AFAA Personal Trainer Certification
Study Guide
Myocardial Infarction - answer Hear attack occurs due to lack of blood flow through the
coronary arteries to the heart muscle
Ischemia - answer lack of blood flow
Stroke Volume - answer the amount of blood pumped with each beat or systole
Cardiac Output - answer heart rate x stroke volume. usually measured in liters (or
milliliters) of blood pumped per minute
Venous Return - answer the amount of blood returned to the heart by the veins
Valsalva Maneuver - answer occurs when a person holds his or her breath during a
strenuous activity, such as lifting weights or shoveling snow
Minute Ventilation - answer total amount of air breathed per minute
Residual lung volume - answeramount of air remaining in the lungs after a complete and
total forced exhale
Forced vital capacity - answeramount of air that can be forcefully exhaled after a
maximal inahle
Total lung capacity - answersum of the residual volume and the forced vital capacity
Glucose - answerbody's usable form of carbohydrate
Lactic Acid - answerproduced in muscles during rapid exercise when the body cannot
supply enough oxygen to the tissues
Glycolysis - answera metabolic process that breaks down carbohydrates and sugars
through a series of reactions to either pyruvic acid or lactic acid and release energy for
the body in the form of ATP
Mitochondria - answera subcellular structure where oxidation takes place
Beta oxidation - answerA metabolic sequence that breaks fatty acids down to two-
carbon fragments that enter the citric acid cycle as acetyl CoA.
,Krebs cycle - answerthe acetyl CoA formed in the first component of aerobic
metabolism enters into the citric acid cycle
Electron transport system - answerthe final sequence of reactions in the aerobic
production of ATP
Maximal oxygen uptake - answerthe maximum amount of oxygen consumed and
utilized by the body during an all-out effort to exhaustion
Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption - answeradditional oxygen consumed
immediately after an exercise bout when the body is no longer exercising
Sarcomere - answereach section of a myofibril in muscle
Actin - answerstructural protein that makes up the thin filaments of myofibrils; functions
in muscle contraction
Anatomical Position - answerstanding position with hands down and palms facing
forward
Supine - answerlying on the spine
Prone - answerlying face down
Axial Skeleton - answerpart of the skeleton that contains skull, vertebral column, ribs,
and sternum
Synovial joints - answerhave a small space between the articulating bones that allows
for a greater range of motion
Cartilage - answera white, semi-opaque, fibrous connective tissue that cushions the
joints and prevents wear on the joint surfaces
Synovial membrane - answersecretes synovial fluid which provides nourishment,
lubrication, and hydrotastic cushioning for the joint
Bursae - answerliquid-filled membranes that protect soft tissues as they pass by bony
projections
Ligament - answerband of fibrous tissue that connects bone to bone and provides joint
stability.
Tendon - answerdense, fibrous connective tissue that forms the end of a muscle and
attaches muscle to bone
Fascia - answerfibrous connective tissue that forms sheaths for individual muscles.
, Circuit Weight Training - answerresistance exercises performed one after the other
without rest for approximately 20 minutes
Muscular Strength - answermaximum force a muscle or muscle group can generate at
one time
Muscle Endurance - answercapacity to sustain repeated muscle actions, as in push-ups
or sit ups, or sustain fixed, static muscle actions for an extended period of time
Muscle Power - answerexplosive aspect of strength, is the product of strength and
speed of movement
Muscle Stability - answerability of a muscle or muscle group to stabilize a joint and
maintain its position without movement. (to perform a sustained isometric contraction)
Muscle hypertrophy - answeran increase in the muscle fiber size, specifically an
increased cross-sectional area resulting from increased myofibrilis
Overload Principle - answerincreasing the intensity (resistance), frequency, or duration
of the training above the levels normally expected
Specificity - answerspecific adaptions in the metabolic and neuromuscular systems
depending on the type of program or exercises that are performed
Volume - answertotal number of repetitions performed multiplied by the total amount of
weight, or resistance, used during a single training session. (Reps x Weight = Volume)
Progressive resistance exercise - answerresistance must be gradually, progressively
increased as the muscles adapt to a given exercise
Periodization - answervariations in the training program over the course of several
months or a year, that help to improve performance and prevent injury, staleness, and
burnout
Plateau - answera point where further increases in strength become difficult and
progress seems to stop
Single-Set System - answerbasic system ( one set 8-12 reps for each muscle group)
that is widely recommended and used for beginners and those interested in an effective,
time efficient workout
Multiple-Set system - answerconsists of 3 to 6 sets of an exercise, usually the same
