NSCA CSCS LATEST ACTUAL 2026 UPDATED
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔The stretch reflex is initiated by _______________________. - ✔✔stretching of
muscle spindles
✔✔Potentiation - ✔✔The change in the force-velocity characteristics of the muscle's
contractile components caused by stretch
✔✔Purpose of Plyometric Exercise - ✔✔To increase the power of subsequent
movements by using both the natural elastic components of muscle and tendon and the
stretch reflex
✔✔Plyometric Exercise - ✔✔Activities that enable a muscle to reach maximal force in
the shortest possible time
✔✔Rest period to increase muscular endurance - ✔✔30 sec or less
✔✔Rest period to increase Hypertrophy - ✔✔30 sec - 1.5 min
✔✔Rest period to increase Power - ✔✔2-5 min for single effort & multiple effort
✔✔Rest period to increase Strength - ✔✔2-5 min
,✔✔Volume to increase Power - ✔✔single effort: 1-2 reps, 3-5 sets
multiple effort: 3-5 reps, 3-5 sets
✔✔Volume to increase Hypertrophy - ✔✔6-12 reps
3-6 sets
✔✔Volume to increase Muscular Endurance - ✔✔12+ reps
2-3 sets
✔✔Volume to increase Strength - ✔✔3 reps
2-6 sets
✔✔Repetition-Volume - ✔✔The total number of reps performed during a session
✔✔Volume - ✔✔The total amount of weight lifted per session
✔✔Load Increases for Untrained people - ✔✔Upper body: 2.5-5 lbs
lower body: 5-10 lbs
✔✔Load increases for Trained People - ✔✔upper body: 5-10 lbs
lower body: 10-15 lbs
✔✔2-for-2 rule - ✔✔If the athlete can perform 2+ reps above the assigned repetition
goal on the last set for 2 training sessions in a row, weight should be added next
session.
✔✔Ways to determine 1RM - ✔✔- use a 1RM table
- prediction equation
- multiple RM based on goal reps
- actually test it
✔✔Volume-Load Equation - ✔✔VL = weight units x total reps
✔✔Mechanical Work Equation - ✔✔Work = Force x Displacement
✔✔What is the most critical aspect of a resistance training program? - ✔✔Load
✔✔Compound Set - ✔✔2 exercises of the same muscle performed without rest in
between
✔✔Superset - ✔✔2 exercises of opposite muscles performed without rest
✔✔Training Frequency in Off-season - ✔✔4-6 x per week
,✔✔Training Frequency in Preseason - ✔✔3-4 x per week
✔✔Training Frequency in-season - ✔✔1-3 x per week
✔✔Training Frequency during Postseason - ✔✔0-3 x per week
✔✔Training frequency based on training status - ✔✔Beginner: 2-3 x per week
Intermediate: 3-4 x per week
Advanced: 4-7 x per week
✔✔Training Frequency - ✔✔- The # of training sessions completed in a give time period
- Typically 1 week
✔✔Recovery Exercise - ✔✔Exercises that do not involve high muscular stress and high
stress on the nervous system but promote movement and restoration
✔✔Recovery Exercise benefits - ✔✔Helps remove metabolic waste & promote blood
flow to damaged areas
✔✔Power Exercise - ✔✔a structural exercise that is performed very quickly or
explosively
✔✔Structural Exercises - ✔✔- A core exercise that emphasizes loading the spine
directly or indirectly
- Typically involves maintaining a rigid torso during these lifts
✔✔Assistance Exercises - ✔✔- Recruit smaller muscles
- Involve only 1 primary joint
- Typically used in rehab because it isolates the muscle
✔✔Core Exercise - ✔✔- recruits 1+ large muscles
- involves 2+ primary joints
- receive priority because of their direct application to the sport
✔✔Steps to assess an athlete - ✔✔1. Training/Injury status
2. Exercise testing
3. Evaluation of results
4. Determine primary goal
✔✔Other factors of a sport that should be considered when designing a program: - ✔✔-
Cardiovascular endurance
- Speed/Agility
- Flexibility
, ✔✔Injury Analysis of a sport - ✔✔common sites for joint and muscle injury and
causative factors of a sport
✔✔Physiological Analysis of a sport - ✔✔Strength, power, hypertrophy, and muscular
endurance needs of a sport
✔✔Program Design Variables - ✔✔1. Needs analysis
2. Exercise selection
3. Training frequency
4. Exercise order
5. Training load and repetitions
6. Volume
7. Rest periods
✔✔Overload - ✔✔Assigning a workout of greater intensity than the athlete is used to.
✔✔General guideline to how athlete training progression - ✔✔Generalized --> sport
specific
✔✔S.A.I.D - ✔✔Specific
Adaptation to
Imposed
Demands
✔✔Bilateral Facilitation - ✔✔An increase in voluntary activation of the agonist muscle
group during bilateral movements
✔✔Bilateral Deficit - ✔✔asymmetries in force production between unilateral and
bilateral movements
✔✔Hooke's Law - ✔✔Tension = Stiffness x Deformation
✔✔Variable Resistance Exercise - ✔✔- Alters resistance so the muscle maximizes
force throughout the full ROM
- gets heavier as you go up
- Ex: chains, bands on bar
✔✔Accommodating Resistance Exercise - ✔✔Type of exercise in which fluctuations in
muscle force throughout the range of motion are matched by an equal counterforce as
the speed of limb movement is kept at a constant velocity; isokinetic exercise.
