NSCA CSCS Exam Questions

Correct answer: Sticking point

The most strenuous movement of a repetition, typically occurring soon after the transition from the eccentric phase (muscle lengthening) to the concentric phase (muscle shortening), is referred to as the sticking point. The sticking point is a phase within a lift where the difficulty markedly increases, often due to biomechanical factors, muscle leverage changes, and shifts in joint angles. Overcoming the sticking point is crucial for successfully completing a lift, and it is often the focus of specific training strategies aimed at increasing strength and power through this challenging portion of the movement.

Other terms mentioned, which are not directly related to this concept, include:

• Structural Exercise: These are exercises that involve loading the spine directly or indirectly and typically engage multiple muscle groups across several joints. While structural exercises, such as squats or deadlifts, may have sticking points, the term itself does not describe the most challenging part of a movement.
• Valsalva Maneuver: This is a breathing technique used by athletes during strenuous lifts, where one takes a deep breath and holds it, creating intra-abdominal pressure to stabilize the core and spine. While the Valsalva maneuver can be employed to help navigate through the sticking point by providing additional core stability, it is not synonymous with the concept of a sticking point.
• Forced Repetitions: These occur when an athlete performs additional repetitions of an exercise beyond the point of failure with the help of a spotter. Forced repetitions are a training technique used to increase intensity and volume but do not specifically describe the most difficult part of the exercise.

Understanding and addressing the sticking point in various lifts is essential for developing effective strength training programs, as it allows for targeted improvements in the phases of movement that most limit performance.

Correct answer: Goniometer

Multiple valid and reliable methods can be used to determine body composition.

Tape measures can be used to assess waist-to-hip ratio and various other body composition measurements. Skinfold calipers can be used to estimate body fat percentage. This tool is inexpensive, and it's easy to administer skinfold assessments in a strength and conditioning setting. It is important to understand and practice the testing protocol to increase the validity of the test results.

The goniometer is a device that measures angles and is used to assess flexibility in a joint, not body composition.

Correct answer: Bipennate

The muscles in the human body exhibit various types of arrangements of the muscle fiber bundles (fasciculi). The arrangement refers to how the fasciculi align with the tendon. In a pennate muscle, the fibers run at an oblique angle to the tendon, similar to a feather.

Multipennate muscles have more than one tendon. The deltoid is a multipennate muscle and has three insertions. A unipennate muscle is a muscle that has all the fibers on one side of the tendon.

A bipennate muscle has fibers insert along both sides of a central tendon. The rectus femoris is a bipennate muscle.

Correct answer: 1-repetition maximum (1RM)

When an athlete attempts to lift the greatest amount of weight they can with proper technique for only one repetition, this test is called the 1-Repetition Maximum (1RM). The 1RM is a standard measure used to assess the maximum strength of an athlete for a specific exercise. It represents the heaviest weight an individual can lift once while maintaining proper form and is widely used in strength training to guide the intensity of workouts and track strength progress over time.

Other related concepts include:

• Repetition-Volume: This term refers to the total number of repetitions performed across all sets of an exercise within a workout session. While repetition-volume provides insight into the overall amount of work done, it does not account for the weight lifted in each repetition, unlike the 1RM, which specifically measures maximum strength capacity for a single lift.
• Volume-Load: Volume-load is a training metric that quantifies the total amount of weight lifted over all exercises, sets, and repetitions within a workout. It is calculated by multiplying the weight used by the number of repetitions for each set and then summing these values across all sets and exercises. Volume-load provides a comprehensive measure of the workout's overall intensity and workload but does not specifically assess an athlete's maximum lifting capacity like the 1RM test.
• Mechanical Work: Mechanical work in the context of exercise is the product of the force applied (in this case, the weight lifted) and the displacement (movement distance) of the weight. While mechanical work is a fundamental concept in understanding the physical demands of lifting activities, the 1RM test is specifically designed to measure the maximum force an athlete can generate in a single lift, irrespective of the distance moved.

The 1RM test is a critical tool in strength and conditioning, providing a benchmark for determining the maximum strength of an athlete in specific exercises, which is essential for tailoring training programs to meet individual strength development goals.

Correct answer: Strength training

An athlete needs to focus on different areas of training at different times of their season, which includes:

• off-season
• pre-season
• in-season
• postseason

The resistance training variables, such as volume, intensity, and frequency, are adjusted during each of these phases of training in order to focus on different areas. This is still true, regardless of the injury and the lack of progress he made in this area of fitness. Generally, an experienced athlete should decrease the frequency of their resistance training from 3 to 4 days per week in the pre-season down to 1 to 3 days per week in the competitive season (in-season).

