Older adults who desire to remain physically active at work, recreation, or sport can improve muscular strength, physical performance, and injury prevention if engaged in a properly designed resistance exercise program. The programming considerations presented herein may serve as a useful reference for strength and conditioning professionals working closely with active older adults.
Personal trainersCoachesProgram designOlder AdultsTraining older populationResistance Training
This PTQ article reviews the research comparing injury rates across major resistance training styles and ranks them from the safest to the riskiest and provides practical recommendations to improve training safety. Visit NSCA online to learn more about bodybuilding and strength training strategies.
Personal trainersExercise ScienceProgram designOrganization and AdministrationTesting and EvaluationClient Consultation|AssessmentSafetyBasic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition and Disorder or DiseaseProfessional DevelopmentStrength Training StrategiesTechnical ExercisesRisk AssessmentBody BuildingResistance Training ModalitiesWeight TrainingInjury MitigationGeneral Fitness
As Director of Sport Science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Heather Farmer spearheads comprehensive integration efforts. This includes ensuring every stakeholder, from sport performance staff to academic advisors, has a seat at the table. Farmer also outlines developing an internship and graduate assistantship program to meet staffing needs and offer opportunities for practical experience. She recounts how leveraging relationships — not data — has been her key to scalability. Additionally, Farmer recognizes that to make an impact, she must meet athletes and sport coaches where they are, which she uncovers through “highlights” and “hurdles.” She suggests that sport scientists with strength and conditioning backgrounds, like herself, are uniquely equipped to excel due to their communication skills. Farmer and McMahon also discuss avoiding “analysis paralysis” and how to incorporate data to elevate the student-athlete experience — an unignorable factor as athletes bring an element of “self” in the age of name, image and likeness (NIL).
Reach out to Heather by email at: heather.farmer@unlv.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs
This section from the book, Developing Endurance, gives an overview of how to plan and develop a program for endurance athletes by following four steps.
Personal trainersTSAC FacilitatorsCoachesProgram designEndurance TrainingEndurance AthleteProgrammingDeveloping Endurance
This article explores the possible causes of low back pain, as well as three potential strategies that a personal trainer may use to work with someone dealing with low back pain.
Personal trainersProgram designLow Back PainDysfunctional PatternsCore Strength
This PTQ article shares a real-world story to give inspiration and practical advice on creating your own sport performance business. Visit NSCA online to read more on athletic performance and professional development.
Personal trainersProgram designOrganization and AdministrationTesting and EvaluationClient Consultation|AssessmentSafetyEmergency ProceduresLegal IssuesProfessional DevelopmentDevelopment ProgramsCoaching CareersBusiness ManagementFitness CenterSport Performance GymFitness ProgramsEntrepreneurial
The purpose of this article is to help bring awareness of athletic recovery by useful fatigue monitoring and managing tools, such as external and internal load examples.