Strength Training for Lacrosse

ABOUT THE NSCAThe National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is the world’s leading organization in the field of sport conditioning. Drawing on the resources and expertise of the most recognized professionals in strength training and conditioning, sport science, performance research, education, and sports medicine, the NSCA is the world’s trusted source of knowledge and training guidelines for coaches and athletes. The NSCA provides the crucial link between the lab and the field.ABOUT THE EDITORSJoel Raether, MAEd, CSCS, TSAC-F, RSCC*D, has over 20 years of experience in sport performance at the collegiate and professional levels, and he has worked with hundreds of lacrosse athletes of all levels. He is the managing partner at FAST Performance in Denver, Colorado, and has served as the head of performance for the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) since 2008. The Mammoth won the NLL Championship in 2022. Raether also spent seven years at the University of Denver training a multitude of teams, including lacrosse. He has trained more than 10 NCAA national champions, All-Pro athletes, league MVPs, and Super Bowl champions as well as one Olympic gold medalist.Matt Nein, MS, CSCS, RSCC*E, is the assistant director of athletics and recreation and coordinator of sports performance at Salisbury University, where he oversees the training programs of 23 varsity teams, three graduate assistants, and an intern and volunteer staff of 10. During his 20-year tenure, Nein has had the opportunity to work with 14 national championship teams (including 12 men’s and women’s lacrosse national champions), eight individual national championship athletes, and over 340 All-Americans. In 2018, he was named the NSCA’s College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year after being a finalist in 2016 and 2017. Nein currently serves on the NSCA’s Awards and Nominations Committee. He founded the NSCA Lacrosse Special Interest Group and now serves on its council. He also represents the NSCA as a liaison on USA Lacrosse’s Sports Science & Safety Committee. Recently, Matt has been named the strength and conditioning coach for the 2024 U.S. men’s box national team and 2027 U.S. men’s sixes national team. When not training athletes, he serves as an adjunct professor in the health and human performance department at Salisbury University.

“In Strength Training for Lacrosse, the leaders in this field have laid out a plan for developing the essential training needed to excel in this sport. This book is a critical resource for all lacrosse coaches and strength and conditioning professionals seeking to maximize the on-field success of their athletes.”-Jim Berkman, Head Coach of the 13-Time National Champion Lacrosse Team at Salisbury University“Matt Nein has gathered some of the top folks working in lacrosse, who have provided a wealth of theoretical and applied knowledge for anyone looking to improve their strength in lacrosse. There is an incredible amount of detail provided that will help guide session, microcycle, and seasonal planning.”-Dr. Jason D. Vescovi, Vice President for USA Lacrosse“Through my nine years of training with Joel Raether, I have become bigger, faster, and stronger. He has helped shape me into an elite player. Those principles and programs we used are at the core of Strength Training for Lacrosse, which is why it is destined to become the definitive training resource in the sport.”-Eli McLaughlin, Forward for the Colorado Mammoth

• Foreword by Dillon WardIntroduction by Matt NeinPart I. Principles of Sport-Specific Resistance TrainingChapter 1. Importance of Resistance TrainingKaren Sutton and Brittany M. AmmermanChapter 2. Analysis of the Sport and Sport PositionsJohn Cole and Justin KilianChapter 3. Testing Protocols and Athlete AssessmentThomas NewmanChapter 4. Sport-Specific Program Design GuidelinesNicole Shattuck and JL HoldsworthPart II. Exercise TechniqueChapter 5. Total Body Exercise TechniqueJL Holdsworth and Edward R. Smith, Jr.Chapter 6. Lower Body Exercise TechniqueJL Holdsworth and Edward R. Smith, Jr.Chapter 7. Upper Body Exercise TechniqueJL Holdsworth and Edward R. Smith, Jr.Chapter 8. Anatomical Core Exercise TechniqueAndrew Sacks and Jessi GlauserPart III. Program Design Guidelines and Sample ProgramsChapter 9. Off-Season ProgrammingDrazen Glisic (High School), Tracy Zimmer (College Women), David Eugenio Manning (College Men), and Joel Raether (Professional)Chapter 10. Preseason ProgrammingDrazen Glisic (High School), Tracy Zimmer (College Women), David Eugenio Manning (College Men), and Joel Raether (Professional)Chapter 11. In-Season ProgrammingDrazen Glisic (High School), Tracy Zimmer (College Women), David Eugenio Manning (College Men), and Joel Raether (Professional)Chapter 12. Postseason ProgrammingDrazen Glisic (High School), Tracy Zimmer (College Women), David Eugenio Manning (College Men), and Joel Raether (Professional)