I am officially a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and a true, card-carrying Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), although my card hasn’t arrived in the mail yet!
The CSCS is universally considered the gold standard in the industry.
I took the test about a week and a half ago (May 7th), and I just got the results back this past Friday (May 14th) while Lauren and I were on our vacation in Utah (hiking and mountain biking).
So obviously I passed since I mentioned that I’m officially a member now, but I didn’t just pass…I got a 90% and I finished the 4 ½ hour test in approximately 1 ½ hours! That’s not to say it was easy, but rather that I studied my ass off and I was very well prepared. For the last 8 weeks I was up at 5:00 am (including Saturdays and occasionally Sundays) to study for about an hour and a half before I had to leave for work (but after enjoying a delicious mushroom and broccoli omelet with some coffee and a grapefruit). That’s considerably more than I studied for any one thing in college despite the fact that I was a double-major in Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Rice!
Anyway, back to the CSCS…
Taken straight from the website:
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists (CSCSs) are professionals who apply scientific knowledge to train athletes for the primary goal of improving athletic performance. They conduct sport-specific testing sessions, design and implement safe and effective strength training and conditioning programs and provide guidance regarding nutrition and injury prevention. Recognizing that their area of expertise is separate and distinct, CSCSs consult with and refer athletes to other professionals when appropriate.
What I really liked about this designation and the studying that was required was that the foundation was based on anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, and biomechanics. It obviously includes detailed sections for exercise prescription, but even those sections are scientifically-backed as opposed to just throwing out blanket statements for a general population. Further, the CSCS is sport- and athlete-specific. It is not geared towards the typical personal training client.
More about my CSCS in a future post! Just one piece of the puzzle that is life!
That is awesome. Congrats. Since I have known you, your passion, pursuit, and execution plan for fitness makes you a great example of what should be all around us, but is often elusive.
ReplyDeleteThis certification is only a testimony to the work that you have already invested in yourself.
When I began regaining my fitness, I thought I was chasing you and athletes like you. Now I am just running my own race (and chasing you).
Again, congratulations. That is really awesome.
Andrew