The NSCA Foundation awarded nearly $195,000 to 15 Grant Recipients in 2026 to support strength and conditioning research, coaching advancement, and equipment
The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Headquarters features a 6,000 square foot state-of-the-art Performance Center designed specifically to train clients of all fitness levels—from youth and novice to tactical and elite. The NSCA Performance Center serves as a proving ground for the testing and application of scientific principles optimizing sport performance, and offers private, semi-private, and group training services for individuals and teams.
Learn the basics of conducting a needs analysis for tactical athletes based on the athlete’s goals and desired outcomes, assessments, limitations on workout frequency and duration, equipment availability, health and injury status, and occupational physiological demands.
TSAC FacilitatorsProgram designTesting and Evaluation
This article explains the specific considerations of building a tactical training space and how to maximize the potential of the dedicated space by having a stable of equipment that reflects the needs of the audience.
This article provides the first academic history of the barbell back squat and its evolution from a bodyweight exercise in the 19th century to a loaded exercise used for a variety of purposes in the present age. In doing so, the article highlights three key drivers in the evolution of the back squat—changes in equipment, the diversification of strength sports, and scientific communication concerning the safety and efficacy of the movement. The goal of this article was not to provide a dry and irrelevant history but rather to stress the complexity of the squat’s prominence within fitness programs and the need to hold a nuanced view toward the “optimal” way to approach this movement. It examines how the movement evolved from being primarily done on the tips of one’s toes, to a loaded movement on tippy toes, to a flat-footed movement. By contextualizing the back squat’s history, this article challenges rigid notions of “correct” squatting technique and encourages a more nuanced understanding of exercise selection in strength and conditioning practice. It concludes by highlighting the importance of critically examining the social construction of knowledge in fitness and sport, and the value of historical perspective in informing contemporary training practices
In this session from the 2019 NSCA National Conference, Gary Boros, Associate Director of Sports Performance at the University of Denver, and Chris Jarmon, Sport Performance Coach at Landow Performance, discuss the understanding of the science and research behind blood flow restriction (BFR); connects research insights in performance, rehabilitation, and general fitness; and discerns the ideal use cases, equipment, and training protocols for BFR.
Personal trainersTSAC FacilitatorsCoachesExercise ScienceProgram design
This article will explore aspects of the struggle of parents to maintain personal wellness with pre-school age children and offer strategies that may help personal trainers or their clients increase quality of life
Personal trainersExercise ScienceNutritionProgram designProfessional Development
This article will discuss why it is important for first responders to have abdominal and lumbo-pelvic strength in relation to movements and tasks in their specific jobs. A list of possible exercises and implementation are also included.