The purpose of this article is to address the key elements when designing a training program for firefighters, provide evidence for utilizing circuit training, and suggest recommendations on how to incorporate circuit training into the training program.

This article serves as a guide for current and future strength and conditioning professionals who oversee program design for fire academy recruits. This includes a summarized needs analysis and a sample training program that considers the unique challenges of the fire academy.

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.

In this session from the NSCA’s 2016 TSAC Annual Training, Brad Nindl provides an overview the current state-of-the-art physical performance optimization programs, and recommendations for program design based on these programs.

This article seeks to help simplify the exercise selection process by providing clarity on how different exercises can aid in enhancing performance and potentially reduce injury risk.

With the need to be ready under any circumstances from operational missions to physical training, understanding how the adrenal gland functions is important for any tactical athlete. The adrenal gland mediates performance and can have a negative effect on the body’s physiology when exhausted. It is vital to understand the interventions needed to obviate the negative effects and enhance the positive aspects of such physiological function. This session from the 2015 TSAC Annual Training sheds light on this important physiological system that impacts both physical health and functional performance.

The Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) is a speed shooting competition designed for school-aged youth. The key to training a successful SASP competitor is to not overlook the often forgotten balance and eccentric training exercises that target key muscle groups involved in the competition. An implementation of balance and eccentric training is suggested to aid the performance of young shooters in competition.

Tactical jobs are fast-paced, physically and psychologically intense, and failure can have tragic consequences, making it vital to train tactical athletes to perform better under stress.

Tactical facilitators are especially well-positioned to integrate mental skills training that may develop more complete tactical athletes who are prepared for dangerous environments. This article offers recommendations for mental skills training based on reported views from a tactical population.

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.