Master's in Kinesiology
Michigan State University
About Coach Nelson
Experience behind every recommendation.
Adam Nelson has coached across collegiate, high-school, and private performance settings, working with athletes from the professional level through middle school.
10+Years of full-time strength and conditioning experience
The background
Coach Adam Nelson, MS, CSCS, SCCC, USAW-1.
Adam is the full-time Strength and Conditioning Coach at Catholic Central High School and has more than a decade of full-time experience in collegiate, high-school, and private training settings.
Before Catholic Central, he worked as a Strength and Conditioning Coach at Old Dominion University and Michigan State University while earning his Master's in Kinesiology from MSU.
He has worked with thousands of athletes across the professional, Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, high-school, and middle-school levels, along with adults who want to stay strong, fit, and healthy.
In 2023, his peers named him the NHSSCA State of Michigan Coach of the Year.
Coaching + education
Experience built across programs and levels.
01Alma College
02Wayne State University
03Old Dominion University
04Michigan State University
05Cornerstone University
06Catholic Central High School
Education + credentials
Prepared to coach.
Committed to the craft.
Education and certification support Adam's work across strength and conditioning, weightlifting, physical education, and athlete development.
Undergraduate degree in Physiology
Alma College
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
National Strength and Conditioning Association
Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified
Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association
Certified Coach
USA Weightlifting
Strength and Conditioning Coach
International Youth Conditioning Association
Certified Physical Education and Health Teacher
State of Michigan
Training philosophy
Practical. Realistic. Foundational.
Adam's priority is simple principles that work, applied to the athlete and environment in front of him.
Programming is informed by research and science, then shaped around real schedules, available equipment, competitive demands, and the people doing the work. The goal is useful training—not exercises chosen because they look flashy on social media.
- 01Faith
Lead with purpose and serve the person, not only the performance.
- 02Integrity
Coach honestly, communicate clearly, and do the work the right way.
- 03Improvement
Pursue measurable progress through patient, consistent practice.
- 04Discipline
Build habits that hold up when motivation and conditions change.
Start a conversation
Bring the goal.
Build the plan.
Tell Adam about the athlete, team, or program you are supporting and what you want to improve.
Contact Adam