Learn, participate and network with colleagues at (location) while earning CEUs. Hosted by the state, provincial and regional directors, this local event brings cutting-edge research and application to your backyard.

Learn, participate and network with colleagues at (location) while earning CEUs. Hosted by the state, provincial and regional directors, this local event brings cutting-edge research and application to your backyard.

Discover salary trends and average earnings for strength and conditioning coaches and sport scientists in the 2025 NSCA Salary Survey. Get your free summary now.

The NSCA Education Recognition Program (ERP) Personal Training Program recognizes and distinguishes both 2-year and 4-year degree granting academic institutions with standardized, approved personal training curricula that is designed to prepare students for the NSCA-CPT® and the NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) certifications. The program does not have to be classified as a major, minor, sequence, or concentration. However, it does have to be a formalized area of study. A full list of required content areas can be found in the Personal Training Program application.

Find educational articles and videos, learn more about programs offered by the NSCA, find information on CEUs and continuing education, prepare for exams, online exam preparation and more.

What does LTAD mean and how can parents get more involved with their child’s athletic development? Rick Howard provides an overview of youth development, important concepts to understand, ways to impact physical development, signs of overtraining, and further resources that are a great refresher for coaches and can be passed onto parents.

Strength and Conditioning Coaches who are NSCA-Certified are preparing youth for training, using proven strategies that improve their safety and competitiveness.

The steps on this page will help you select the right certification that fits your career goals.

Considering the great popularity of eccentric-based training, the purpose of this review is to first provide the scientific rationale for its use; second, summarize the eccentric-based training modalities that can be used; and finally, offer practical recommendations on how to implement eccentricbased modalities to enhance sports performance. The molecular and neural mechanisms underlying eccentric actions are partially distinct from those of concentric and isometric actions. During eccentric actions, theories suggest a strain-induced modulation of actin-myosin interactions at the crossbridge level, activation of structural protein titin, and winding of titin on actin. Eccentric acute physiological responses differ from concentric exercise responses, including variations in neuromuscular, metabolic, hormonal, and anabolic signaling. Eccentric training elicits greater improvements in muscle strength, power, and stretch-shortening cycle function compared with concentric-only or traditional resistance training. Therefore, eccentric-based training can lead to unique neuromuscular (e.g., improved coordination of motor units) and morphological (e.g., increased muscle fascicle length and enhanced distal cross-sectional area) adaptations that could play a key role in sport performance. Practitioners may implement eccentric exercises with external loads, fully eccentric-based exercises (e.g., Nordic hamstring curl), accentuated eccentric loading, flywheel resistance exercise, and plyometrics to develop specific physical adaptations in line with their goals. Eccentric work (e.g., for hamstrings) can be obtained during other exercises such as downhill running tasks, decelerations, and sprinting activities. Practitioners need to be aware that no single “silver bullet” training modality exists; consequently, practitioners should use a combination of eccentric-based training approaches with their athletes to obtain the desired adaptations.

The Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education, commonly referred to as CASCE, is a nonprofit accrediting agency devoted to advancing the strength and conditioning profession. We provide accreditation to collegiate-level education programs specializing in strength and conditioning. We rely on peer-reviews by academic and industry professionals to assess standards of quality, ensuring relevant curriculum and effective instruction.