NSCA CSCS Exam Questions

Correct answer: 15 to 20%

There are no universally accepted norms for body composition; however, getting too low in body fat percentage can put a female athlete at risk for the female athlete triad. The triad consists of interrelationships between energy availability, menstrual function, and bone mineral density.

Regarding testing data for athletic for women, anything below 15% is considered extremely lean, and downhill skiers have an average body fat percentage of 19 to 20 percent. A healthy range could include anything between 15 and 20%.

Correct answer: Avocados

High-quality proteins—which contain all of the essential amino acids and have good digestibility—are, in almost all cases, animal products. Incomplete proteins are missing at least one essential amino acid. With the exception of soy, most plant-based proteins are not considered high-quality proteins and are typically less digestible.

While avocados are great sources of macronutrients and micronutrients, they are not as high in protein quality as animal foods and soy are.

Correct answer: Forward step lunge

If a rowing athlete is training to increase knee extension strength, the lunge would be a great option to add to their program. The quadriceps are primarily responsible for knee extension and are directly targeted in the forward lunge.

The side lunge targets hamstrings more than the quadriceps, and the hip abduction machine will focus on the abductors, which are on the outside of the thigh.

Correct answer: Hook grip

When the thumb is positioned under the index and middle fingers during an overhand grip, this is referred to as a hook grip. In a hook grip, the thumb is wrapped around the bar first, and then the fingers are wrapped over the thumb, effectively hooking it into place. This grip technique is commonly used in Olympic weightlifting and other lifts where a secure grip on the bar is crucial for the lift's safety and effectiveness, such as deadlifts. The hook grip can enhance grip security and prevent the bar from rolling in the hands, potentially allowing for heavier lifts.

Other grip types mentioned, which are distinct from the hook grip, include:

• Supinated Grip: Also known as an underhand grip, where the palms face up and the dorsum (back) of the hand faces down. This grip is commonly used in exercises like bicep curls and chin-ups.
• Alternated Grip: Also known as a mixed grip, where one hand uses a pronated (overhand) grip and the other uses a supinated (underhand) grip. This grip is often employed in heavy deadlifts to counteract the tendency of the bar to roll out of the hands.
• Pronated Grip: Known as an overhand grip, where the palms face down and the dorsum of the hand faces up. This grip is widely used in various exercises, including pull-ups, barbell rows, and some types of deadlifts, but does not specifically involve the thumb positioning characteristic of the hook grip.

The hook grip is a specialized technique that provides a unique advantage in terms of grip security, especially useful in dynamic lifts and when handling heavy loads.

Correct answer: Stability

Stability is the measure of the ability to return to a desired position following a disturbance to the system. 

Balance is the ability to maintain stationary and moving equilibrium or the ability to maintain the body's center of gravity over its base of support.

Many of the tests used to assess stability measure balance and stability together. One common test is the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT).

Correct answer: Squats and walking lunges

In a compound set, an athlete performs two exercises for the same muscle group, back-to-back. The stress on the working muscle is increased because both exercises recruit the same muscle area.

Supersets involve performing exercises of opposing muscle groups back-to-back.

Although efficient in terms of time, both compound sets and supersets are deliberately more demanding, and therefore may be unsuitable for unconditioned athletes.

Correct answer: Distress

Stress is a response to a stressor, and can be positive or negative. Distress refers to negative stress, and eustress refers to positive stress. Both cause arousal, but negative stress will generate anxiety.

Anxiety is a state of negative arousal that often is connected to worry, apprehension, or fear.

Correct answer: Variety of equipment provided for the athletes

When assessing existing facility equipment, the strength and conditioning professional should consider the following:

• How many athletes will be using the facility?
• What are the training goals for the athletes, coaches, and administration?
• What are the demographics of the athletes?
• What will the training experience of the athletes be?
• How will the athletes be scheduled?
• What equipment needs to be repaired or modified?

Correct answer: 5 to 10 pounds

Although guidelines in this area are available, much depends on the athlete’s condition, load volumes, and the type and muscular involvement of exercises. In general, for athletes that are smaller, weaker, and less trained, a recommended increase for lower body exercises should be 5 to 10 pounds.

Smaller increases should be made on upper body exercises, and larger increases can be made for larger, stronger individuals with more experience.

There are classifications for resistance training status:
- Beginner: training age of less than 2 months
- Intermediate: training age of 2 to 6 months
- Advanced: training age over 1 year

The client in this question would be categorized as a beginner.

Correct answer: 70-80% of the 1RM

The recommended load assignments for the core exercises in a maximal strength program would exceed 85% of the 1RM. However, the load on the assistance exercises in this program should not be heavier than an 8RM. This means that loads assigned for these exercises should be no more than 80% of the 1RM.

Lighter loads (< 70%) would be used to design a program focused on training muscular endurance.

Correct answer: 20 resistance training sessions in a month

Training frequency refers to how many training sessions a person completes in a given time period. Generally, this is described in terms of a week. However, any time period can be used. 

A 30-minute sprint workout would be an example of the parameters for a single training session. A 5-second eccentric phase and a 3-second concentric phase during a bench press refers to tempo. 

Correct answer: A running back sprinting toward the endzone

Speed can be linear or multi-directional and requires the ability to accelerate and reach maximal velocity. Generating high speeds linearly is referred to as sprinting. 

