Absolute strength. Sharp acceleration. Explosive power. The modern era of football demands that athletes in all positions are exposed to quality strength training programs that translate strength gains into better performance on the field and limit athlete vulnerability to injury.

A comprehensive but realistic battery of tests can reveal those who are sufficiently fit and athletic to immediately assimilate into training with the least possible likelihood of failure or injury. The Occupational Physical Assessment Test (OPAT) was designed to identify those individuals and screen out those who require further physical development.

Preparing for the Army Combat Fitness Test is the ideal resource to help you assess your readiness and train for the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT). Because soldiers operate on a three-dimensional battlefield where physical demands are often variable and unpredictable, the Army’s revised physical test provides a more diverse measurement of a soldier's physical abilities than its predecessor. But if you are one of the 200,000 annual recruits or the 1.2 million active duty soldiers who must pass these new protocols, this diverse test may bring anxiety and uneasiness.

This article consists of five assessments that could be utilized by the tactical facilitator to measure upper- , lower- , and total-body power in law enforcement officers (LEOs). Although the focus of this article is LEOs, the assessments could also be used for other tactical populations.

This article reviews the day-to-day operations of a strength and conditioning coach in the collegiate setting and identifies key factors that affect common coaching practices and athletic performance. Development of a dominant coaching style in controlling time, space, flow, and efficiency is examined to avoid problems and unintended negative consequences.

This NSCA Coach article focuses on the in-season resistance training and mobility exercises designed for the 100-m sprint track and field high school athlete.

Why is strength training important for the basketball athlete? In a dynamic game that changes by the instant, athletes need to be conditioned to sustain the highly stressful workloads experienced during practice or a game. For the basketball athlete, that means strength cannot be defined only as a measure of how much weight the person can lift; rather, it is an ability that should be judged by whether it can successfully be applied on the court.

The purpose of this article is to examine the effects and results of a training program designed specifically for United States Air Force (USAF) Pararescuemen.

What training approaches are efficient and effective at developing functionality and resiliency at the core? The answer lies within an intelligent, systemic, multi-method approach to training the core, including an eclectic set of training tools to individualize specific needs of athletes.

NSCA’s Essentials of Tactical Strength and Conditioning is the ideal preparatory guide for those seeking TSAC-F certification. The book is also a great reference for fitness trainers who work with tactical populations such as military, law enforcement, and fire and rescue personnel.