This NSCA Coach article outlines the best practices for Achilles recovery in soccer. Visit NSCA online to read more on athletic performance and sports recovery.

The purpose of this article is to provide warfighters and tactical facilitators with an evidence-based approach to improve maximal strength and power using the trap bar deadlift as it relates to combat preparedness.

This column reviews recent literature that investigated the appropriateness of a commonly utilized on-duty exercise training modality for firefighters and describes the occupational demands of specialist tactical police officers.

The purpose of this article is to give an overview and theoretical framework on the concept of periodized nutrition—with an emphasis on adequate carbohydrate intake to enhance performance.

Between the physiological, cognitive, and tactical skill demands, this article explains why fighter pilots should be considered tactical athletes and have access to resources like a professional sport athlete.

The path to the top is not always linear. For Jill Costanza, it included returning to school and stops in collegiate and military performance before becoming Director of Sport Science and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach with the National Football League (NFL) Detroit Lions. Costanza describes today’s sport science landscape as a “Wild West,” where definitions differ by perspective. Her focus centers on assessing the athlete and program effectiveness against the demands of the game to identify holistic interventions. She outlines how intentional systems, a clear communication funnel, and data visualizations help athletes and stakeholders understand the “why,” build buy-in, and tap into competitiveness. Addressing common misconceptions, Costanza clarifies that elite athletes can still have foundational qualities that need rewiring. She emphasizes movement quality, proprioception, and breathing while adapting for individual needs and neurological fatigue. Learn how to build sport science systems, turn insights into action, and keep progressing on your professional path. Reach out to Jill by email at: jill.costanza@lions.nfl.net | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Join the NSCA Football Special Interest Group (SIG) and explore 24 other specialized communities designed to support your development on the Special Interest Groups page.

If you want to manage the performance of assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars, you better know what you’re doing. At the elite and professional levels of sport, strength and conditioning coaches are responsible for managing the performance of teams’ most valuable assets – The Athletes.

From the NSCA’s 2020 Coaches Conference, Scott Schultz and Beau Smith show hands-on drills for prehabilitation of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) to reduce the risk of injury in sport. These drills include posterior chain warm-up exercises, plyometric and balance exercises, and proper landing mechanics to reinforce proper hip and knee positions.

In this session from the 2015 NSCA Personal Trainers Conference, dietitian Dawn Weatherwax discusses how knowing a client’s body composition can help in setting nutrition and training guidelines. Weatherwax reviews nutrient timing; eating the right mix of carbs, fats, and proteins at the right times; and other important facts that may impact a client’s outcomes.

“The goal of what we’re trying to do is make a difference in someone’s life,” says Gary Schofield in this session from the 2015 NSCA National Conference. Coach Schofield explains areas where you can make a difference for your athletes, including movement efficiency, recovery and regeneration, autoregulation, velocity-based training, and conditioning with purpose.