ACSM PERSONAL TRAINER
CERTIFICATION EXAM
ADL -ANSWER✅✅✅✅One's ability to perform daily tasks such as self care and
chores
Physical Activity -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Transition from rest to active movement
Exercise -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Planned and structured physical activity to improve one or
more of the 5 components of fitness
5 Components of Fitness -ANSWER✅✅✅✅1. Cardiorespiratory Endurance
2. Muscle Endurance
3. Muscle Strength
4. Flexibility
5. Body Composition
Types of Fitness Conditioning -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Health Related: Focuses on
enhancing QoL, preventing disease, moderate-intensity PA
Fitness Conditioning: Focuses on exercise regimens based on recommendations for
improving fitness
SAID -ANSWER✅✅✅✅In order to improve the goal, you must practice the goal. Ex. If
the goal is a 5K, you must run to train for it
Rate of Remodeling -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Remodel > Damage --> increase training effort
Damage > Remodel --> decrease training effort (or may cause overuse/injury)
Signs of Over Training -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Injury, inc resting HR, fatigued throughout
day, low performance
FITT-VP -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Frequency (how often)
Intensity (how hard)
Time (duration)
Type (mode)
Volume (overall amount)
Progression (how to advance)
ATP-CP Phosphagen System -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Anaerobic
0-30 sec high intensity work
,sprints, weight lifting
Anaerobic Glycolysis/Lactic Acid -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Anaerobic
Glucose & lactic acid
:30-3 mins high intensity work
400-800m sprint, 100m swim
Oxidation System -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Fat oxidation
3+ minutes
important for endurance
capacity limited by O2 and Cals available
*Unfit client has decreased ability to deliver O2 from dec capillary density preventing
delivery
O2 Physiological Adaptations -ANSWER✅✅✅✅1. Oxygen Deficit - initial stages of CV
training bout referred to as lag in O2 consumption, relying on anaerobic metabolism
2. Steady State - achieved w/ sustained CV once O2 supplied equals O2 demanded.
Inc fit, reach SS faster and endurance depends how long you stay here.
3. EPOC - O2 debt, uptake remained elevated post exercise for several minutes (or
house if longer bout); EPOC effect is to restore CP/ATP in muscles and O2 in blood;
"after burn" effect
Sino Atrial Node -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Pacemaker of the heart, in RA, initiates contraction
Atrioventricular Node -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Slows down the heart contracting
Right Chambers -ANSWER✅✅✅✅RA receives deoxy blood from vena cava. Blood
travels to RV through tricuspid valve. Leaves RV via pulmonary semilunar valve to
pulmonary system.
Left Chambers -ANSWER✅✅✅✅LA receives oxy blood from veins. Travels to LV
through bicuspid valve then to aorta through the aortic semilunar valve where it then
travels through the body's arteries to deliver oxygen.
Pulse Sights -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Carotid (not recommended to perform on someone)
Brachial
Femoral
Radial (most recommended)
Heart Rate -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Avg is 72bpm resting (normal is 60-100bpm)
Good gauge for clients to see how fit they are becoming
Tachycardia/Bradychardia -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Faster than normal heart rate, >100 bpm
Slower than normal heart rate, < 60 bpm
, Stroke Volume (SV) -ANSWER✅✅✅✅The amount of blood pumped from the left
ventricle in one beat
Cardiac Output (CO) -ANSWER✅✅✅✅The amount of blood pumped from the heart in
one minute
Arteriovenous Oxygen Difference -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Difference between oxygen
content of arterial and venous blood
Pulmonary Ventilation -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Volume of air exchanged per minute
VO2 Max -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Highest rate and amount of O2 achieved at maximal
physical exertion
Acute CR Response to Aerobic Exercise -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Increase: HR, SV, CO,
AOD, BF, systolic BP, pulmonary ventilation, O2 consumption
Chronic CR Adaptations to Aerobic Exercise -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Decrease: RHR, BP,
blood lactate
Increase: SV, CO
Synovial Joints -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Freely movable allowing for variety of angular,
circular, and specialized movements; most common type in human body
Cardiac Muscle -ANSWER✅✅✅✅involuntary muscle tissue
Smooth Muscle -ANSWER✅✅✅✅involuntary muscle tissue of arterial walls and
organs of the body
Skeletal Muscle -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Voluntary muscle tissue made of striated fibers
Type I Fibers -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Aerobic, slow twitch, slow oxidative, red twitch
Type IIA Fibers -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Aerobic and anaerobic capabilities, intermediate
fibers, fast oxidative glycolitic fibers
Type IIB Fibers -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Anaerobic fibers, fast glycolitic, white twitch fibers
Acute Responses to Strength/Endurance Training -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Increase HR and
BP, SV (eccentric)
Chronic Responses to Strength/Endurance Training -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Hypertrophy,
hyperplasia, muscle fiber transformation, increase in connective tissue
