NSCA Coach 11.4 shares how strength training of the posterior chain in athletes can reduce injury risk and aid rehabilitation. Visit us online to read more about exercise research.
CoachesExercise ScienceExercise TechniqueProgram designTesting and EvaluationClient Consultation|Assessment
Sheri Walters’ journey to Director of Sports Medicine at Texas A&M University reflects a career defined by innovation, collaboration, and comprehensive integration. Walters discusses the "arms race" in collegiate athletics and how Texas A&M shatters silos through unit alignment and being intentionally present. Drawing from her EXOS experience, she highlights the impact of integrating sports medicine with strength and conditioning. Walters employs research-based cross-body training to maintain strength, prioritizing long-term rehabilitation over limb symmetry index testing. She explains how her Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) and Certified Performance and Sport Scientist® (CPSS®) credentials enable her to elevate rehabilitation and speak the language of sport performance professionals. Walters underscores the importance of getting student-athletes back to team strength and conditioning as soon as tissues can tolerate it to promote physiological and psychological healing. She also shares how strength and conditioning coaches can optimize return to performance and reduce reinjury risk.
Email Sheri at swalters@athletics.tamu.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs
Catch Sheri’s session on bridging the gap in the collegiate setting LIVE at the 2025 NSCA Coaches Conference! Register to watch online at NSCA.com/Coaches.
Fascinated by the intersection between strength and conditioning and sports medicine? Join other professionals in the Sports Medicine/Rehabilitation Specialist Interest Group (SIG) to discover more resources and engage in discussion.
The primary focus of this article is to provide personal trainers with an evidence- and practice-based approach to exercise selection and implementation in those with low back pain.
Personal trainersExercise TechniqueProgram designClient Consultation|Assessment
This article provides a few key tips on how to perform the deadlift more efficiently and safely. Some helpful coaching cues—such as keeping the head slightly up, activating the lats, and pushing the knees out—can assist a tactical athlete in executing the deadlift while increasing strength over time.
Matthew Ibrahim, Co-Owner of TD Athletes Edge, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about using setbacks as a learning opportunity. Topics under discussion include creating a holistic approach to a client’s training by collaborating with other professionals, and the importance of deceleration technique and eccentrics in his programs for skill acquisition.
Find Matthew on Instagram: @matthewibrahim_ | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs
This TSAC Report article highlights ruck performance for tactical athletes with key insights on load carriage biomechanics, gait changes, and training strategies to reduce injury. Visit NSCA online to learn more about military strength training.
TSAC FacilitatorsExercise ScienceExercise TechniqueProgram designOrganization and AdministrationTesting and EvaluationSafetyBasic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition, Disorder, or DiseaseProfessional Development
This article in NSCA Coach shares a research-driven framework for dryland training in competitive swimming. Visit us online to learn more on sport performance and exercise science.
CoachesExercise ScienceExercise TechniqueProgram designTesting and EvaluationClient Consultation|AssessmentSafetyProfessional Development
This article examines ways that personal trainers can take steps in order to effectively reduce the risk of clients suffering a training-related injury.
This article highlights the key benefits of deadlifts in exercise therapy, addressing the often-overlooked issue of low-back pain in strength and conditioning.
CoachesExercise ScienceExercise TechniqueProgram designOrganization and AdministrationTesting and EvaluationClient Consultation|AssessmentBasic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition, Disorder, or Disease
This article examines an NCAA Division II football return-to-play framework emphasizing injury management and recovery. Visit NSCA online to learn more about strength training in college sports.
CoachesExercise TechniqueProgram designOrganization and AdministrationTesting and EvaluationSafetyBasic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition, Disorder, or DiseaseProfessional Development