NSCA Tactical Program Managers, Jason Soileau (Military) and Mandy Nice (Public Safety), talk to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about supporting those in the tactical professions over the course of their careers. Topics under discussion include the U.S. Army Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program and developing a new tactical strength and conditioning program tool kit for public safety agencies.
Find Jason and Mandy on Facebook: NSCA Tactical Strength and Conditioning SIG | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs
Explore the applied sport science research process in college baseball, and how academic research can be optimized to benefit player programming. This episode features Dr. David Szymanski, the Director of Baseball Performance at Louisiana Tech University, and co-editor of the recently published book NSCA’s Strength Training for Baseball. Hear about Szymanski’s career path, from college baseball player to coach and sport scientist. This episode covers a wide range of relevant topics, including exercise selection, performance technology, student pathways, and the emergence of performance director roles across Major League Baseball (MLB).
Find David on Instagram: @drdavidszymanski or at his program website: LA Tech Sport Science| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs
At smaller colleges, strength and conditioning coaches are often asked to lead big with limited staff. Whitney Leyva-Camberos, Director of Sports Performance at Fresno Pacific University and NSCA Southwest Regional Coordinator, shares how she supports a growing program while building a career through service. Leyva-Camberos talks through small-department challenges coaches know well, from crowded training windows and shared weight room space to constant communication with sport coaches. She uses timing gates and velocity-based training to raise intent, spark athlete competition, and keep data useful for a small staff. As a parent and department leader, Leyva-Camberos reflects on the support that helps coaches stay in the field for the long term. She also shares how saying yes and showing up at NSCA events helped turn local introductions into lasting connections. Listen for strategies to lead with limited resources, choose technology with purpose, and get connected through NSCA opportunities in your region.
Connect with Whitney on Instagram: @bigassmuscles or by email: whitney.leyva@fresno.edu
| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs
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
Contracted Human Performance and Optimization Coach of 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regimen Jeff Carroll talks to the NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about his start in the field of strength and conditioning and his transition from professional athletes to a tactical population and setting. Topics under discussion include: Carroll’s career path, coaching professional athletes, transitioning to tactical strength and conditioning, and the future of tactical strength and conditioning.
CoachesOrganization and AdministrationProfessional Development
Listen in as Angelo Gingerelli, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coordinator at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, tells the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about his journey in the strength and conditioning profession. Topics include working collaboratively as a strength and conditioning staff, positive social media practices, taking on additional staff responsibilities as an adjunct professor, and working with endurance athletes.
You can reach out to Coach Gingerelli on Instagram: @finish_strong_book| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs
This PTQ article shares strategies for personal trainers about the treatment and prevention of the female athlete triad. Visit NSCA online to read more on youth fitness and health news.
Personal trainersExercise ScienceNutritionTesting and EvaluationClient Consultation|AssessmentBasic Pathophysiology and Science of Health Status or Condition and Disorder or DiseaseProfessional DevelopmentDepressionSports ScienceNutritionFemale AthleticsHigh-intensity interval trainingMenstrual HealthBone HealthFatigue
Emily Zaler, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the National Football League (NFL) Denver Broncos, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about the benefits of being persistent and proactively seeking out opportunities in the field. Topics under discussion include working with professional athletes, facing adversity head on, and how no task is too small to show how you can add value to a program.
Find Emily on Instagram: @ezaler or Twitter: @EZaler | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs
Learn about the new NSCA Strongman Special Interest Group (SIG) from strength and conditioning coach, Heidi Campo. Campo talks with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about her path in strength and conditioning that ran from bodybuilding and powerlifting to becoming a strongman competitor. Campo discusses her experiences spending the winter in Iceland at the “Nest of Giants” with four-time World’s Strongest Man, Magnus Ver Magnusson, and how camaraderie in the sport ignited an even stronger passion for her work as a coach. This episode also discusses how strongman is not just for elite competitors, and how training concepts and methods from the sport can be integrated across all levels of athleticism, multiple sports, and for clients of any age.
You can reach out to Heidi on Instagram: @muscleyogi or by email at heidi@coachbta.com| Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs
Join the NSCA Strongman Special Interest Group to continue the conversation and learn more.
This episode features Glenn Revell, the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Central Catholic High School in San Antonio, TX. “Coach Rev” shares insights and advice with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, from his transition to high school strength and conditioning from the college setting. This is a great episode for all coaches, teachers, and leaders to realize their value and impact within their community. Tune in to learn about important areas to develop knowledge and skills outside of the traditional strength and conditioning education.
Find Glenn on Twitter: @glennrevell | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs