The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is excited to offer its members a free copy of the Basics of Strength and Conditioning Manual to help them learn the basic principles and movement fundamentals that should be included in every strength and conditioning program.

The NSCA Foundation is honored to announce the recipients of our 2022 Scholarships. Over $69,000 and additional travel expenses will be awarded to these 35 outstanding students to support the pursuit of their academic dreams and careers in strength and conditioning.

Colin Wilborn and Bret Contreras are elected to the NSCA Board of Directors. Joining the Nomination Committee are Shawn Arent and Jenevieve Roper.

Meet the 2026 NSCA Tactical Award winners honored at NSCA Tactical Annual Training for advancing tactical strength and conditioning, readiness, and resilience.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of the foundation’s 2019 grants. Since the Foundation’s creation in 2007, it has awarded 154 grants, which includes the 16 new recipients this year. This year’s recipients add to the prestigious legacy of those who came before them and fulfill the foundation’s mission of supporting the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) by providing funding for educational and research endeavors that enhance the practical applications of strength and conditioning.

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The NSCA is proud to recognize the outstanding work of our professionals around the world. Please take time to nominate your peers when you see excellence that deserves recognition.

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.