Do you fear public speaking? It may seem counterintuitive for coaches who command the weight room every day, but it’s more common than you’d think. On the floor with your athletes, you’re in your element, but shifting audiences to administrators can have you second-guessing. Honing your communication and public speaking skills shouldn’t be saved until you’re eyeing a promotion — Coaching & Presentation Skills Coach Jenny Rearick advises getting in as many early reps as possible. Combining her experience as a collegiate athlete, strength and conditioning coach, and corporate marketer, Jenny founded Fit to Speak to empower fitness professionals in the “sport” of public speaking. Discover concrete strategies like the BLUF method to make sure your key message is heard. Learn how to seek out low-risk scenarios that can transform your speaking skills from just getting by to getting ahead. Plus, don’t miss her simple mindset shift to ease pre-presentation nerves. Connect with Jenny on Instagram at: @fit_to_speak or online at: fit-to-speak.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Check out Jenny’s episodes in the new NSCA Presenter Playbook series on NSCA TV. Ready to take the big stage? Apply online to speak at a 2025 NSCA event before the May 15 deadline. BONUS: Answer Bryan Mann’s “call to arms!” Get involved locally and give back to your strength and conditioning community at NSCA.com/Volunteer

Determining VO2max can be useful in all areas of health, from potential diagnosis of heart disease in the elderly to measuring peak performance in elite athletes. This article will discuss the physiological limiting factors of VO2max and the role each plays in cardiovascular improvement.

When it comes to traditional versus minimalist footwear, there are many considerations for injury risk. This article weighs the risks and benefits of both types of footwear from focusing on current literature on the subject.

Strength and conditioning professionals who incorporate a properly designed and supervised training program can help their young athletes train, compete, and reduce the likelihood of injury.

The Physical Readiness Training Manual includes many exercises intended to keep military personnel in optimal physical condition while staying at a low risk to injury. Additionally, the application of progressive overload may be beneficial to periodization programming in ROTC cadet preparation for the Army Physical Fitness Test.

It is important for tactical athletes to be aware of their fluid intake and hydration status when training for or performing job duties. This article explains several ways this can be accomplished.

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.

The purpose of this article is to explore physical training interventions and their impact on military combat-centric roles for female soldiers.

This episode features Glenn Revell, the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Central Catholic High School in San Antonio, TX. “Coach Rev” shares insights and advice with NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, from his transition to high school strength and conditioning from the college setting. This is a great episode for all coaches, teachers, and leaders to realize their value and impact within their community. Tune in to learn about important areas to develop knowledge and skills outside of the traditional strength and conditioning education. Find Glenn on Twitter: @glennrevell | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

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.