Meet the winners of the 2026 NSCA Elections, elected to strengthen the organization, support NSCA Members, and advance the strength and conditioning profession.

The JSCR Editorial Excellence Award is presented to members of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (JSCR) Editorial Board in recognition of their service to the NSCA.

Adequate nutrition generally promotes training adaptations and thus optimal performance. Adolescence is characterized by a pubescence growth spurt, increasing energy and nutrient needs. Most team sports literature focuses on male athletes, with little on adolescent female team sports. Adolescent female athletes are at an increased risk of inadequate energy, and micronutrient intakes because of the pursuit of high fitness levels, and society pressures. This may cause hormonal irregularities, delayed development, poor bone health, and increased risk of injury. This review synthesizes information on the nutritional needs of adolescent female team sport players for performance and health.

Prepare for your TSAC-F® exam with confidence. Explore study timelines, optional NSCA Exam Prep resources, and community support with our Prep Group and course.

Andrew C. Fry, Mel Siff, and Mike Arthur recognized for their career accomplishments.

Long-Term Athletic Development (LTAD) models have provided a youth sport framework for more than 2 decades, aimed at improving skill progression, training outcomes, and athlete preparation. Although influential, traditional LTAD approaches are limited by their sport-centric orientation, linear design, and focus on elite performance, leaving them less relevant for most youth and adults who do not pursue competitive sport. In response, we propose reframing LTAD as Long-Term Activity Development (LTActD), an accessible and flexible model designed to promote lifelong engagement in physical activity, including recreation, exercise, and sport. LTActD emphasizes 5 dynamic phases—Explore, Develop, Apply, Sustain, and Thrive—that accommodate diverse pathways, periods of inactivity, and opportunities to re-enter active living at any age. Represented as a curvy road, the new model underscores that participation in physical activity is rarely linear, more like a winding journey shaped by health, motivation, environment, and social context. LTActD bridges sport science and public health, positioning physical activity as a lifelong resource for health, independence, and fulfillment. LTActD offers a practical framework to empower individuals of all ages and abilities to discover meaningful ways to move, re-engage, and embrace active living throughout the life course.

The NSCA-CPT Platinum Collection is ideal for those who want all the resources for the NSCA-CPT Exam. Learn on becoming a CPT with the NSCA's Certified Personal Trainer Course!

The Strength and Conditioning Editorial Excellence Award is given to members of the SCJ Editorial Board in recognition of their service to the NSCA.

Altering set configurations during a resistance training program can provide a novel training variation that can be used to modify the external and internal training loads that induce specific training outcomes. To design training programs that better target the defined goal(s) of a specific training phase, strength and conditioning professionals need to better understand how different set configurations affect the training adaptations that result from resistance training. Traditional and cluster set structures are commonly implemented by strength and conditioning professionals as part of an athlete’s resistance training program. The purpose of this review is to offer examples of the practical implementation of traditional and cluster sets that can be integrated into a periodized resistance training program.

This is the NSCA’s Coaching Podcast, where strength and conditioning coaches share their experience, lessons learned, and advice about how to thrive in a highly competitive profession.