NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training

Comprehensive and research based, the second edition of NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training is the resource to rely on for personal training information and guidance. With state-of-the-art knowledge regarding applied aspects of personal training as well as clear explanations of supporting scientific evidence, NSCA’s Essentials of Personal Training,Second Edition, is also the authoritative preparation text for those preparing for the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT) exam.

This essential reference was developed by the NSCA to present the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for personal trainers. With contributions from leading authorities in the field, the text will assist both current and future personal trainers in applying the most current research to the needs of their clients:

• A discussion on nutrition outlines the role of the personal trainer in establishing nutrition guidelines, including the application of nutrition principles for clients with metabolic concerns.
• The latest guidelines on client assessment from prominent organizations—such as the American Heart Association (AHA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—keep personal trainers up to speed on the latest assessment protocols.
• New information is presented on flexibility training and cardiovascular exercise prescription as well as a discussion of research on the effectiveness of stability ball training.
• Revised information on design of resistance training programs incorporates the latest information on the application of periodization of training.
• New information addressing injuries and rehabilitation prepares personal trainers to work with clients with special concerns such as orthopedic conditions, low back pain, ankle sprains, and hip arthroscopy.
• New guidelines for determining resistance training loads will assist those whose clientele includes athletes.
• A variety of fitness testing protocols and norms allows readers to select from several options to evaluate each component of fitness.
• A new instructor guide and image bank aid instructors in teaching the material to students.

NSCA’s Essentials of Personal Training, Second Edition, focuses on the complex process of designing safe, effective, and goal-specific resistance, aerobic, plyometric, and speed training programs. Featuring over 200 full-color photos with accompanying technique instructions, this resource offers readers a step-by-step approach to designing exercise programs with special attention to the application of principles based on age, fitness level, and health status. Using comprehensive guidelines and sample clients portrayed in the text, readers can learn appropriate ways to adjust exercise programs to work with a variety of clients while accommodating each client’s individual needs.

Personal trainers will appreciate the book’s presentation of detailed exercise programming guidelines for specific populations. Modifications and contraindications to exercise are given for prepubescent youth, older adults, and athletes as well as for clients who are overweight or obese or have eating disorders, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipedimia, spinall cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsyIn addition, the book provides clear, easy-to-understand guidelines for initial client consultation and health appraisal.

For those preparing for the NSCA-CPT exam, this second edition features new and revised study questions at the end of each chapter. These questions are written in the same style and format as those found on the NSCA-CPT exam to fully prepare candidates for exam day. For efficient self-study, answers to study questions and suggested solutions for the applied knowledge questions are located in the back of the text. Chapter objectives and key points provide a framework for study and review of important information, while sidebars throughout the text present practical explanations and applications of scientific concepts and theory.

The second edition of NSCA’s Essentials of Personal Training is the most comprehensive resource available for current and future personal trainers, exercise instructors, fitness facility and wellness center mangers, and other fitness professionals. Unmatched in scope, this text remains the leading source for personal training preparation and professional development.

Founded in 1978, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is an international nonprofit educational association with members in over 56 countries. Drawing on 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. 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.

Jared W. Coburn, PhD, CSCS,*D, FNSCA, FACSM, is a professor of kinesiology at California State University at Fullerton, where he has earned numerous awards for teaching and research excellence. Before entering the world of academia, Coburn worked as a personal trainer, strength and conditioning coach, and director of physical therapy clinics and fitness and wellness centers. His interest in applying scientific principles to the training of clients and athletes is based largely on his experience as a practitioner.

Coburn has published widely and frequently lectures on topics related to exercise training. He is particularly interested in studying muscle function during strength, power, and endurance exercises and has presented his work in peer-reviewed journals and textbook chapters. Coburn is an active member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, where he has held membership since 1984. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from California State University at Fullerton and a PhD from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Coburn lives with his wife, Tamara, and their two children in Norco, California.

Moh H. Malek, PhD, CSCS,*D, NSCA-CPT,*D, FNSCA, FACSM, is an associate professor in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and director of the Integrative Physiology of Exercise Laboratory at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.

Malek conducts research in both human and animal models examining the underlying mechanisms of muscle fatigue. In 2010, Malek received the NSCA’s Terry J. Housh Outstanding Young Investigator of the Year Award. Malek has published over 60 peer-reviewed papers related to exercise physiology and has presented his research at the NSCA National Conference since 2004. Since 2007, he has served as associate editor of Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. He also serves on the editorial board of Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise. Malek received his bachelor’s degrees in biology and psychology from Pitzer College, his master’s degree in kinesiology from California State University at Fullerton, and a PhD in exercise physiology from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Malek and his wife, Bridget, reside in Northville, Michigan. In his free time, Malek enjoys watching football, fitness training, and reading.