This article seeks to explain monitoring body composition, including how to assess it properly for an accurate evaluation to minimize errors in body fat estimation and maximize physical training.

This NSCA Coach article explores how combining strength and plyometric training can improve volleyball hitters’ vertical jump and power. Visit NSCA online to read more on athletic performance and sports science.

Maximal force can be expressed across a range of conditions influenced by the external load and the time available to express force. As a result, several distinct and specific strength qualities exist. Conversely, some expressions of maximal force are similar and can be categorized as a single quality. Therefore, strength assessment systems must be sophisticated enough to isolate and measure each quality while minimizing redundant information. This article presents a contemporary, evidence-based and practical framework that reduces the many strength and speed-strength metrics into 5 distinct qualities. Alongside this, we present case examples of the application of strength diagnosis.

The Dirty World of Triathlon: Training and Racing Demands of Xterra

This excerpt from Developing Power discusses neuromuscular training for youth athletes.

This Kinetic Select from NSCA’s Essentials of Personal Training, Second Edition gives a brief overview of respiratory adaptations, and how aerobic interventions of duration and intensity can be used for specific adaptations for endurance training.

Two factors that determine running speed are stride cadence and stride length. Because athletes propel themselves forward only when their foot is in contact with the ground, the stance phase of the running stride should be the focus of speed enhancement programs.

In this session from the NSCA’s 2016 Personal Trainers Conference, the focus is on the chest as JC Santana shares ways to improve your clients’ bench press performance without bench pressing.

This article examines ways that personal trainers can take steps in order to effectively reduce the risk of clients suffering a training-related injury.

Early sport specialization involves physically immature children participating in intensive year-round training and/or competition for a single sport. The lack of sport exposure and diversification during the developmental years may underlie the increased risk of overuse injuries, blunting of motor skill development, psychosocial issues, overtraining syndrome, burnout, and potential dropout from sport. With increasing number of youth choosing, or being encouraged, to specialize at an early age, we aim to provide evidence based recommendations for the integration of strength and conditioning into the development programs of young athletes who participate in sports with a culture of early specialization. In addition to the principles of programming, strategies are provided relative to monitoring of growth, maturation, and training load to illustrate the potential complexities of attempting to optimize long-term athletic development in early specializing athletes.