From weekend warriors to tomorrow’s Olympians, the pros gather to discuss current applications for strength and conditioning training
    Coaches and others to explore special training considerations for women, youth and even stock car racing!
    This July Las Vegas, Nevada will become the Mecca for fitness professionals eager to learn about the latest research and training techniques for improving athletic performance and fitness. Thousands of strength and conditioning coaches, sports scientists and others are slated to attend the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s (NSCA) 2011 National Conference – where they’ll explore hot topics that could impact everyone from weekend warriors and Little Leaguers to college and professional-level athletes.
    The NSCA (www.nsca-lift.org), the worldwide authority on strength and conditioning, is going all-out this year with an amazing spectrum of speakers. Attendees will be inspired by keynote presenter Coach Bobby Bowden, the second ‘winningest’ coach in college football history.

    Many coming for world-class certification and networking 
    The NSCA's Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer certifications are the industry’s gold standards. NSCA's National Conference provides an opportunity for these fitness professionals from around the world to learn what it takes to earn one of these prestigious distinctions. Certification testing is also done during the conference. Others attend to accrue the valuable Continuing Education Units necessary for re-certification.
    With thousands of their peers in attendance, this is also a great time for special interest groups to network. For example, participants in the women’s luncheon will gather to make recommendations for future conference topics and areas of research, as well as to develop a mentorship program to encourage more women’s participation within the organization.

    Educational sessions that hit close to home
    From its opening yoga workout session to its hundreds of hands-on interactive training sessions, this is a national conference like none other. You might never race a stock car or represent the United States in the Olympics, but the discussions during this National Conference may well impact your family’s fitness. The pros will return to their hometowns with newfound knowledge that they’ll likely be sharing with students, clients, friends, family and neighbors. Some of the presentations will include:

    Giving student athletes’ brains consideration during a workout
    There is increasing evidence on the importance of teaching movement exercise to our students playing sports. Rick Howard, CSCS, *D; Pat Cullen-Carroll, CSCS, and Leo Totten, MS will explain the importance of using the right exercise methods for brain development.

    Drink chocolate milk for your post-game nutrition
    Who knew that low fat chocolate milk is nature’s recovery drink? Cal Dietz, MS has a lot to say about why it is one of the best ways to help athletes bodies recover and refuel after strenuous exercise.

    Is endurance training even possible for weekend athletes?
    If you’re an active participant in road and mountain biking, running, swimming, triathlons, and/or adventure racing – and you also hold down a full-time job – what are your endurance training options? In this session, Matt Rhea, PhD, CSCS, *D will help personal trainers understand how to adapt their endurance training programs to fit the needs of their busy clients.

    Should women's fitness routines be different than men's? 
    Experts believe there are social and psychological differences affecting how men and women train, in addition to physiological and anatomical considerations. Tammy Etovich, CSCS and Kristi Hinnerichs, PhD, ATC, CSCS, *D will tell participants some nutritional and gender considerations when training women for fitness and competition.

    What should an Olympian have for lunch?
    How should young people be eating to support their proper growth and development in addition to their performance as star athletes? Jeff Stout, PhD, CSCS, *D, FNSCA will review the macro- and micronutrient, and supplement needs of young athletes when participating in a long-term intensive sport development program.

    Training that starts before you slide behind wheel
    Stock car racing is America’s largest sport, and yet its athletes are underserved by America’s strength and conditioning specialists. In this session, William Ebben, PhD, CSCS, *D, FNSCA will guide participants through the research on the physical demands, injuries, and psychological demands of stock car drivers. He’ll then offer practical, sport-specific recommendations for specialists who want to work with drivers.
    The NSCA's National Conference will be held July 6-9, 2011 at the Paris Hotel in LasVegas. For a complete list of presentations and additional information about the nonstop activities to be held during this event, visit www.nsca-lift.org.

    Media Note: For additional information, to make arrangements to attend a conference presentation, or to schedule an interview, please contact Media Relations, Inc. at 612-798-7220.

    About the National Strength & Conditioning Association
    The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is an international nonprofit educational association founded in 1978. Evolving from a membership of 76, the association now serves nearly 30,000 members in 52 countries. Drawing upon its vast network of members, the NSCA develops and presents the most advanced information regarding strength training and conditioning practices, injury prevention, and research findings.

    Unlike any other organization, the NSCA brings together a diverse group of professionals from the sport science, athletic, allied health, and fitness industries. These individuals are all in pursuit of achieving a common goal—the utilization of proper strength training and conditioning to improve athletic performance and fitness.

    Central to its mission, the NSCA provides a bridge between the scientist in the laboratory and the practitioner in the field. By working to find practical applications for new research findings in the strength and conditioning field, the association fosters the development of strength training and conditioning as a discipline and as a profession.

    Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the NSCA serves as a valuable resource for its members, the fitness industry, general public, and the media. The association provides a wide variety of resources and opportunities designed to strengthen, build, advance, and unify.