Colorado Springs, CO – The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is proud to announce that Coach Joel Raether has been selected as the NSCA’s Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year for 2020. Coach Raether becomes the sixth recipient of the award, which has been handed out since 2014. Award winners are selected by a volunteer committee, the NSCA’s Coaching Task Force, who determine the winner based on their contributions to the NSCA, their community, and the coaching profession.

The career path of a personal trainer inherently presents a certain amount of instability and unpredictability, but this does not have to last. There is no reason that personal trainers cannot make great money, afford health insurance, save for retirement, and create more freedom in their lives.

Annette Zapp, Lieutenant Firefighter in Chicago, talks to the Former NSCA Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Scott Caulfield, about strength and conditioning in the firefighting niche. Topics under discussion include the perks of being a firefighter who is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) and Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator® (TSAC-F®), the typical lifestyles and attitudes of firefighters in general, and common issues that they face both physically and mentally. Find Annette on Twitter: @FireSQFitness or Instagram: @FireSQFitness

With the current rise in overweight individuals, obesity, prediabetes, and diabetes, the role of qualified personal trainers is absolutely crucial for creating a more active and healthy society.

Evidence suggests a positive relationship between physical activity, exercise, and mental health. Exercise as a treatment modality is now being considered alongside psychotherapeutic and pharmacological approaches, and the role of specifically trained exercise specialists and personal trainers is an important component of the multi-disciplinary team.

There is no argument that periodization is successful, and that different models can be applied with success in different fashions. The question of how shift work really affects a periodized program—more specifically firefighter shift work—is less clear.

This article is part of 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 article presents general information suggesting physical training as a means for improving cognitive fitness.

This article provides a list of items that affect the ability to develop and retain quality fire fitness trainers and provides possible solutions to common challenges for program managers that make decisions for a facility or agency.