NSCA CSCS practical practice
questions and correct answers
Why do sedentary ,healthy adults require dietary proteins/amino acids to maintain good
health?
a. to maintain cellular structure and function
b. to prevent diseases such as cancer
c. to strengthen bones - correct answer ✔✔ ANSWER:
a. to maintain cellular structure and function
EXPLANATION:
Protein is the primary structural and functional component of every cell in the human body.
Dietary proteins are used for growth and development and to build and repair cells; they serve
as enzymes, transport carriers, and hormones. Therefore, dietary protein is essential for
maintaining health, reproduction, and cellular structure and function. This applies to both active
and sedentary individuals.
Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th Edition. Ch 9, pg 181-182
Which muscle is directly targeted during the pec-deck?
a. deltoids
,b. pectoralis major
c. triceps brachii - correct answer ✔✔ ANSWER:
b. pectoralis major
EXPLANATION:
In the pec-deck movement, the idea is to create a long level out of your arms, therefore putting
more pressure on the primary and secondary muscles. The pec-deck directly targets the
pectoralis major, and does so in a way different than a bench press because the elbows are
unlocked throughout the whole range of motion. This length in the arms makes the movement
much harder. The deltoids and triceps brachii are assistance muscles, working with the
pectoralis major to create the movement.
Which of the following statements is true regarding Golgi tendon organs?
a. they are mechanoreceptors located within the musculotendinous junction that are sensitive
to tension and rate of tension change
b. they are mechanoreceptors located in joints throughout the fibrous capsule and ligaments
that respond to joint position, movement, and pressure change
c. they are major sensory organs that are sensitive to change in length and rate of length change
- correct answer ✔✔ ANSWER:
a. they are mechanoreceptors located within the musculotendinous junction that are sensitive
to tension and rate of tension change
EXPLANATION:
Golgitendonorgans (GTOs) are activated when the tendon attached to an active muscle is
stretched. As tension increases within a muscle, discharge of the GTOs increases. They inhibit a
,motor neuron when muscle tension increases, and this inhibition is thought to provide a
mechanism that protects against the development of excessive tension.
Which of the following is one of the elements that must exist for a strength and conditioning
professional to be found negligent?
a. presence of an effect
b. presence of ab obligation
c. presence of a duty - correct answer ✔✔ ANSWER:
c. presence of a duty
EXPLANATION:
Negligence is a failure to act as a reasonable and prudent person would under similar
circumstances. Four elements must exist for negligence to be proven: presence of a duty, breach
of duty, proximate cause and damages. To be proven negligent, the professional must have had
a duty to act and failed to do so, which is termed a breach of duty. In addition, a professional
must act with the appropriate level of care, and failure to do so must have resulted in either
physical injury or economic damage because of the natural and continuous sequence of
reasonably foreseeable events (approximate cause).
When estimating 1RM for power exercises, what is the maximum number of repetitions one can
use for estimation?
a. 8
b. 5
, c. 6 - correct answer ✔✔ ANSWER:
b. 5
EXPLANATION:
Power exercises do not lend themselves well to multiple-RM testing above five repetitions for
repeated testing sets, because technique can deteriorate quickly. Other types of exercise can
use more than five repetitions. Using a 10RM load to predict 1RM is a common method.
Performing warm-up sets prior to performing a 1RM bench press test will increase which of the
following test characteristics?
a. inter-rater agreement
b. validity
c. reliability - correct answer ✔✔ ANSWER:
c. reliability
EXPLANATION:
Performing a warm-up before any testing will increase a test's reliability. An appropriately
organized warm-up consists of a general warm-up followed by a specific warm-up. Both types of
warm-ups include body movements similar to those involved in the test. An organized,
instructor-led general warm-up ensures uniformity. It is acceptable to allow two or three
activity-specific warm-up trials, depending on the test protocol, and have subsequent trials
actually count towards the score. Depending on the test protocol, the score can be the best or
the average of the post-warm-up trials.
