The purpose of this article is to present pedagogical content knowledge to personal trainers aimed to enhance client performance and satisfaction.

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.

This excerpt from the NSCA’s Essentials of Sport Science, discusses some of the benefits and validity of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) data.

How much of the athlete data you collect changes what you do next? Conor Cantwell, Associate Director for Sports Performance at William & Mary, explains how he chooses assessments based on the physical qualities athletes need and available resources. That includes accommodating sport coaches’ testing preferences while still getting data he can use to guide training. Drawing on Irish rugby experience, he discusses the big “S,” little “c” debate about balancing strength with conditioning. He explains how heart rate data helps him decide how much conditioning athletes need and considers how to keep players fit when playing time is limited. Cantwell discusses his PhD research into how submaximal tests can track fitness during the season without an all-out effort. He also explains how to match recovery strategies to the season. Hear how to use assessments to guide your programming and help athletes understand the choices behind their training and recovery.

As Director of Sport Science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Heather Farmer spearheads comprehensive integration efforts. This includes ensuring every stakeholder, from sport performance staff to academic advisors, has a seat at the table. Farmer also outlines developing an internship and graduate assistantship program to meet staffing needs and offer opportunities for practical experience. She recounts how leveraging relationships — not data — has been her key to scalability. Additionally, Farmer recognizes that to make an impact, she must meet athletes and sport coaches where they are, which she uncovers through “highlights” and “hurdles.” She suggests that sport scientists with strength and conditioning backgrounds, like herself, are uniquely equipped to excel due to their communication skills. Farmer and McMahon also discuss avoiding “analysis paralysis” and how to incorporate data to elevate the student-athlete experience — an unignorable factor as athletes bring an element of “self” in the age of name, image and likeness (NIL). Reach out to Heather by email at: heather.farmer@unlv.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs

Lance Walker, Global Director of Performance at Michael Johnson Performance (MJP), talks to the NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about being unselfish in your work, developing your people skills in order to be a better coach, and mapping out your professional path.

The NSCA Foundation awarded nearly $195,000 to 15 Grant Recipients in 2026 to support strength and conditioning research, coaching advancement, and equipment

Colorado Springs, CO; Seattle, WA – Volt Athletics® (Volt), the global leader in technology solutions for sport performance training, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association® (NSCA), the worldwide authority on strength and conditioning, today announced Volt will sponsor the RSCC Ring Program at the 39th Annual NSCA National Conference.

Get NSCA’s Essentials of Tactical Strength and Conditioning, Second Edition — a trusted resource for TSAC-F® exam prep and military and public safety training.