With the single best resource for strength and conditioning professionals and students, Human Kinetics and NSCA continue to provide coaches and athletes with exceptional sources of knowledge and guidelines.

In this blog post, we asked N. Travis Triplett, co-editor of the newly published Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning 5E about the book’s new features, changes and trends in the strength training and conditioning field, and why universities should adopt the book for their courses

N. Travis Triplett, PhD, CSCS,*D, FNSCA, is a professor and program director in the department of kinesiology at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. She is a past president of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and is the current vice chair of the board of directors for the NSCA’s Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education (CASCE). Dr. Triplett is a certified strength and conditioning specialist with distinction (CSCS,*D) as well as a USA Weightlifting club coach.

Since the book was first published over 30 years ago, what has changed in the field of Strength Training and Conditioning? What are the most significant updates in this new fifth edition of the book? 

The amount of research into strength and conditioning topics has increased exponentially for many of the topics covered in the textbook.  Not only have more studies been done, but more studies using resistance training across a variety of populations and in a variety of settings have expanded our knowledge greatly.  These include a range of age groups, and in individuals who use resistance training to improve performance for job performance, as well as sport performance.

The fifth edition expands our current understanding of youth and older adults, as well as areas of consideration when training female athletes.  There is more extensive information regarding athlete training programs, and monitoring of training.  Most of the chapters have been updated with the latest research.

As a follow-up question, the previous edition published in 2015. Looking back on the previous edition and the new edition, which new chapters or topics were you most excited about in the process of preparing the new edition? 

I feel the most exciting chapter is the completely new chapter on Overreaching, Overtraining, and Recovery. This topic has only been touched on in previous editions and not in a standalone chapter. There is much more information available regarding how overreaching can be used in a training program, and the various recovery strategies to ensure athletes are adapting optimally to their training programs.  While training across the lifespan and training female athletes were covered in earlier editions, there is now much more information available that warranted covering these topics in separate chapters.

How does Essentials of strength training and conditioning distinguish itself from other resources in the field? 

The Essentials text has stayed true to its original purpose, which was to be the primary resource for the foundational information in the field of strength and conditioning. The original intent of the book was to serve as a textbook for strength and conditioning-focused units in university degrees, but it has become the primary comprehensive resource for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) examination. Its purpose is not to cover all the latest trends or specialised training methods, but to present the starting point for designing resistance training and conditioning programs.

In what ways do you anticipate the strength and conditioning field will change in the near future? 

The influence of artificial intelligence on learning and programming cannot be underestimated. Students in strength and conditioning need to be aware of how AI can assist their learning but not replace their critical thinking skills. Practitioners in the field must know the benefits and limitations of using AI for programming and monitoring of athletes and clients. We fully anticipate addressing this topic in a future edition of the textbook.

What emerging trends in strength training and conditioning should professionals and students pay attention to? 

The use of technology (e.g., GPS, other physiological tracking devices) has increased dramatically in recent years so professionals need to not only be aware of how to use these technologies, but how to interpret the data and utilize it to inform training program design.  This includes understanding the limitations of the technology and preserving the art of coaching and not relying only on the numbers. 

Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning provides students with a wealth of online resources and learning materials. How can readers best put these to use to enhance their learning? 

The resources have been created to not only provide more in-depth information about the concepts found in the book, but also to present the concepts in a visual or auditory manner that will be easier to understand and remember. I encourage students to get into the habit of looking at the additional resources at the same time when reading the chapter. It will make the concepts come together better.

Do you have any recommendations for people looking at Strength and Conditioning degrees, qualifications, mentors, etc.? What advice you give to young professionals starting out in this field?

The NSCA and some other strength and conditioning organizations around the world are in the process of accrediting degree programs that focus on strength and conditioning. The idea is to standardize training of future professionals in the field, which will elevate expectations and move the field forward. Therefore, students need to seek academic degree programs that are accredited, and that will prepare them to achieve professional certification, which is increasingly necessary for employment.  

Mentors take many forms (practitioners, professors, etc) so seeking to learn from individuals who can help to develop both knowledge and applied skills is essential. There is not one single right way to train athletes or clients so learning about many different approaches to program design will help someone to become a successful practitioner.