ABOUT THE NSCA
Founded in 1978, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is a nonprofit association dedicated to advancing the strength and conditioning and related sport science professions around the world. The NSCA exists to empower a community of professionals to maximize their impact through disseminating evidence-based knowledge and its practical application by offering industry-leading certifications, research journals, career development services, networking opportunities, and continuing education. The NSCA community is composed of more than 60,000 members and certified professionals throughout the world who further industry standards as researchers, educators, strength and conditioning coaches, performance and sport scientists, personal trainers, tactical professionals, and other related roles.
Duncan N. French, PhD, is the vice president of performance at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Performance Institute and has more than 20 years of experience working with elite professional and Olympic athletes. Prior to joining the UFC, French was the director of performance sciences at the University of Notre Dame and a technical lead for strength and conditioning at the English Institute of Sport. French has worked three Olympic cycles as the national lead for strength and conditioning to Great Britain’s basketball and, more recently, taekwondo Olympic programs. He earned his PhD from the University of Connecticut in 2004 and has authored or coauthored over 60 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts. He is a fully accredited strength and conditioning coach with the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA), Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA), and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). French is a former chairman of the UKSCA and received an honorary fellowship in 2014 for his services to the strength and conditioning industry. French holds academic honorary fellowships with Australia Catholic University in Melbourne Australia and Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia. Lorena Torres Ronda, PhD, is the sport scientist coordinator at the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is an adjunct fellow at the Institute for Health and Sport at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. Based in the United States and originally from Spain, Ronda has extensive experience in professional and Olympic sports. Her career has spanned the NBA, NBA G League, F.C. Barcelona (basketball and handball), and the Spanish National Swimming Team. She holds a PhD in sport science, is a strength and conditioning coach, and is passionate about merging science with practical applications. Her research is mainly focused on team sport performance.