This decrease helps to balance the overall training load. As the emphasis and time spent on sports skill practices increases, other training must decrease to help prevent overtraining. The specific frequency recommendation is a general guideline, and can certainly be adjusted to the individual and, as needed, to work around the athlete's game schedule.

Correct answer: Detraining

When an athlete stops or significantly reduces their training for an extended period of time, they will experience detraining. 

This means that, over time, they will begin to lose more and more of the training adaptations they previously gained. In order to maintain training adaptations, there must be an ongoing and sufficient training stimulus. 

Detraining compromises athletic performance, and this loss of performance capability will continue until training resumes. Previous adaptations must be regained over time.

Sarcopenia is age-related muscle loss. Reverse hypertrophy is not a recognized term in this context.

Correct answer: 2 to 3 seconds

During a static vertical jump, the athlete should hold the squat position for two to three seconds before executing the vertical jump. This pause in the squat position ensures that the jump is performed without the benefit of the stretch-shortening cycle that occurs in a dynamic or countermovement jump, isolating the ability to generate explosive power from a static position. Holding the squat position for this duration allows the muscle fibers to be preloaded and ready for a powerful contraction but is short enough to prevent significant loss of elastic energy or excessive fatigue that could impair jump performance.

Other durations mentioned have different considerations:

• 1 to 2 seconds: While this duration might be sufficient for some athletes, it may not provide enough time for all individuals to adequately stabilize and prepare for the maximal effort jump. The two to three second recommendation offers a slightly longer period to ensure readiness and optimal muscle preloading for the jump.
• 3 to 4 seconds: Holding the squat position for longer than three seconds might start to introduce unnecessary fatigue, which could slightly diminish the explosive power the athlete can generate during the jump.
• 4 to 5 seconds: This duration is likely too long for holding the squat position before a static vertical jump, as it could lead to a decrease in muscle activation and increased fatigue, negatively impacting the jump performance.

The two to three second hold in the squat position strikes a balance between ensuring the muscles are adequately preloaded for the jump and minimizing any potential fatigue that could detract from the athlete's ability to perform a maximal vertical leap.

Correct answer: CP + ATP

The CP + ATP (ATP stores and creatine phosphate), or phosphagen, system is being used when an athlete exercises at a near maximum intensity (anaerobically) for up to six seconds. 

After the six seconds, fast glycolysis will kick in, but the majority of a 50-meter sprint will be using the ATP and phosphagen system. 

In general, short duration, extremely high-intensity activities (high-intensity resistance training and sprinting) rely largely on the phosphagen energy system and fast glycolysis (which relies on muscle glycogen).

Fatty acids are utilized for ATP production during lower intensities and longer durations (over three minutes).

Correct answer: Gender

There are a few things to consider when designing aerobic training programs:

• Exercise mode: the specific activity performed by the athlete (cycling, running, etc.)
• Training frequency: the number of training sessions conducted per day or week
• Training intensity: the effort expended during a training session
• Exercise duration: the length of time of the training session
• Exercise progression: regular progression (increases) of the training variables (frequency, intensity, duration) in order to continue to advance the athlete's training program and improve their aerobic fitness

Evidence has shown that males and females respond similarly to training; therefore, there is no need to make gender-specific workout programs.

Correct answer: Discriminant validity

Two tests that have discriminant validity are proven to test and distinguish between different abilities. In this case, the vertical jump tests explosive power and the back squat tests lower body strength levels. Some athletes who have high strength levels also perform well on the vertical jump, while other athletes who have high strength levels do not perform as well on the vertical jump. There is not a high correlation between the two tests, which means that simply because an athlete scores well on one test does not mean they will score well on the other test.

Conducting both tests will allow the strength and conditioning professional to test both the athlete's strength levels and their explosive power abilities. This enables them to design better programs for each athlete.

Face validity refers to the belief (by the athlete) that a test actually will measure what it is supposed to measure. Convergent validity is evidence that a given test produces similar testing results as one that is generally accepted as the "gold standard" to test that specific ability.

Correct answer: Feet are placed evenly on the floor with the toes contracted

There are five points of contact for exercises when the athlete is lying supine on a bench:

1. Head is placed firmly on the bench or pad
2. Shoulders and upper back are placed firmly and evenly on the bench or pad
3. Buttocks are placed evenly on the bench or pad
4. Right foot is flat on the floor
5. Left foot is flat on the floor

Maintaining these five points of contact increases stability and spinal support.

