programs. The aim of this narrative review was to analyze the effect of the squat on lower-limb muscle hypertrophy. Briefly, the available literature indicates that the squat is an effective exercise for inducing hypertrophy of the quadriceps, mainly the vastii, but also the rectus femoris, although to a reduced magnitude. Multiple lines of evidence suggest little to no hamstring hypertrophy from the back squat. Although the gluteus maximus clearly participates mechanically in the back squat, few longitudinal studies exist on the topic. The limited evidence available on this topic suggests deeper squats may be more hypertrophic for the gluteus maximus, and that, squat depth beyond 908 of knee flexion may not provide further hypertrophy of the knee extensors. Despite the popularity of the many squat variations, there are still controversies surrounding their hypertrophic potential for lower-limb musculature. Further studies are needed to investigate the hypertrophic effects of different squat variations, as well as differences in hypertrophy because of squat depth, stance, barbell position, and different squat apparatuses/machines.

NATCON 22

The Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) is a speed shooting competition designed for school-aged youth. The key to training a successful SASP competitor is to not overlook the often forgotten balance and eccentric training exercises that target key muscle groups involved in the competition. An implementation of balance and eccentric training is suggested to aid the performance of young shooters in competition.

The purpose of this article is to help both personal trainers and clients with seven main concepts within exercise physiology that will improve training effectiveness and assist in explaining the body’s response to exercise.

Factors such as the types of exercises used, the number of muscle groups trained per session, the structure of the program, and the client’s training status and overall fitness level dictate training frequency.