Multi-directional speed is defined as generating speed in more than one direction. The ability to change direction quickly is change-of-direction ability. Wide receivers running routes with cuts and linebackers changing direction are examples of multi-directional speed and change-of-direction ability.

Correct answer: Deadlift

A kinetic chain describes using two or more joints together to perform a movement. Kinetic chain movements can be described as open-chain or closed-chain.

Open kinetic chain exercises are not fixed. They allow free movement of the distal segment. For a biceps curl, the distal segment, the hand, has free range of motion and is not fixed to a stationary object. 

Closed kinetic chain exercises are movements that occur where the distal joint segment is stationary. During a deadlift, the feet are connected to the ground, and therefore, stay stationary as they transmit force into the ground to move the barbell. 

An example of an exercise using a combination of the two kinetic chains would be a sprint. One leg transmits force while fixed to the ground, while the other has free range of motion.

Correct answer: Hook grip

The recommended starting grip for the deadlift is a closed, pronated grip. In a pronated grip, both palms will face the lifter when they grab the bar. As the load gets heavy enough that the lifter can no longer maintain a solid grip, it may help to change to a closed, alternated grip. In this grip, the lifter will place one hand in a pronated position, and one hand in a supinated position. It is up to the individual which hand to change to a supinated grip. This alternated grip can feel more secure and provide the athlete with a stronger grip, especially as the weight gets heavier.

The hook grip is not typically recommended for use on the deadlift. Rather, the hook grip is traditionally used on the Olympic lifts, including the clean and the snatch.

Correct answer: Push-ups: 3 sets until failure

There are different volume recommendations assigned based on the training goal of a program. Training programs designed for improving muscular endurance should include higher volume sets, usually 2 to 3 sets of 12 or more repetitions. 

A dedicated max strength program would utilize rep ranges of 6 or fewer reps for 2 to 6 sets, and a hypertrophy-focused program would use 3 to 6 sets of 6 to 12 reps.

Chest flys are a single-joint exercise. Max effort cycling is cardiovascular exercise, not resistance training exercise.

Correct answer: Decreased time spent during the lift

When the speed of the lift increases (the athlete moves faster), this decreases the time it takes to complete the lift, which would increase power, based on the equation:

Power = Work/Time

In this equation, a smaller denominator of time would increase overall power.

According to the formula Work = Force x Displacement, both a decreased displacement and decreased force would decrease overall work. This would in turn decrease overall power, according to the power formula.

Correct answer: Extension

Knee extension is the straightening of the knee joint, which occurs on the upward, or concentric phase of the squat (standing up). The quadriceps are the primary muscles involved in extension of the knee during this phase of the back squat (concentric movement).

Correct answer: Lactate dehydrogenase increases

In the context of enzyme activity during resistance training, it is incorrect to say that Lactate DeHydrogenase (LDH) increases; in reality, there is no significant change in LDH levels due to resistance training. 

Lactate dehydrogenase is an enzyme involved in the anaerobic conversion of pyruvate to lactate. While resistance training, especially high-intensity training, can lead to anaerobic energy production and lactate formation, it does not necessarily increase LDH activity. The body's reliance on anaerobic metabolism and subsequent lactate production during resistance training varies greatly depending on the intensity, duration, and type of exercise, but this does not typically lead to changes in LDH levels.

Other physiological adaptations related to enzyme activity during resistance training include:

• Myokinase Increases: Myokinase (adenylate kinase) is involved in the energy transfer within the cell by catalyzing the conversion of two ADP molecules into one ATP and one AMP. Its activity can increase with resistance training as part of the cellular adaptation to higher demands for ATP re-synthesis during and after intense muscle contractions.
• Creatine PhosphoKinase (CPK or CK) Increases: This enzyme catalyzes the conversion of creatine to phosphocreatine, an important storage form of high-energy phosphate in muscle cells. Resistance training can increase CPK activity as part of the muscle's adaptation to more efficiently regenerate ATP from phosphocreatine during short, high-intensity efforts.
• PhosphoFructoKinase (PFK) Increases: PFK is a key rate-limiting enzyme in glycolysis, the metabolic pathway that breaks down glucose for energy. Resistance training can increase the activity of PFK, enhancing the muscle's capacity for glycolytic energy production, which is especially important during sustained or repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise.

Understanding the changes in enzyme activity that occur with resistance training helps in designing training programs that optimize muscular adaptation and performance improvements. While some enzymes related to energy production and ATP re-synthesis show increased activity, LDH does not exhibit a significant change in response to typical resistance training protocols.

Correct answer: It is not as important to focus on a strength requirement, but rather to focus on technique 

In the past, it has been recommended that athletes should be able to squat 1.5 times their body weight before incorporating plyometrics into their training. However, it is safe and effective to begin using lower intensity plyometrics with all athletes, including young athletes, taking the experience level of the athlete into consideration when determining the intensity of the plyometric exercises.

The NSCA now suggests that it is more important to focus on technique.

Correct answer: To recognize the signs of abuse 

There are many sports supplements that are available online and in-store. It's important for the trainer or coach to be able to discuss the benefits of some supplements while recognizing the signs of abuse in others.

This will allow you to help your athlete get proper medical help if they are misusing. It also gives you the knowledge to recommend (not prescribe) a supplement; one that the athlete can discuss with their nutritionist.

For example, caffeine and creatine are deemed safe in many studies as long as they are used correctly, but your athlete would still need to get confirmation from a dietician or nutritionist.