Many personal trainers work with clients who are dealing with musculoskeletal pain that has negative consequences both on the client’s ability to exercise and their activities of daily living. This article discusses the different types of pain, and describes targeted approaches for training clients with persistent musculoskeletal pain.

Because a client’s functional abilities will change in each of the tissue healing phases, the fitness professional must understand the time it takes to heal and the science behind each phase in order to prescribe safe exercises for clients in those phases.

Developing safe and effective exercise training programs requires the application of abundant training variables and the implementation of appropriate progression for each variable. Importantly, the outcomes of each training program are the product of these variables and their progression, so practitioners are keen to select methodologies and overload strategies that effectively support their target training outcomes. One such training variable is mechanical loading, which describes the forces of gravity, resistance, and muscle contraction and how these forces affect musculoskeletal adaptations. Numerous research articles and texts have been published regarding mechanical loading and its effects on exercise adaptations; however, these findings can be arduous to organize, which requires additional time investment by professionals. Developing a succinct system is critical because practitioners face clients and patients with a wide range of physical skills and challenges, and having an easily referenced loading guide may assist them in designing appropriate strength and conditioning or rehabilitation programs. Thus, the purpose of this review is to define and describe the mechanical loading continuum and its individual components to better assist the practitioner in identifying appropriate exercise modes and progression strategies.

This article discusses how suspension-based resistance training may help develop the stability and muscular endurance in the shoulder joint needed to decrease the risk of shoulder injuries as a result of the demands of firefighting.

Musculoskeletal injuries are the primary source of disability in the United States military. With the integration of movement screens and the implementation of tactical strength and conditioning facilitators there can be success in reducing the amount of musculoskeletal injuries in the tactical populations.

Concussion is a concerning injury and recovery can last days, weeks, or even months. Becoming familiar with post-concussion symptoms and the ensuing health-related sequelae is essential for those aiming to optimize the physical performance of tactical athletes.

An evidence-based movement assessment could hold Marines accountable for mobility and stability by systematically assessing movement patterns. This article (part three of a four-part series) explains one way that this could be accomplished.

This article sets out to address and dispel these myths, offering evidence-based insights into the significance, safety, and multifaceted benefits of strength training for youth.

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.

Introducing the National Strength and Conditioning Association's new Certified Special Population Specialist (CSPS) credential, established in 2012 to address the fitness needs of individuals afflicted by chronic or temporary health conditions.