Correct answer: Anthropometry

Anthropometry is the scientific study of measurements of the human body. Body mass index and skinfold testing are both examples of anthropometric measurements, along with measurements of height, weight, and girth.

Correct answer: Stretch-shortening cycle

The Stretch-Shortening Cycle (SSC) employs the energy storage capabilities of the Series Elastic Component (SEC) and the stimulation of the stretch reflex to facilitate a maximal increase in muscle recruitment over a limited amount of time. 

The SSC is a natural and powerful muscle function that occurs during rapid, forceful movements, such as jumping or sprinting. It involves three phases: an eccentric phase where the muscle lengthens, an amortization phase where the transition from eccentric to concentric occurs, and a concentric phase where the muscle shortens, producing force.

Key components involved in the SSC include:

• Series Elastic Component (SEC): The SEC refers to the elastic properties of the muscle-tendon unit. During the eccentric phase of the SSC, the SEC stores elastic energy as the muscles lengthen under tension. If the subsequent concentric action occurs swiftly, this stored energy is released, contributing to a more forceful muscle contraction.
• Stretch Reflex: The stretch reflex is a protective, involuntary response that occurs when a muscle is rapidly stretched. Sensory receptors known as muscle spindles detect this rapid stretch and trigger a reflexive contraction of the stretched muscle. The activation of the stretch reflex during the SSC enhances muscle recruitment and the force of the subsequent contraction, utilizing the pre-stored energy in the SEC efficiently.
• Muscle Spindles: These are sensory receptors located within the muscle that sense changes in muscle length and rate of change. When activated by a rapid stretch (as in the eccentric phase of the SSC), they contribute to the stretch reflex by sending signals to the spinal cord, which then quickly signals the muscles to contract, adding to the force generated in the concentric phase.

The SSC is a fundamental mechanism in many athletic movements, allowing for the production of greater force and power than concentric actions alone. Understanding and training the SSC can lead to significant improvements in performance, especially in activities that require explosive movements.

Correct answer: Submaximal isometric exercise

During the maturation-remodeling phase of tissue healing, the exercise options are focused on regaining full function, strength, flexibility, and mobility in the injured area as it continues to heal and mature. The exception among the options provided is submaximal isometric exercise, which is more appropriate during the earlier fibroblastic repair phase. In this earlier phase, the goal is to promote healing and minimize atrophy without disrupting the repair process, making gentle, submaximal isometric exercises ideal, as they can maintain muscle activation without placing excessive strain on the healing tissues.

Appropriate exercise options during the maturation-remodeling phase include:

• Joint Angle-Specific Strengthening: This involves exercises that target specific joint angles to strengthen the muscles throughout their entire range of motion, which is important as the tissue gains strength and flexibility.
• Velocity-Specific Muscle Activity: Exercises that incorporate different speeds of movement are critical in this phase to prepare the muscle for the various velocities it will encounter in daily activities and sports, helping to restore functional performance.
• Closed and Open Kinetic Chain Exercises: Both types of exercises are suitable during the maturation-remodeling phase. Closed kinetic chain exercises, where the distal limb segment is stationary (such as squats), are beneficial for promoting joint stability. Open kinetic chain exercises, where the distal limb segment is free to move (such as leg extensions), are useful for isolating specific muscle groups for strengthening.

Submaximal isometric exercise, while valuable in maintaining muscle tone and minimizing atrophy during the earlier fibroblastic repair phase, does not provide the dynamic and functional challenges needed in the later maturation-remodeling phase, where the focus shifts toward restoring the injured area to its pre-injury level of function, strength, and flexibility.

Correct answer: Power clean

The size principle generally regulates motor unit recruitment and is based on force production requirements. The slow twitch motor units are recruited prior to the fast twitch fibers, and recruitment increases in both quantity and firing rate so that more motor units are recruited for the production of high force, speed or power. As force production increases, the number of activated motor units also increases.

Therefore, 1RM testing of a back squat would recruit a large number of motor units. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the lower speed and lower intensity involved in a 1.5-mile run would not recruit as many motor units. However, the motor units in both exercises would be recruited in the same order.

There are exceptions to the size principle that occur during exercises requiring extreme force development at very high firing frequencies. In these movements, the slow twitch fibers are inhibited while the fast twitch fibers are recruited. This is known as selective recruitment. 

Movements in which selective recruitment might occur include the Olympic lifts (such as the power clean), in addition to other high speed, power, or agility movements.

