ACSM STUDY GUIDE UPDATED
2026
BIOMECHANICSB-
BAnswerprinciplesBofBphysicsBrelatedBtoBenergyBandBforceBasBtheyBapplyBtoBtheBhuma
nBbody
PROXIMALB-BAnswerCLOSERBTOBTHEBTRUNK
DISTALB-BAnswerfurtherBfromBtheBtrunk
SUPERIORB(CRANIAL)B-BAnswerabove,BtowardBtheBhead
INFERIORB(CAUDAL)B-BAnswerlowerBthan,BtowardBtheBfeet
ANTERIORB(VENTRAL)B-BAnswertowardBtheBfront
POSTERIORB(DORSAL)B-BAnswertowardBtheBback
MEDIALB-BAnswercloserBtoBtheBmidline
LATERALB-BAnswerfurtherBfromBtheBmidline
THREEBCARDINALBBODYBPLANESB-BAnswersagittalBplane,BfrontalBplane,BtransverseBplane
SAGITTALBPLANEB-BAnswermakesBaBdivisionBintoBrightBandBleftBportions
FRONTALBPLANEB-
BAnswermakesBaBdivisionBintoBanteriorB(front)BandBposteriorB(back)Bportions
,TRANSVERSEBPLANEB-
BAnswermakesBaBdivisionBintoBupperB(superior)BandBlowerB(inferior)Bportions
ROTATIONB-
BAnswermovementBaroundBaBlongitudinalBaxis,BeitherBtowardBorBawayBfromBtheBmidlin
e
CIRCUMDUCTIONB-
BAnsweraBcombinationBofBflexion,Bextension,Babduction,BandBadduction
EVERSIONB-BAnswerturningBtheBsoleBofBtheBfootBawayBfromBtheBmidline
INVERSIONB-BAnswerturningBtheBsoleBofBtheBfootBtowardBtheBmidline
BonesBofBtheBskull,BvertebralBcolumn,Bribs,BandBsternum...B-BAnswerAXIALBSKELETON
VERTEBRALBCOLUMNB(SPINE)B-BAnswerservesBasBtheBmainBaxialBsupportBforBtheBbody
4BMajorBcurvaturesBofBtheBadultBvertebralBcolumnB-
BAnswercervicalBcurve,BthoracicBcurve,BlumbarBcurve,B
sacralBcurve
KYPHOSISB"primaryBcurves"B-BAnswercurvesBofBtheBthoracicBandBsacralBregions
LORDOSISB"secondaryBcurves"B-BAnswercurvesBofBtheBcervicalBandBlumbarBregion
CommonlyBfoundBabnormalBcurvesBinBtheBsagittalBplaneB-
BAnswerhyperkyphosisBandBhyperlordosis
, HYPERKYPHOSISB-BAnswerexaggeratedBposteriorBthoracicBcurvature
HYPERLORDOSISB-BAnswerexaggeratedBanteriorBlumbarBcurvature
CommonlyBfoundBabnormalBcurveBinBtheBfrontalBplaneB-BAnswerscoliosis
STERNUMB-BAnswermidlineBofBtheBchest
WhatBareBtheB3BpartsBofBtheBsternum?B-BAnswermanubrium,Bbody,BxiphoidBprocess
RFBforBfamilyBhistoryB-
BAnswermyocardialBinfarction,BcoronaryBrevascularizationBorBsuddenBdeathBtoBaB1stBde
greeBfamilyBmemberBwhenB>55Bmale,B>65Bfemale
RFBforBcigaretteBsmokingB-BAnswerwithinB6Bmonths
RiskBfactorBforBDyslipidemiaBLDLB-BAnswerLgreaterBthanB130Bmg/dL
RFBDyslipidemiaBTotalBCholesterolB-BAnswergreaterBthanB200Bmg/dL
RFBDyslipidemiaBlowBHDLB-BAnswerlessBthanB40Bmg/dL
RFBSedentaryBminutesBofBactivity,BdaysBofBweek,BpastB#BofBmonthsB-
BAnswerlessBthanB30Bmin/day,B3Bdays/week,BforBatBleastB3Bmonths
RFBPrediabetesBfastingBbloodBglucoseB-
BAnswergreaterBthanBorBequalBtoB100Bmg/dLBupBtoB126
