Richard Howell, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Indianapolis Colts National Football League (NFL) team, talks to the NSCA Coaching Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about his impressive 21 years with the organization. Topics under discussion include going from pre-medical to strength coach, building relationships with athletes and staff members, and how technology provides hard numbers for sport coaches to understand stress management. Connect with Richard through email: Richard.howell@colts.nfl.net | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

The purpose of this article is to provide a practical, step-by-step process on how to establish trust with your clientele that is valuable in achieving long-term success in this industry.

Rushing into administering a training program can greatly hinder long-term gains for the client. This article explains the key components of the client interview, or as it is commonly referred to, “success session.”

Tactical facilitators are especially well-positioned to integrate mental skills training that may develop more complete tactical athletes who are prepared for dangerous environments. This article offers recommendations for mental skills training based on reported views from a tactical population.

This excerpt from NSCA’s Guide to Sport and Exercise Nutrition explains branched-chain amino acids

Protein is a staple in the diet of resistance training individuals looking to maximize strength and hypertrophy adaptations. This article reviews the quality of plant-based and animal-based proteins, and what proteins are right on an individual basis.

The extent to which a special operator’s training schedule can be planned in advance is often limited due to their unpredictable operational demands. However, there may be opportunities to plan for specific training during certain periods.

Stuart Hart, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for women’s basketball at the University of Nebraska, talks to the former NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about his journey from high school athlete to personal trainer to volunteer coach to full-time college strength and conditioning coach. Topics under discussion include a day in the life at the University of Nebraska, building relationships throughout the entire athletic staff, and the value of going to conferences for both educational and networking reasons. Find Stuart on Twitter: @No_DaysOff06 or Instagram: @strength_byhart

This article aims to help personal trainers understand the unique symptoms accompanying multiple sclerosis, how exercise recommendations change based on disease progression, and which techniques to best program for your client.