NSCA Tactical Strength and Conditioning

[JayG]

Just wanted to let you all know the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the global authority on exercise science and human performance, has a program called Tactical Strength and Conditioning geared specifically towards firefighters (as well as Law Enforcement and Military). https://www.nsca-lift.org/TSAC/firefight.shtml
At the moment there is not a whole lot there regarding training programs but according to the last newsletter they will be releasing a textbook called "The Essentials of Tactical Strength and Conditioning" in 2012. While it is hard to judge a book not yet released, based on the reputation of the NSCA and their reliance on research over fad, I am cautiously optimistic this will be the best book/program on the strength and conditioning of firefighters.

[NorthernFF]

i've never heard of nsca before. does anyone have anymore info on them aside from what's on their website??

[JayG]

I'm surprised you've never heard of them since they are a worldwide authority on strength and conditioning. They are equivalent to the American College for Sports Medicine or the National Academy for Sport Medicine...do you know them?
NSCA has the certified strength and conditioning specialist certification. It requires a BS in exercise science so not any a-hole can do a weekend certification and call themselves a strength and conditioning coach. It is one of the most prestigious fitness certifications you can get. Many strength and conditioning coaches with professional athletic teams hold this certification.
One of the team USA coaches is an NSCA CSCS http://www.teamusa.org/resources/usoc-sport-performance/strength/professional-team
The majority of info is on their website and I'm not sure what else there is to know beyond this. Was there a specific question you had or wanted to know?

[NorthernFF]

Nothing too specific. I've been doing Crossfit for a couple of years now and would like to get my Level 1 certification to start training people. But before I go into business for myself with it I'd like to have more useful certification and training to expand my skill and knowledge base.

Just not having heard of it before I was curious, as there are many different certification groups and on the internet it's tough to tell what's legit and what's not. Just wanted to make sure it was something worth looking into/pursuing. The TSAC sounds pretty interesting when it comes out. From what I see the NSCA-CPT certification seems to be all online? Is that correct?

[JayG]

The CPT is all online but you do need the text book. It is similar to Can-Fit Pro in that you just read a text and do a test and you can train people. That's why the CSCS requires a degree...because you can't become a strength and conditioning coach for high level athletes overnight. You can however, for the most part, learn how to train the general public from a book. Athletes or people with specific performance goals usually require a more knowledgeable trainer who understands periodization, the difference between skill conditioning and physical conditioning, knows how to manage job demands and physical training in order to avoid over training, and knows how to program to avoid injury. They also usually have a background in science so they can stay on top of the literature and can implement research based programs instead of fad BS.
As a CF level 1 myself I want to offer some advice...save your money. It is extremely overpriced and teaches you next to nothing about anything other than CrossFit. And, since you haven't been CrossFitting long, I can assure you the honey moon period wears off and the gains stop and then you need a real S&C program to continue to make gains and avoid injury. If you want to train anyone other than CrossFitters, they won't take you seriously if you only have a CF cert and you certainly won't get a job anywhere else but a CF gym unless you start your own.
I don't like Can Fit Pro but it is more legit than CF, and the NSCA is probably the most legit. Maybe something by ACSM or ISSA would be comparable but NSCA seems to be more science based and more involved in high level athletic training.
If you had to choose between the CPT and CF1, I would go CPT, especially since I really wish I'd never wasted my money on a CF cert.
You may even want to look into getting some texts on strength and conditioning just for your own knowledge. The NSCA has Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. There's another called The Science and Practice of Strength Training. Also try Strength and Conditioning: Biological Principles and Practical Applications. An amazon search yields a large number of texts based on science, research, and the training of elite athletes.
While CrossFit talks a large game about elite fitness, there are no real athletes using it as their training program. Even the high level CF games athletes don't use CrossFit to train. They use tried and true S&C methods and legit periodization principles to prepare for the games, and then practice the CrossFit skills leading into the competitions, much like real athletes do. If you have a hard time believing this, you can find most games athletes training info online.
Anyways, that's my rant about that. I don't want to sound like a CrossFit basher either as I do believe it has it's place for certain people, but elite athletes, firefighters, LEO, and military can find much better programs through legitimate bodies on exercise science.

[mkelly_14]

CrossFit would be good for your general fitness (unless you're a CF athlete), and then as you move on in your training cycle you want to specialize more and more to mimic your actual athletic movements, which would be why CF athletes train differently and then practice CF skills leading up to their competitions. CanFit-Pro is BS, if you want that but would like better training do the NSCA-CPT. If you have a degree in kinesiology or a related degree, check out the NSCA-CSCS or if you're in Canada, anything from CSEP since you need a degree for their CEP or CPT