AFAA GROUP FITNESS 2026 STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔plantar flexion, calf raise - ✔✔gastrocnemius: function and exercise
✔✔hip extension and external rotation, lunge (upward phase) - ✔✔gluteus maximus:
function and exercise
✔✔spinal flexion, lateral flexion, and rotation; ball crunch - ✔✔rectus abdominis:
function and exercise
✔✔shoulder flexion and horizontal adduction; push up - ✔✔pectoralis major: function
and exercise
✔✔shoulder extension, adduction, and internal rotation; band row - ✔✔latissimus dorsi:
function and exercise
✔✔elbow flexion, biceps curl - ✔✔biceps: function and exercise
✔✔elbow extension; triceps extension - ✔✔triceps: function and exercise
✔✔connect bone to bone, limited blood flow, slow to repair - ✔✔ligaments
✔✔skull, rib cage, and vertebral column - ✔✔axial skeleton
✔✔bones of upper and lower extremities - ✔✔appendicular skeleton
✔✔movement, support, protection, blood production, mineral storage - ✔✔skeletal
system functions
✔✔no joint cavity or connective tissue, little to no movement (e.g., sutures of the skull) -
✔✔non-synovial joint
✔✔produces synovial fluid, has joint cavity and connective tissue (gliding, condyloid,
hinge, saddle, pivot, ball-and-socket) - ✔✔synovial joint
✔✔synovial; no axis of rotation, slides side-to-side, back and forth (e.g., carpals of the
hand) - ✔✔gliding joint
✔✔synovial; condyles of one bone fit elliptical cavities of another, one plane of motion
(e.g., knee) - ✔✔condyloid joint
✔✔synovial; uniaxial; one plane of motion (e.g., elbow) - ✔✔hinge joint
,✔✔synovial; one bone fits like a saddle on another; two planes of motion (sagittal,
frontal) (thumbs are only ones in body) - ✔✔saddle joint
✔✔synovial; one axis, transverse plane movement (e.g., radioulnar) - ✔✔pivot joint
✔✔synovial; most mobile, all three planes of motion (e.g., shoulder) - ✔✔ball-and-
socket
✔✔lumbar - L1-L5
thoracic - T1-T12
cervical - C1-C7 - ✔✔vertebrae
✔✔reduces bone mass loss and increases bone mineral density - ✔✔Exercise's effect
on bones
✔✔atria (right and left), ventricles (right and left), sinoatrial node, arteries, veins, stroke
volume, heart rate, functions of blood, respiratory pump - ✔✔Structures of the heart
✔✔superior chambers, receive blood from outside heart - ✔✔atria
✔✔gather deoxygenated blood from body - ✔✔right atrium
✔✔gathers oxygenated blood from lungs - ✔✔left atrium
✔✔inferior chambers, force blood out of heart - ✔✔ventricles
✔✔pumps deoxygenated blood to lungs - ✔✔right ventricle
✔✔pumps oxygenated blood to body - ✔✔left ventricle
✔✔SA - located in right atrium; receives signal to contract (pacemaker for the heart) -
✔✔sinotrial node
✔✔transport blood away from heart - ✔✔arteries
✔✔transport blood back to heart - ✔✔veins
✔✔amount of blood pumped with each contraction - ✔✔stroke volume
✔✔rate at which the heart pumps, average = 70-80 bpm - ✔✔heart rate
✔✔transportation, regulation, protection - ✔✔functions of blood
, ✔✔components that move air in and out of body - ✔✔respiratory pump
✔✔bones, muscles: inspiration, muscles: expiration - ✔✔structures of the respiratory
pump
✔✔sternum, ribs, vertebrae - ✔✔bones of respiratory pump
✔✔diaphragm, external intercostals, scalenes, sternocleidomastoid, pectoralis major -
✔✔inspiration muscles
✔✔internal intercostals, abdominals - ✔✔Expiration muscles
✔✔Front of body - ✔✔Anterior
✔✔back of body - ✔✔Posterior
✔✔above point of reference - ✔✔Superior
✔✔below point of reference - ✔✔inferior
✔✔nearest to point of reference - ✔✔proximal
✔✔farthest from point of reference - ✔✔distal
✔✔closer to midline - ✔✔medial
✔✔farther from midline - ✔✔lateral
✔✔divides body into left and right halves, forward-backward movement - ✔✔sagittal
plane
✔✔sagittal: bending of joints, decreases relative angle - ✔✔flexion
✔✔sagittal: straightening of joints, increases relative angle - ✔✔extension
✔✔sagittal: extension at ankle - ✔✔plantar flexion
✔✔flexion at ankle - ✔✔dorsiflexion
✔✔biceps curl, squat, running - ✔✔example sagittal plane exercises
✔✔divides body into front and back halves, side to side movement - ✔✔frontal plane
AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔plantar flexion, calf raise - ✔✔gastrocnemius: function and exercise
✔✔hip extension and external rotation, lunge (upward phase) - ✔✔gluteus maximus:
function and exercise
✔✔spinal flexion, lateral flexion, and rotation; ball crunch - ✔✔rectus abdominis:
function and exercise
✔✔shoulder flexion and horizontal adduction; push up - ✔✔pectoralis major: function
and exercise
✔✔shoulder extension, adduction, and internal rotation; band row - ✔✔latissimus dorsi:
function and exercise
✔✔elbow flexion, biceps curl - ✔✔biceps: function and exercise
✔✔elbow extension; triceps extension - ✔✔triceps: function and exercise
✔✔connect bone to bone, limited blood flow, slow to repair - ✔✔ligaments
✔✔skull, rib cage, and vertebral column - ✔✔axial skeleton
✔✔bones of upper and lower extremities - ✔✔appendicular skeleton
✔✔movement, support, protection, blood production, mineral storage - ✔✔skeletal
system functions
✔✔no joint cavity or connective tissue, little to no movement (e.g., sutures of the skull) -
✔✔non-synovial joint
✔✔produces synovial fluid, has joint cavity and connective tissue (gliding, condyloid,
hinge, saddle, pivot, ball-and-socket) - ✔✔synovial joint
✔✔synovial; no axis of rotation, slides side-to-side, back and forth (e.g., carpals of the
hand) - ✔✔gliding joint
✔✔synovial; condyles of one bone fit elliptical cavities of another, one plane of motion
(e.g., knee) - ✔✔condyloid joint
✔✔synovial; uniaxial; one plane of motion (e.g., elbow) - ✔✔hinge joint
,✔✔synovial; one bone fits like a saddle on another; two planes of motion (sagittal,
frontal) (thumbs are only ones in body) - ✔✔saddle joint
✔✔synovial; one axis, transverse plane movement (e.g., radioulnar) - ✔✔pivot joint
✔✔synovial; most mobile, all three planes of motion (e.g., shoulder) - ✔✔ball-and-
socket
✔✔lumbar - L1-L5
thoracic - T1-T12
cervical - C1-C7 - ✔✔vertebrae
✔✔reduces bone mass loss and increases bone mineral density - ✔✔Exercise's effect
on bones
✔✔atria (right and left), ventricles (right and left), sinoatrial node, arteries, veins, stroke
volume, heart rate, functions of blood, respiratory pump - ✔✔Structures of the heart
✔✔superior chambers, receive blood from outside heart - ✔✔atria
✔✔gather deoxygenated blood from body - ✔✔right atrium
✔✔gathers oxygenated blood from lungs - ✔✔left atrium
✔✔inferior chambers, force blood out of heart - ✔✔ventricles
✔✔pumps deoxygenated blood to lungs - ✔✔right ventricle
✔✔pumps oxygenated blood to body - ✔✔left ventricle
✔✔SA - located in right atrium; receives signal to contract (pacemaker for the heart) -
✔✔sinotrial node
✔✔transport blood away from heart - ✔✔arteries
✔✔transport blood back to heart - ✔✔veins
✔✔amount of blood pumped with each contraction - ✔✔stroke volume
✔✔rate at which the heart pumps, average = 70-80 bpm - ✔✔heart rate
✔✔transportation, regulation, protection - ✔✔functions of blood
, ✔✔components that move air in and out of body - ✔✔respiratory pump
✔✔bones, muscles: inspiration, muscles: expiration - ✔✔structures of the respiratory
pump
✔✔sternum, ribs, vertebrae - ✔✔bones of respiratory pump
✔✔diaphragm, external intercostals, scalenes, sternocleidomastoid, pectoralis major -
✔✔inspiration muscles
✔✔internal intercostals, abdominals - ✔✔Expiration muscles
✔✔Front of body - ✔✔Anterior
✔✔back of body - ✔✔Posterior
✔✔above point of reference - ✔✔Superior
✔✔below point of reference - ✔✔inferior
✔✔nearest to point of reference - ✔✔proximal
✔✔farthest from point of reference - ✔✔distal
✔✔closer to midline - ✔✔medial
✔✔farther from midline - ✔✔lateral
✔✔divides body into left and right halves, forward-backward movement - ✔✔sagittal
plane
✔✔sagittal: bending of joints, decreases relative angle - ✔✔flexion
✔✔sagittal: straightening of joints, increases relative angle - ✔✔extension
✔✔sagittal: extension at ankle - ✔✔plantar flexion
✔✔flexion at ankle - ✔✔dorsiflexion
✔✔biceps curl, squat, running - ✔✔example sagittal plane exercises
✔✔divides body into front and back halves, side to side movement - ✔✔frontal plane