Which substance is usually ingested by overweight females in hopes of losing weight?
questions and correct answers
Why do sedentary ,healthy adults require dietary proteins/amino acids to maintain good
health?
a. to maintain cellular structure and function
b. to prevent diseases such as cancer
c. to strengthen bones - correct answer ✔✔ ANSWER:
a. to maintain cellular structure and function
EXPLANATION:
Protein is the primary structural and functional component of every cell in the human body.
Dietary proteins are used for growth and development and to build and repair cells; they serve
as enzymes, transport carriers, and hormones. Therefore, dietary protein is essential for
maintaining health, reproduction, and cellular structure and function. This applies to both active
and sedentary individuals.
Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th Edition. Ch 9, pg 181-182
Which muscle is directly targeted during the pec-deck?
a. deltoids
,b. pectoralis major
c. triceps brachii - correct answer ✔✔ ANSWER:
b. pectoralis major
EXPLANATION:
In the pec-deck movement, the idea is to create a long level out of your arms, therefore putting
more pressure on the primary and secondary muscles. The pec-deck directly targets the
pectoralis major, and does so in a way different than a bench press because the elbows are
unlocked throughout the whole range of motion. This length in the arms makes the movement
much harder. The deltoids and triceps brachii are assistance muscles, working with the
pectoralis major to create the movement.
Which of the following statements is true regarding Golgi tendon organs?
a. they are mechanoreceptors located within the musculotendinous junction that are sensitive
to tension and rate of tension change
b. they are mechanoreceptors located in joints throughout the fibrous capsule and ligaments
that respond to joint position, movement, and pressure change
c. they are major sensory organs that are sensitive to change in length and rate of length change
- correct answer ✔✔ ANSWER:
a. they are mechanoreceptors located within the musculotendinous junction that are sensitive
to tension and rate of tension change
EXPLANATION:
Golgitendonorgans (GTOs) are activated when the tendon attached to an active muscle is
stretched. As tension increases within a muscle, discharge of the GTOs increases. They inhibit a
,motor neuron when muscle tension increases, and this inhibition is thought to provide a
mechanism that protects against the development of excessive tension.
Which of the following is one of the elements that must exist for a strength and conditioning
professional to be found negligent?
a. presence of an effect
b. presence of ab obligation
c. presence of a duty - correct answer ✔✔ ANSWER:
c. presence of a duty
EXPLANATION:
Negligence is a failure to act as a reasonable and prudent person would under similar
circumstances. Four elements must exist for negligence to be proven: presence of a duty, breach
of duty, proximate cause and damages. To be proven negligent, the professional must have had
a duty to act and failed to do so, which is termed a breach of duty. In addition, a professional
must act with the appropriate level of care, and failure to do so must have resulted in either
physical injury or economic damage because of the natural and continuous sequence of
reasonably foreseeable events (approximate cause).
When estimating 1RM for power exercises, what is the maximum number of repetitions one can
use for estimation?
a. 8
b. 5
, c. 6 - correct answer ✔✔ ANSWER:
b. 5
EXPLANATION:
Power exercises do not lend themselves well to multiple-RM testing above five repetitions for
repeated testing sets, because technique can deteriorate quickly. Other types of exercise can
use more than five repetitions. Using a 10RM load to predict 1RM is a common method.
Performing warm-up sets prior to performing a 1RM bench press test will increase which of the
following test characteristics?
a. inter-rater agreement
b. validity
c. reliability - correct answer ✔✔ ANSWER:
c. reliability
EXPLANATION:
Performing a warm-up before any testing will increase a test's reliability. An appropriately
organized warm-up consists of a general warm-up followed by a specific warm-up. Both types of
warm-ups include body movements similar to those involved in the test. An organized,
instructor-led general warm-up ensures uniformity. It is acceptable to allow two or three
activity-specific warm-up trials, depending on the test protocol, and have subsequent trials
actually count towards the score. Depending on the test protocol, the score can be the best or
the average of the post-warm-up trials.
Which substance is usually ingested by overweight females in hopes of losing weight?