Correct answer: Closed, pronated grip 6 to 12 inches wide

During the triceps pushdown exercise, the recommended grip is a closed, pronated grip (palms facing down), with a grip width of 6 to 12 inches. This grip and width allow for effective engagement of the triceps muscles by providing a stable and comfortable hand position that aligns with the natural movement pattern of the exercise. The closed grip ensures a secure hold on the bar or handle while the pronated orientation aligns the arms and wrists in a position that maximally activates the triceps during the pushdown motion.

Other grip types and widths mentioned are less ideal for the triceps pushdown:

• Closed, Supinated Grip 4 to 8 Inches Wide: A supinated grip (palms facing up) is not typically recommended for triceps pushdowns because it can place unnecessary strain on the wrists and shift some of the focus away from the triceps to other muscles.
• Closed, Alternated Grip 8 to 14 Inches Wide: An alternated grip (one palm facing up, the other facing down) is not suitable for triceps pushdowns because it can lead to uneven muscle engagement and may compromise form and effectiveness.
• Closed, Hook Grip 8 to 14 Inches Wide: While a hook grip (wrapping the thumbs around the bar underneath the fingers) can provide a secure hold for certain exercises, it is not necessary for triceps pushdowns and may not be comfortable or effective for this particular exercise due to the nature of the grip and the width.

Adhering to a closed, pronated grip with a six to 12-inch width ensures that the triceps pushdown is performed effectively, targeting the triceps muscles optimally while minimizing the risk of discomfort or injury.

Correct answer: Supinated lat pulldown

In a lat pull-down, the assistance of the biceps brachii muscle is minimized when the hands are in a pronated position (facing forward). The hands are placed just outside shoulder width apart. Use of the biceps increases when the hands are supinated.

Correct answer: Unloading

A periodized program plans for specific adjustments to volume, intensity, and load in order to focus on different areas during each phase of training. Unloading weeks are typically placed at the end of one phase of training and before the next phase begins. For example, a strength and conditioning professional might place 1 to 2 unloading weeks between the end of the preseason training cycle and before the competitive season begins, or at the end of the off-season training and before the pre-season training begins. 

These planned periods of reduced volume and intensity help improve recovery and help prepare the athlete for the training loads in the next phase. The temporary decrease in volume and intensity does not lead to a decrease in performance in such a short time period.

Detraining does involve a loss in performance capabilities, due to an extended and significant decrease or even a cessation in training. Tapering is also a period of decreased volume and intensity but is a method that is specifically used leading up to a competition and is not placed between the phases of training.

Correct answer: For a hamstring stretch: The client lies on her back, raises her straight leg to 90 degrees, is passively stretched for 10 seconds, pushes back for 6 seconds, then relaxes and is passively stretched for 30 seconds 

PNF stretches were initially used to help decrease the tone of muscles that were overactive, encouraging them to relax. There are different versions of PNF stretching, but all of them involve alternating between a passive stretch and an active contraction of either the agonist or antagonist of the muscle being stretched in order to enhance ROM. These principles and techniques are now often used in the training environment to help increase flexibility.

This description of a hamstring stretch correctly describes a hold-relax for the hamstrings. The other options include incorrect sequencing and time periods for each portion of the movement. 

Correct answer: 1RM power clean

For a collegiate-level basketball coach looking to assess which player has the most muscular power and strength, the One Repetition Maximum (1RM) power clean is the most valid test among the options provided. The 1RM power clean is a dynamic lift that measures the maximum weight an athlete can lift in a single repetition of the power clean exercise. This test is highly valid for assessing muscular power and strength because it requires a full-body effort that involves both explosive power and maximal strength, crucial for movements seen in basketball such as jumping, sprinting, and quick directional changes.

The other answer options mentioned are less valid for this specific purpose, and here's why:

• T-test: The T-test is a drill designed to assess an athlete's agility, including speed, quickness, and the ability to change direction. While agility is important in basketball, the T-test does not specifically measure muscular power or strength, making it less valid for this particular assessment.
• Push-up test: The push-up test is commonly used to measure upper body endurance and strength to some extent. However, it primarily assesses muscular endurance rather than maximal muscular strength or power. Given that push-ups involve repetitive movements over time, they do not provide a measure of the athlete's ability to exert maximal force in a single effort, which is essential in evaluating true muscular strength and power.
• 1.5-mile run: This test is a measure of cardiovascular endurance, assessing an athlete's aerobic capacity. While endurance is an important component of overall fitness, especially for sustained performance in sports, the 1.5-mile run does not measure muscular strength or power, which are critical for explosive, short-duration activities typical in basketball.

Therefore, for assessing muscular power and strength in basketball players, the 1RM Power Clean is the most appropriate and valid test out of the options provided, as it directly evaluates the athlete's ability to generate forceful, explosive movements that are integral to basketball performance.