Development of grip strength is often overlooked in traditional resistance training programs, but small program adjustments that target grip strength can be of benefit athletes.

This excerpt briefly describes key aspects of this nonessential amino acid including its effect on the body, efficacy, and adverse effects.

Nicole Rodriguez always knew she wanted to pursue strength and conditioning, but the extent of her journey — spanning 44 countries and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games — is nothing short of inspiring. During her time at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, Rodriguez recognized the value of experience and environment, later joining the EXOS International Program to coach globally. Eager to test her skills and help standardize coaching education, she sought out developing countries to advance their sport infrastructure. Rodriguez outlines key differences between U.S. and European approaches: while the U.S. excels in strength methodology, Europe enhances sport-specific application through tactical periodization. Additionally, she highlights Europe’s emphasis on rehabilitation and an “inverse relationship” between time in the weight room versus pitch-side with sport coaches. Rodriguez also describes her work with Poland’s Ministry of Sport and Tourism to pursue NSCA Global Chapter status, aligning with her passion for improving strength and conditioning education and implementation worldwide. Connect with Nicole by email: nicole@coachnicolerodriguez.com and online at: coachnicolerodriguez.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Learn more about NSCA international programs mentioned in the episode at NSCA.com/Global.

This book excerpt is from Developing Agility and Quickness, Second Edition and goes over change of direction drills to help with speed and power development as well as an athletes cognitive and decision making skills.

Strength and conditioning professionals must be proactive in fighting the challenges associated with time constraints and overtraining with their youth athletes. By applying the strategies explained in this article, a strength and conditioning professional can help a youth athlete perform at a high level when it matters the most.

All fitness components depend on body composition to some extent, and the demands of many sports require that athletes maintain standard levels of body composition.

This article walks personal trainers through how to present a program for the common goals and what to do if the process does not produce a sale.

In order to develop athletes who can move optimally in multiple planes of motion, training should include elements that can challenge them in multiple planes while providing various resistance and proprioceptive challenges.

The use of conditioning activities at maximal and sub-maximal intensities can increase subsequent sprint speed. This infographic describes how individuals’ responses can differ and suggestions to optimize post-activation potentiation (PAP) methods.