weight load throughout
Study Guide
Myocardial Infarction - answer Hear attack occurs due to lack of blood flow through the
coronary arteries to the heart muscle
Ischemia - answer lack of blood flow
Stroke Volume - answer the amount of blood pumped with each beat or systole
Cardiac Output - answer heart rate x stroke volume. usually measured in liters (or
milliliters) of blood pumped per minute
Venous Return - answer the amount of blood returned to the heart by the veins
Valsalva Maneuver - answer occurs when a person holds his or her breath during a
strenuous activity, such as lifting weights or shoveling snow
Minute Ventilation - answer total amount of air breathed per minute
Residual lung volume - answeramount of air remaining in the lungs after a complete and
total forced exhale
Forced vital capacity - answeramount of air that can be forcefully exhaled after a
maximal inahle
Total lung capacity - answersum of the residual volume and the forced vital capacity
Glucose - answerbody's usable form of carbohydrate
Lactic Acid - answerproduced in muscles during rapid exercise when the body cannot
supply enough oxygen to the tissues
Glycolysis - answera metabolic process that breaks down carbohydrates and sugars
through a series of reactions to either pyruvic acid or lactic acid and release energy for
the body in the form of ATP
Mitochondria - answera subcellular structure where oxidation takes place
Beta oxidation - answerA metabolic sequence that breaks fatty acids down to two-
carbon fragments that enter the citric acid cycle as acetyl CoA.
,Krebs cycle - answerthe acetyl CoA formed in the first component of aerobic
metabolism enters into the citric acid cycle
Electron transport system - answerthe final sequence of reactions in the aerobic
production of ATP
Maximal oxygen uptake - answerthe maximum amount of oxygen consumed and
utilized by the body during an all-out effort to exhaustion
Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption - answeradditional oxygen consumed
immediately after an exercise bout when the body is no longer exercising
Sarcomere - answereach section of a myofibril in muscle
Actin - answerstructural protein that makes up the thin filaments of myofibrils; functions
in muscle contraction
Anatomical Position - answerstanding position with hands down and palms facing
forward
Supine - answerlying on the spine
Prone - answerlying face down
Axial Skeleton - answerpart of the skeleton that contains skull, vertebral column, ribs,
and sternum
Synovial joints - answerhave a small space between the articulating bones that allows
for a greater range of motion
Cartilage - answera white, semi-opaque, fibrous connective tissue that cushions the
joints and prevents wear on the joint surfaces
Synovial membrane - answersecretes synovial fluid which provides nourishment,
lubrication, and hydrotastic cushioning for the joint
Bursae - answerliquid-filled membranes that protect soft tissues as they pass by bony
projections
Ligament - answerband of fibrous tissue that connects bone to bone and provides joint
stability.
Tendon - answerdense, fibrous connective tissue that forms the end of a muscle and
attaches muscle to bone
Fascia - answerfibrous connective tissue that forms sheaths for individual muscles.
, Circuit Weight Training - answerresistance exercises performed one after the other
without rest for approximately 20 minutes
Muscular Strength - answermaximum force a muscle or muscle group can generate at
one time
Muscle Endurance - answercapacity to sustain repeated muscle actions, as in push-ups
or sit ups, or sustain fixed, static muscle actions for an extended period of time
Muscle Power - answerexplosive aspect of strength, is the product of strength and
speed of movement
Muscle Stability - answerability of a muscle or muscle group to stabilize a joint and
maintain its position without movement. (to perform a sustained isometric contraction)
Muscle hypertrophy - answeran increase in the muscle fiber size, specifically an
increased cross-sectional area resulting from increased myofibrilis
Overload Principle - answerincreasing the intensity (resistance), frequency, or duration
of the training above the levels normally expected
Specificity - answerspecific adaptions in the metabolic and neuromuscular systems
depending on the type of program or exercises that are performed
Volume - answertotal number of repetitions performed multiplied by the total amount of
weight, or resistance, used during a single training session. (Reps x Weight = Volume)
Progressive resistance exercise - answerresistance must be gradually, progressively
increased as the muscles adapt to a given exercise
Periodization - answervariations in the training program over the course of several
months or a year, that help to improve performance and prevent injury, staleness, and
burnout
Plateau - answera point where further increases in strength become difficult and
progress seems to stop
Single-Set System - answerbasic system ( one set 8-12 reps for each muscle group)
that is widely recommended and used for beginners and those interested in an effective,
time efficient workout
Multiple-Set system - answerconsists of 3 to 6 sets of an exercise, usually the same
weight load throughout
