You don’t have to love the weight room, but you can’t last without it. Champ Bailey, a National Football League (NFL) Hall of Famer, admits he never enjoyed lifting, but says respecting the work gave him the edge to sustain 15 seasons at the highest level. Hear how his preparation evolved from traditional lifts to readiness routines — core, mobility, warm-ups, and recovery — that kept him fresh through the NFL grind. Bailey emphasizes that strength and conditioning coaches are undervalued leaders who “see you at all levels,” guide comebacks, and build buy-in with simple numbers. He recalls how a failed conditioning test led to one of his best seasons, and how weight room leadership left no cracks to ensure buy-in from everyone. Bailey continues his impact through the Positive Athlete initiative, using sport as a platform for growth. Gain practical ways to tailor training by role, earn athlete respect, and build a winning culture. Connect with Champ via email at: ChampBailey@positiveathlete.org | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Answer the call to give back and lead the profession. Applications for the NSCA and NSCA Foundation Boards of Directors are now open, with more volunteer positions available October 1. See if you qualify and apply at NSCA.com/Volunteer.

Learning to lunge correctly can strengthen the lower body musculature, improve core stability and balance, enhance hip flexibility, and increase functionality. There are a plethora of modifications and progressions to consider.

This article provides an overview of the sporting demands of the bobsled competition in the Sochi Olympic Games, and how the theoretical basis of training attempted to meet these requirements.

Ultimately, there is no “one magical exercise” that can be programmed to appropriately develop all physical training adaptations required in competition, but the JOP Matrix can be used to help address several necessary adaptations needed for lacrosse players.

Strength and conditioning coaches that temper their posterior chain exercises with some threshold training and specific trunk exercises designed to break the extension/compression stabilization strategy (ECSS) to restore proper stabilizing strategies may find their athletes will move better, get injured less, and actually perform better.

The purpose of this article is to share the importance of the menstrual cycle’s effects on elite athlete performance, and how these effects should influence the training and recovery of high-performing athletic women.

Purchase the 2024 RSCC renewal course. - Achieve a minimum of 70% to renew your RSCC designation and earn 0.6 CEUs towards your certification.

From a strength and conditioning perspective, how should a tactical athlete be reintegrated when they return to a kinetically operational workplace after time away?

There are many factors to consider in the planning and implementation of any strength and conditioning program. With proper planning, tactical facilitators may be successful in preparing potential soldiers for the APFT.

The purpose of this article is to present normative data that has been previously collected for the 75PR, use the data to create informed training practices, and support the need for further research of this particular topic in law enforcement.