BIO: TOM KELSO

Tom Kelso is currently a strength and conditioning specialist with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.  Additionally, he trains clients at Sante Health & Wellness in the Chase Park Plaza, a preferred luxury hotel in St. Louis and does one-on-one training through Pinnacle Personal & Performance Training in Chesterfield, MO.  A 23-year veteran of the collegiate ranks, he served as the Head Coach for Strength and Conditioning at Saint Louis University (2004-2008), the University of Illinois at Chicago (2001-2004), Southeast Missouri State University (1991-2001) and the University of Florida (1988-1990). He first started in the strength and conditioning field as an Assistant Strength Coach at Florida in 1984, where he was also a weight training instructor for the Department of Physical Education from 1985 to 1988.

In 2006, Kelso was named Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association for his years of service in the field. In 1999, he was named NSCA Ohio Valley Conference Strength and Conditioning Professional of the year. In 2001 he received an honorary certification from the International Association of Resistance Trainers (I.A.R.T.).

Kelso has also worked with athletes at the Olympic and professional levels, presented at various clinics/seminars, and has worked several athletic-related camps. A strong advocate of safe, practical and time-efficient training, he has published numerous periodical articles and book chapters promoting such. His two solo projects, The Interval Training Manual and The Strength Training Workout Encyclopedia, are one-of-a-kind references for anyone seeking guidelines to improve fitness and strength. 

Kelso received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Iowa in 1981 and his Master's Degree in Physical Education from Western Illinois University in 1984. He was a member of the Track and Field team at Iowa and served as a Graduate Assistant Track & Field Coach while at Western Illinois. He also holds C.S.C.S. and S.C.C.C. certifications with the National Strength and Conditioning Association and Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, respectively.