You don’t have to love the weight room, but you can’t last without it. Champ Bailey, a National Football League (NFL) Hall of Famer, admits he never enjoyed lifting, but says respecting the work gave him the edge to sustain 15 seasons at the highest level. Hear how his preparation evolved from traditional lifts to readiness routines — core, mobility, warm-ups, and recovery — that kept him fresh through the NFL grind. Bailey emphasizes that strength and conditioning coaches are undervalued leaders who “see you at all levels,” guide comebacks, and build buy-in with simple numbers. He recalls how a failed conditioning test led to one of his best seasons, and how weight room leadership left no cracks to ensure buy-in from everyone. Bailey continues his impact through the Positive Athlete initiative, using sport as a platform for growth. Gain practical ways to tailor training by role, earn athlete respect, and build a winning culture. Connect with Champ via email at: ChampBailey@positiveathlete.org | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Answer the call to give back and lead the profession. Applications for the NSCA and NSCA Foundation Boards of Directors are now open, with more volunteer positions available October 1. See if you qualify and apply at NSCA.com/Volunteer.

Steve Morgan, Tactical Strength Coach with the US Army, explains modifications to the sled push for tactical populations.

This infographic briefly reviews the differences in sprint velocity and technique, including stride length and hip, knee, and ankle flexion during a 20-meter resisted sprint.

Training, Speed and Conditioning with Football

Training, Speed and Conditioning with Football

William Kraemer, PhD, CSCS,*D, spoke at the 2012 National Conference on the compatibility of training programs, addressing common problems and solutions.

The aim of this article is to provide those working with tactical populations an introduction into tracking training load to mitigate injury risk while concurrently optimizing fitness.

PT22

Brad Schoenfeld, MS, CSCS, CSPS, NSCA-CPT, spoke at the NSCA's 2012 National Conference about combination training and its effect on metabolic resistance training.

Battling rope exercises can be used as a metabolic training modality following a comprehensive resistance training workout to increase the client’s heart rate and help maximize the metabolic cost of the training session.