✔✔The 3 methods for applying overload to the body - ✔✔1. Constant External
Resistance
2. Accommodating Resistance
3. Variable Resistance
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔The stretch reflex is initiated by _______________________. - ✔✔stretching of
muscle spindles
✔✔Potentiation - ✔✔The change in the force-velocity characteristics of the muscle's
contractile components caused by stretch
✔✔Purpose of Plyometric Exercise - ✔✔To increase the power of subsequent
movements by using both the natural elastic components of muscle and tendon and the
stretch reflex
✔✔Plyometric Exercise - ✔✔Activities that enable a muscle to reach maximal force in
the shortest possible time
✔✔Rest period to increase muscular endurance - ✔✔30 sec or less
✔✔Rest period to increase Hypertrophy - ✔✔30 sec - 1.5 min
✔✔Rest period to increase Power - ✔✔2-5 min for single effort & multiple effort
✔✔Rest period to increase Strength - ✔✔2-5 min
,✔✔Volume to increase Power - ✔✔single effort: 1-2 reps, 3-5 sets
multiple effort: 3-5 reps, 3-5 sets
✔✔Volume to increase Hypertrophy - ✔✔6-12 reps
3-6 sets
✔✔Volume to increase Muscular Endurance - ✔✔12+ reps
2-3 sets
✔✔Volume to increase Strength - ✔✔3 reps
2-6 sets
✔✔Repetition-Volume - ✔✔The total number of reps performed during a session
✔✔Volume - ✔✔The total amount of weight lifted per session
✔✔Load Increases for Untrained people - ✔✔Upper body: 2.5-5 lbs
lower body: 5-10 lbs
✔✔Load increases for Trained People - ✔✔upper body: 5-10 lbs
lower body: 10-15 lbs
✔✔2-for-2 rule - ✔✔If the athlete can perform 2+ reps above the assigned repetition
goal on the last set for 2 training sessions in a row, weight should be added next
session.
✔✔Ways to determine 1RM - ✔✔- use a 1RM table
- prediction equation
- multiple RM based on goal reps
- actually test it
✔✔Volume-Load Equation - ✔✔VL = weight units x total reps
✔✔Mechanical Work Equation - ✔✔Work = Force x Displacement
✔✔What is the most critical aspect of a resistance training program? - ✔✔Load
✔✔Compound Set - ✔✔2 exercises of the same muscle performed without rest in
between
✔✔Superset - ✔✔2 exercises of opposite muscles performed without rest
✔✔Training Frequency in Off-season - ✔✔4-6 x per week
,✔✔Training Frequency in Preseason - ✔✔3-4 x per week
✔✔Training Frequency in-season - ✔✔1-3 x per week
✔✔Training Frequency during Postseason - ✔✔0-3 x per week
✔✔Training frequency based on training status - ✔✔Beginner: 2-3 x per week
Intermediate: 3-4 x per week
Advanced: 4-7 x per week
✔✔Training Frequency - ✔✔- The # of training sessions completed in a give time period
- Typically 1 week
✔✔Recovery Exercise - ✔✔Exercises that do not involve high muscular stress and high
stress on the nervous system but promote movement and restoration
✔✔Recovery Exercise benefits - ✔✔Helps remove metabolic waste & promote blood
flow to damaged areas
✔✔Power Exercise - ✔✔a structural exercise that is performed very quickly or
explosively
✔✔Structural Exercises - ✔✔- A core exercise that emphasizes loading the spine
directly or indirectly
- Typically involves maintaining a rigid torso during these lifts
✔✔Assistance Exercises - ✔✔- Recruit smaller muscles
- Involve only 1 primary joint
- Typically used in rehab because it isolates the muscle
✔✔Core Exercise - ✔✔- recruits 1+ large muscles
- involves 2+ primary joints
- receive priority because of their direct application to the sport
✔✔Steps to assess an athlete - ✔✔1. Training/Injury status
2. Exercise testing
3. Evaluation of results
4. Determine primary goal
✔✔Other factors of a sport that should be considered when designing a program: - ✔✔-
Cardiovascular endurance
- Speed/Agility
- Flexibility
, ✔✔Injury Analysis of a sport - ✔✔common sites for joint and muscle injury and
causative factors of a sport
✔✔Physiological Analysis of a sport - ✔✔Strength, power, hypertrophy, and muscular
endurance needs of a sport
✔✔Program Design Variables - ✔✔1. Needs analysis
2. Exercise selection
3. Training frequency
4. Exercise order
5. Training load and repetitions
6. Volume
7. Rest periods
✔✔Overload - ✔✔Assigning a workout of greater intensity than the athlete is used to.
✔✔General guideline to how athlete training progression - ✔✔Generalized --> sport
specific
✔✔S.A.I.D - ✔✔Specific
Adaptation to
Imposed
Demands
✔✔Bilateral Facilitation - ✔✔An increase in voluntary activation of the agonist muscle
group during bilateral movements
✔✔Bilateral Deficit - ✔✔asymmetries in force production between unilateral and
bilateral movements
✔✔Hooke's Law - ✔✔Tension = Stiffness x Deformation
✔✔Variable Resistance Exercise - ✔✔- Alters resistance so the muscle maximizes
force throughout the full ROM
- gets heavier as you go up
- Ex: chains, bands on bar
✔✔Accommodating Resistance Exercise - ✔✔Type of exercise in which fluctuations in
muscle force throughout the range of motion are matched by an equal counterforce as
the speed of limb movement is kept at a constant velocity; isokinetic exercise.
✔✔The 3 methods for applying overload to the body - ✔✔1. Constant External
Resistance
2. Accommodating Resistance
3. Variable Resistance
