The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) , a nonprofit educational group, was established in 1978 to generate and disseminate information about strength training and conditioning to its members and the general public. Evolving from a membership of 76 in 1978, it now has more than 30,000 members in over 63 countries, including international chapters in Japan, China, and the United Kingdom. The NSCA is widely recognized as an international clearinghouse for strength training and conditioning research, theories, and practices. Central to the NSCA's mission is providing a link between the scientist in the laboratory and the practitioner in the field. By working to find practical applications for new findings in strength training and conditioning research, the organization has fostered the development of strength training and conditioning as a discipline and as a profession. The NSCA offers two distinctive credentialing programs. The Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) credential is the certification of choice for professionals who design and implement strength and conditioning programs for athletes, and the NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT) credential is an ideal certification program for those who train active and sedentary clients in one-on-one situations. The NSCA's prestigious CSCS and NSCA-CPT certifications are the only programs in the fitness industry that have been nationally accredited since 1993 by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, a non-governmental, nonprofit agency in Washington, DC, that sets national standards for certifying agencies.

To earn one of these internationally recognized certifications, candidates must pass a rigorous exam administered by an independent exam service. To date, more than 35,000 professionals residing in 59 countries hold one or both of the NSCA's credentials.