This article applies LTAD principles to guide the process of generating an athletic profile (part 1) and sample program design (part 2) for a middle school athlete and a high school athlete.

This article seeks to provide insight on a training method based around prescribing small amounts of training to achieve a large amount of physical improvements.

This NSCA Coach article examines strength and conditioning strategies for collegiate distance runners to build performance for outdoor competition. Visit NSCA online to read about sport science.

Veteran Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Bill Foran, joins the NSCA Coaching Podcast and reflects on a more than four-decade coaching career. Foran discusses his early beginnings teaching elementary school physical education, with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager Eric McMahon, and what led him towards pursuing collegiate and professional sports strength and conditioning. Foran shares stories of resourcefulness from the early days, before the strength and conditioning field was formally defined, up to more recent years using sport science technology and foundational core principles to inform training practices for elite NBA players, such as Lebron James and Shaquille O’Neal. This episode is informative for strength and conditioning coaches at any level, emphasizing the importance of building lasting relationships with athletes and head coaches, as well as taking advantage of all that the NSCA has to offer. Reach out to Coach Foran at by email at bforan@heat.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs Learn more about NBA strength and conditioning with the National Basketball Strength and Conditioning Association (NBSCA), an Official Sport Partner of the NSCA.

Law enforcement and correctional officers have the potential to be in a physically demanding situation at any time. This article is an overview of a conditioning program that can be used in physical training for recruits in the academy.

Deceleration in court and field sports, such as football and soccer, is an important component of speed and agility. This book excerpt looks at how to train for effective deceleration.

This article discusses how personal trainers can utilize the strength zone training system in order to develop true full range of motion strength, and thus help clients perform better and further reduce injury risk.

Few strength coaches have shaped sport performance like Al Vermeil — the only strength coach to earn championship rings in both the National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA). In this Gatorade Performance Partner Special Episode, Vermeil shares how a career built on explosiveness, adaptability, and relentless curiosity has transformed teams at every level. From advancing plyometrics and Olympic lifts in the 1970s to creating the performance pyramid and the innovative “time machine” testing system, his methods have influenced generations of coaches and athletes worldwide. Known for blending timeless principles with fresh, actionable ideas, he explains how mechanics, group management, and collaboration create consistent results and lasting trust. Along the way, Vermeil offers rare perspectives on coaching longevity, revealing how his adaptability and curiosity have kept him learning — and lifting — into his 80s. Gain practical insights to keep explosiveness central, integrate performance science, and strengthen your long-term coaching impact. Reach out to Coach Vermeil by email at: a60vermeil@sisna.com | Email Jon Jost at: jonathan.jost@pepsico.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs. This special episode is brought to you in part by Gatorade Performance Partner. Learn more and join their community at GatoradePerformancePartner.com.

This excerpt from NSCA’s Essentials of Sport Science describes strength as a velocity-dependent concept.

This article is the 11th in a continuing series of tactical strength and conditioning (TSAC) research reviews. It is designed to bring awareness to new research findings of relevance to tactical strength and conditioning communities.