The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to contrast training, including how it is defined, what variables are utilized, and examples of how to use it in training.

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition announced the winners of the 2013 Strength of America Awards. These awards recognize high schools that have represented the gold standard in strength and conditioning programs.

This article discusses the idea of Confucian adaptability as a framework for cultivating interpersonal skills for personal trainers.

The purpose of this article is to explore some phrases that strength and conditioning coaches may hear or behaviors they may witness, and provide some direction to identify which allied healthcare and performance professionals may need to get involved to best help the strength and conditioning coach and athlete elevate their performance.

Although most resources on program design review the foundational scientific principles of training, they often fail to provide practical strategies that strength and conditioning professionals need in order to apply these principles successfully. To help bridge the gap between science and application, this article provides a simple and practical, step-by-step system for applying the scientific principles of training into the program design process.

Much in the same way that a single movement or a single workout does not make or break a training cycle, the same holds true for mental skills. The challenge is that the strength and conditioning coach will likely need to reach out to another professional trained in sport psychology to help establish the plan and construct the appropriate interventions.

From the 2020 NSCA Coaches Conference, Jim Davis, Founder of the Good Athlete Project, presents his mission for maximizing the potential of athletics as education and the many components that create the framework of a high order performance goal.

From the 2019 Tactical Annual Training, Matt Thompson, explains the principles that have helped guide his program design process and how coaches can utilize similar principles to help filter systems and methods to create a more effective training program.

In this session from the NSCA’s 2018 Personal Trainers Conference, Mark Roozen describes his experience working as a strength and conditioning coach and his transition to doing performance training in the private sector.

Learn a 9-step plan for opening your own gym. In this session from the NSCA’s 2018 Personal Trainers Conference, David Crump shares his experience owning a facility.