2026
BIOMECHANICSB-
BAnswerprinciplesBofBphysicsBrelatedBtoBenergyBandBforceBasBtheyBapplyBtoBtheBhuma
nBbody
PROXIMALB-BAnswerCLOSERBTOBTHEBTRUNK
DISTALB-BAnswerfurtherBfromBtheBtrunk
SUPERIORB(CRANIAL)B-BAnswerabove,BtowardBtheBhead
INFERIORB(CAUDAL)B-BAnswerlowerBthan,BtowardBtheBfeet
ANTERIORB(VENTRAL)B-BAnswertowardBtheBfront
POSTERIORB(DORSAL)B-BAnswertowardBtheBback
MEDIALB-BAnswercloserBtoBtheBmidline
LATERALB-BAnswerfurtherBfromBtheBmidline
THREEBCARDINALBBODYBPLANESB-BAnswersagittalBplane,BfrontalBplane,BtransverseBplane
SAGITTALBPLANEB-BAnswermakesBaBdivisionBintoBrightBandBleftBportions
FRONTALBPLANEB-
BAnswermakesBaBdivisionBintoBanteriorB(front)BandBposteriorB(back)Bportions
,TRANSVERSEBPLANEB-
BAnswermakesBaBdivisionBintoBupperB(superior)BandBlowerB(inferior)Bportions
ROTATIONB-
BAnswermovementBaroundBaBlongitudinalBaxis,BeitherBtowardBorBawayBfromBtheBmidlin
e
CIRCUMDUCTIONB-
BAnsweraBcombinationBofBflexion,Bextension,Babduction,BandBadduction
EVERSIONB-BAnswerturningBtheBsoleBofBtheBfootBawayBfromBtheBmidline
INVERSIONB-BAnswerturningBtheBsoleBofBtheBfootBtowardBtheBmidline
BonesBofBtheBskull,BvertebralBcolumn,Bribs,BandBsternum...B-BAnswerAXIALBSKELETON
VERTEBRALBCOLUMNB(SPINE)B-BAnswerservesBasBtheBmainBaxialBsupportBforBtheBbody
4BMajorBcurvaturesBofBtheBadultBvertebralBcolumnB-
BAnswercervicalBcurve,BthoracicBcurve,BlumbarBcurve,B
sacralBcurve
KYPHOSISB"primaryBcurves"B-BAnswercurvesBofBtheBthoracicBandBsacralBregions
LORDOSISB"secondaryBcurves"B-BAnswercurvesBofBtheBcervicalBandBlumbarBregion
CommonlyBfoundBabnormalBcurvesBinBtheBsagittalBplaneB-
BAnswerhyperkyphosisBandBhyperlordosis
, HYPERKYPHOSISB-BAnswerexaggeratedBposteriorBthoracicBcurvature
HYPERLORDOSISB-BAnswerexaggeratedBanteriorBlumbarBcurvature
CommonlyBfoundBabnormalBcurveBinBtheBfrontalBplaneB-BAnswerscoliosis
STERNUMB-BAnswermidlineBofBtheBchest
WhatBareBtheB3BpartsBofBtheBsternum?B-BAnswermanubrium,Bbody,BxiphoidBprocess
RFBforBfamilyBhistoryB-
BAnswermyocardialBinfarction,BcoronaryBrevascularizationBorBsuddenBdeathBtoBaB1stBde
greeBfamilyBmemberBwhenB>55Bmale,B>65Bfemale
RFBforBcigaretteBsmokingB-BAnswerwithinB6Bmonths
RiskBfactorBforBDyslipidemiaBLDLB-BAnswerLgreaterBthanB130Bmg/dL
RFBDyslipidemiaBTotalBCholesterolB-BAnswergreaterBthanB200Bmg/dL
RFBDyslipidemiaBlowBHDLB-BAnswerlessBthanB40Bmg/dL
RFBSedentaryBminutesBofBactivity,BdaysBofBweek,BpastB#BofBmonthsB-
BAnswerlessBthanB30Bmin/day,B3Bdays/week,BforBatBleastB3Bmonths
RFBPrediabetesBfastingBbloodBglucoseB-
BAnswergreaterBthanBorBequalBtoB100Bmg/dLBupBtoB126