What does it take to become an award-winning Director of Strength and Conditioning in the National Football League (NFL)? Justin Lovett reveals the “we over me” mentality that guides his role with the Los Angeles Rams. Lovett reflects on receiving the 2024 NSCA Professional Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year Award after being an NSCA Member for over 20 years. He draws parallels between working with high school and NFL athletes — where the desired training responses are the same and ability levels vary — making versatility key. Lovett also stresses the importance of finding clean and effective training methods to accommodate wear and tear in football athletes. He compares the Rams’ hiring philosophy to gathering “infinity stones,” emphasizing character attributes, culture alignment, and staff chemistry. Lovett and NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager Eric McMahon discuss progressing into leadership and the rise of performance director roles, as well as how to seek out career and networking opportunities. Connect with Justin on Instagram: @strcoachlovett, Twitter/X: @justin_lovett, or LinkedIn: Justin Lovett | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs

This article gives readers a personal insight into the qualities that a successful and credible personal trainer should have.

It is the job of the personal trainer to help clients reach their goals in a safe and effective manner. However, it can be easy to lose sight of the big picture of a client’s life and have tunnel vision on specific training aspects that may not matter.

This article is a personal perspective that focuses on methods that can be used to establish confidence in the performance program in non-traditional environments.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association is governed by a Board of Directors that is elected by the NSCA membership. The board is comprised of eight members of the NSCA and one elected public member.

With each experience of training a new client comes an opportunity to research, consult, and learn something new. The career-driven personal trainer will learn from their mistakes, build on their successes, and utilize their knowledge base with each new client they encounter.

Changing an Industry and Culture in Public Safety

This article provides a blueprint and “mini-macrocycle” that will assist the personal trainer in creating a program design for older adults by offering organized templates, direction in selecting exercise components, and the creation of volume controls specific to the client’s needs.

The NSCA credentials should always be presented using a standard format. Please review the guidelines prior to listing the credentials.

Josh Leve, Co-Founder and President of the Association of Fitness Studios, discusses the current trends in the fitness studio industry in this session from the 2016 NSCA Personal Trainers Conference. Also covered is why personalization is the key to success, and insights into what is working and what is not.