This career series article focuses on the calling of the tactical strength and conditioning facilitator. It touches on the drive, commitment, and dedication necessary to work with tactical populations.

Learn about what prehabilitation truly is, where it originates from, and most importantly, what it can do for the tactical athlete.

Hayley Legg, the NSCA Provincial Director for Saskatoon and senior lecturer at St. Mary’s University in London, presents on training the older adult. This includes considerations during the aging process, training implications across the spectrum, and the role of the strength and conditioning practitioner.

This article explains the potential benefits of microdosing training with tactical athletes.

The path to the top is not always linear. For Jill Costanza, it included returning to school and stops in collegiate and military performance before becoming Director of Sport Science and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach with the National Football League (NFL) Detroit Lions. Costanza describes today’s sport science landscape as a “Wild West,” where definitions differ by perspective. Her focus centers on assessing the athlete and program effectiveness against the demands of the game to identify holistic interventions. She outlines how intentional systems, a clear communication funnel, and data visualizations help athletes and stakeholders understand the “why,” build buy-in, and tap into competitiveness. Addressing common misconceptions, Costanza clarifies that elite athletes can still have foundational qualities that need rewiring. She emphasizes movement quality, proprioception, and breathing while adapting for individual needs and neurological fatigue. Learn how to build sport science systems, turn insights into action, and keep progressing on your professional path. Reach out to Jill by email at: jill.costanza@lions.nfl.net | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Join the NSCA Football Special Interest Group (SIG) and explore 24 other specialized communities designed to support your development on the Special Interest Groups page.

Rhodri S. Lloyd, lead author of the LTAD Position Statement, provides an abbreviated look at what long-term athletic development is and how strength and conditioning professionals can implement effective training strategies into programming to improve health, well-being, and growth.

Unite with our strength and conditioning community at the 2026 NSCA National Conference in New Orleans. Learn hands-on, apply new science, + earn up to 3.0 CEUs

This article proposes that all resistance training exercises can be classified as either “specific” or “general.” How to classify each exercise type and the unique benefits they offer is explained.

Joe Kenn, MA, CSCS,*D, RSCC, spoke at the NSCA's 2012 National Conference choosing the appropriate exercises to develop athletes and design programs.

The purpose of this article is to provide fitness professionals with best practices on creating a program that uses red light therapy to aid in weight loss and weight management.