This article is the seventh 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.

This excerpt from NSCA’s Essential of Tactical Strength and Conditioning explores the neural and muscular adaptations to training over time.

Thrown into the fire — that is how Jeanne Rankin learned, and it’s how she’s developing her athletes and interns at Coastal Carolina University. Rankin reveals how trust is what drives buy-in, performance, and success; without it, even the best program is just a piece of paper. She breaks down some of strength and conditioning’s toughest realities — long hours, relentless demands, and work-life challenges — which require strategic approaches across career stages. A process-oriented coach, Rankin shares practical strategies for setting boundaries, maximizing efficiency, and avoiding burnout when 70-hr workweeks are common. She also delivers real-world insights on career longevity, professional growth, and adapting to an evolving industry. With salary conversations, career sustainability, and the future of collegiate strength and conditioning on the table, Rankin brings an unfiltered, solutions-driven perspective. Whether you are just starting out or an experienced professional, this episode delivers straight talk on what it takes to succeed long-term. Connect with Jeanne on Instagram: @thegingerguns or by email at: jrankin@coastal.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Check out the 2022 NSCA Salary Survey discussed in this episode and watch for 2025 NSCA Salary Survey results coming soon. Additionally, find actionable strategies to support a raise request in the NSCA’s new article, “How to Ask for a Raise in Strength & Conditioning.” Read the NSCA’s proposal to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to recognize “strength and conditioning coach” as a detailed occupation in their classification system.

This is the first part of a four-part series that will address implementing a comprehensive evidence-based approach to proper movement patterns in order to reduce movement dysfunction in Marines.

Looking to exhibit at an NSCA conference? Find all the information you need to know about NSCA National Conference, Coaches Conference, Tactical Annual Training, Personal Training Virtual Conference, and more.

The path to actual integration of mental and physical training for the tactical athlete is paved with growing empiricism. The current challenge is to sustain creative development of functional approaches and demonstrate that integration can deliver potential benefits.

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a critical appraisal of peer-reviewed articles on the effects of load carriage on cognitive function among military personnel.

This narrative review will focus on the research related to tactical load carriage and on a program recommendation to maximize strength and endurance adaptations in Special Operations Forces (SOF).