NSCA’s Guide to High School Strength and Conditioning

The need for qualified high school strength and conditioning professionals has never been greater. Whether following the framework for long-term athletic development or teaching weight training as a lifelong fitness activity, you need to offer both the environment and instructional skills to safely develop strong student-athletes. NSCA’s Guide to High School Strength and Conditioning will equip you to deliver the highest-quality program in the high school setting—whether you are a strength and conditioning professional, physical education teacher, sport coach, or administrator.

Written by a team of contributors within the world-renowned National Strength and Conditioning Association, NSCA’s Guide to High School Strength and Conditioning summarizes the primary duties and responsibilities of the various positions and roles that contribute to developing a safe and effective program. It provides insights into the benefits of offering a strength and conditioning program at the high school level and offers advice for the implementation of such a program. Examples are also provided for strength-and-conditioning-related PE curriculums to demonstrate how those types of programs can work and how they connect to the SHAPE America national standards and grade-level outcomes.

The text is loaded with information that can be practically applied to any high school program. You will learn the variables to consider when designing a resistance or cardiovascular training program and 13 detailed protocols for conducting assessments so you can objectively evaluate movement and performance. Detailed exercise descriptions include beginning position, movement phases, breathing guidelines, modifications and variations, and coaching tips. The descriptions, along with accompanying photos, teach proper technique for

• 28 common resistance training exercises,
• 10 bodyweight exercises,
• 12 anatomical core exercises,
• 11 static and dynamic stretching exercises,
• 12 plyometric exercises,
• 10 speed and agility drills, and
• 5 cardio machines.

Sample warm-up sequences and exercise sessions for resistance, plyometric, speed and agility, cardiovascular, and circuit training are also provided—all of which follow the programming guidelines and recommendations for high school student-athletes.

NSCA’s Guide to High School Strength and Conditioning includes the evidence-driven information that will help any high school strength and conditioning professional—including both coaches and teachers—to become the best practitioner possible. This valuable resource is one that you will turn to for many years to come as you build a solid strength and conditioning community for your student-athletes.