Donald A. Chu

Dr. Donald Chu, PhDPT, ATC, CSCS, FNSCA, is a professor emeritus of kinesiology and physical education at California State University at Hayward, where he taught for more than 20 years. He is director and founder of Athercare Fitness & Rehabilitation in the San Francisco Bay area, which specializes in sport performance training, fitness programs, physical therapy, and clinical psychology. Dr. Chu has developed an extensive reputation in the field of sport rehabilitation and fitness and conditioning. He pioneered research-supported plyometric training in the Western hemisphere and is revered throughout the strength and conditioning community for enhancing modern sports’ most defining athletic factor: power. Chu has been credited with bringing plyometric training to the attention of coaches, athletes, and fellow professionals in sport conditioning through his application of theoretical knowledge into practical demonstrations. The author of six books, Chu has also written articles in refereed journals and contributed chapters to many books on sports medicine. More than 140,000 copies of his seminal book on the topic, "Jumping Into Plyometrics," have been sold since 1994. He has presented extensively to professional groups around the world and consulted with athletes and teams at every level—including Olympians and professionals—on the development of training and conditioning programs. Dr. Chu holds certifications as an athletic trainer (ATC) from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) and as a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He has served on the board of directors for both organizations and is a past president of the NSCA. He resides in Alameda, California.