CERTIFICATION EXAM
ADL -ANSWER✅✅✅✅One's ability to perform daily tasks such as self care and
chores
Physical Activity -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Transition from rest to active movement
Exercise -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Planned and structured physical activity to improve one or
more of the 5 components of fitness
5 Components of Fitness -ANSWER✅✅✅✅1. Cardiorespiratory Endurance
2. Muscle Endurance
3. Muscle Strength
4. Flexibility
5. Body Composition
Types of Fitness Conditioning -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Health Related: Focuses on
enhancing QoL, preventing disease, moderate-intensity PA
Fitness Conditioning: Focuses on exercise regimens based on recommendations for
improving fitness
SAID -ANSWER✅✅✅✅In order to improve the goal, you must practice the goal. Ex. If
the goal is a 5K, you must run to train for it
Rate of Remodeling -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Remodel > Damage --> increase training effort
Damage > Remodel --> decrease training effort (or may cause overuse/injury)
Signs of Over Training -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Injury, inc resting HR, fatigued throughout
day, low performance
FITT-VP -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Frequency (how often)
Intensity (how hard)
Time (duration)
Type (mode)
Volume (overall amount)
Progression (how to advance)
ATP-CP Phosphagen System -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Anaerobic
0-30 sec high intensity work
,sprints, weight lifting
Anaerobic Glycolysis/Lactic Acid -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Anaerobic
Glucose & lactic acid
:30-3 mins high intensity work
400-800m sprint, 100m swim
Oxidation System -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Fat oxidation
3+ minutes
important for endurance
capacity limited by O2 and Cals available
*Unfit client has decreased ability to deliver O2 from dec capillary density preventing
delivery
O2 Physiological Adaptations -ANSWER✅✅✅✅1. Oxygen Deficit - initial stages of CV
training bout referred to as lag in O2 consumption, relying on anaerobic metabolism
2. Steady State - achieved w/ sustained CV once O2 supplied equals O2 demanded.
Inc fit, reach SS faster and endurance depends how long you stay here.
3. EPOC - O2 debt, uptake remained elevated post exercise for several minutes (or
house if longer bout); EPOC effect is to restore CP/ATP in muscles and O2 in blood;
"after burn" effect
Sino Atrial Node -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Pacemaker of the heart, in RA, initiates contraction
Atrioventricular Node -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Slows down the heart contracting
Right Chambers -ANSWER✅✅✅✅RA receives deoxy blood from vena cava. Blood
travels to RV through tricuspid valve. Leaves RV via pulmonary semilunar valve to
pulmonary system.
Left Chambers -ANSWER✅✅✅✅LA receives oxy blood from veins. Travels to LV
through bicuspid valve then to aorta through the aortic semilunar valve where it then
travels through the body's arteries to deliver oxygen.
Pulse Sights -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Carotid (not recommended to perform on someone)
Brachial
Femoral
Radial (most recommended)
Heart Rate -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Avg is 72bpm resting (normal is 60-100bpm)
Good gauge for clients to see how fit they are becoming
Tachycardia/Bradychardia -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Faster than normal heart rate, >100 bpm
Slower than normal heart rate, < 60 bpm
, Stroke Volume (SV) -ANSWER✅✅✅✅The amount of blood pumped from the left
ventricle in one beat
Cardiac Output (CO) -ANSWER✅✅✅✅The amount of blood pumped from the heart in
one minute
Arteriovenous Oxygen Difference -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Difference between oxygen
content of arterial and venous blood
Pulmonary Ventilation -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Volume of air exchanged per minute
VO2 Max -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Highest rate and amount of O2 achieved at maximal
physical exertion
Acute CR Response to Aerobic Exercise -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Increase: HR, SV, CO,
AOD, BF, systolic BP, pulmonary ventilation, O2 consumption
Chronic CR Adaptations to Aerobic Exercise -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Decrease: RHR, BP,
blood lactate
Increase: SV, CO
Synovial Joints -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Freely movable allowing for variety of angular,
circular, and specialized movements; most common type in human body
Cardiac Muscle -ANSWER✅✅✅✅involuntary muscle tissue
Smooth Muscle -ANSWER✅✅✅✅involuntary muscle tissue of arterial walls and
organs of the body
Skeletal Muscle -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Voluntary muscle tissue made of striated fibers
Type I Fibers -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Aerobic, slow twitch, slow oxidative, red twitch
Type IIA Fibers -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Aerobic and anaerobic capabilities, intermediate
fibers, fast oxidative glycolitic fibers
Type IIB Fibers -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Anaerobic fibers, fast glycolitic, white twitch fibers
Acute Responses to Strength/Endurance Training -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Increase HR and
BP, SV (eccentric)
Chronic Responses to Strength/Endurance Training -ANSWER✅✅✅✅Hypertrophy,
hyperplasia, muscle fiber transformation, increase in connective tissue
