NASM PES STUDY GUIDE 2025/2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS TAGGED A+
✔✔Stabilization system (Local Muscular) - ✔✔The muscles & joints whose primary
function is to provide joint support and stabilization; also known as the local muscular
system.
Transverse abdominis, lumbar multifidus, internal obliques, diaphragm & pelvic floor
muscles.
✔✔length-tension relationship - ✔✔as length increases, tension decreases
✔✔concentric muscle action - ✔✔Developing tension while a muscle is shortening;
when developed tension overcomes a resistive force.
"a positive". Cloud, collapsing
✔✔isometric contraction - ✔✔muscle tenses but does not shorten. When the contractile
force is equal to the resistive force.
✔✔eccentric muscle action - ✔✔An eccentric muscle action occurs when a muscle
develops tension while lengthening; when resistive force overcomes developed tension.
"A negative"
lowering phase of a resistance exercise. Elongate
✔✔Pronation - ✔✔Foot abducts, dorsiflexes, everts
Knee flexes, adducts internally rotates. Palm to the Plants
✔✔length-tension relationship - ✔✔The resting length of a muscle and the tension the
muscle can produce at this resting length.
✔✔force couple - ✔✔muscle groups moving together to produce movement around a
joint
✔✔Altered reciprocal inhibition - ✔✔muscle inhibition caused by a tight agonist, which
inhibits its functional antagonist. Results in decreased force production by prime mover
& leads to compensation by synergists.
✔✔Synergistic Dominance (Example) - ✔✔if the psoas (agonist) is tight, it leads to
(altered reciprocal inhibition) of the gluteus maximus (antagonist muscle), which in turn
results in increased compensation from the hip extensuion (hamstring complex,
adductor magnus) aka (synergists muscles) to function for the weaken gluteus
maximus. The faulty movement patterns above could lead to hamstring sprains.
,✔✔Synergistic Dominance - ✔✔When synergists take over function for a weak or
inhibited prime movers in an attempt to maintain force productions & functional
movement patterns.
✔✔exercise progression continuum - ✔✔• Slow to fast
• Simple to complex
• Known to unknown
• Low force to high force
• Static to dynamic
• Two arms to one arm
• Two legs to one leg
• Stable to unstable
• Eyes open to eyes closed
• Quality before quantity
✔✔Posterior Oblique Subsystem (POS) - ✔✔works synergistically w/the deep
longitudinal sub-syst & consists of the glute max, thoracolumbar fascia, & contralateral
latissimus dorsi.
When contract a stabilizing force is transmitted across the sacroiliac joint.
Prime importance for rotational activities. TRANSVERSE PLANE
✔✔Supination - ✔✔Foot: plantar flexes, inverts and adducts
Knee: extends, abducts, externally rotates
Palm to the Sun
✔✔Ground reaction force - ✔✔an equal and opposite external force that is exerted back
onto the body by the ground.
✔✔quantitative analysis - ✔✔Taking physical measurements and making mathematical
computations to reach a conclusion
✔✔qualitative analysis - ✔✔Applying principles of proper technique and combining
them with observations in order to make an educated evaluation.
✔✔force velocity curve - ✔✔the relationship of a muscle's ability to produce tension at
differing shortening velocities
✔✔Arthrokinematics - ✔✔joint motion
✔✔rotary motion - ✔✔Movement of the bones around the joints
,✔✔Neuromuscular system - ✔✔Complex System that integrates muscles and nerves
Controls voluntary and involuntary movement
✔✔systolic pressure - ✔✔The blood pressure generated by the heart as it pumps blood
to the body. Top number
✔✔diastolic pressure - ✔✔The pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest. Bottom
numer
✔✔Normal diastolic pressure - ✔✔80 to 85
mmHg
✔✔Durnin formula four sites for body fat % - ✔✔Biceps, triceps (both vertical fold)
subscapular (a 45-degree angle fold 1-2cm below the inferior angle of the scapula),
Iliac crest (a 45-degree angle fold, taken just above the iliac crest at the anterior axillary
line
✔✔Knee Valgus during OH squat test - ✔✔is influenced by decreased hip abductor and
hip external rotation strength, increased hip adductor activity and restricted ankle
dorsiflexion.
✔✔Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) - ✔✔identifying improper movement patterns
during the jump landing tasks. Jump forward from the box with both feet and land with
both feet just after the jump line and immediately after landing, jump up for max height
and land again. Three trials performed. Higher score indicates a greater number of
landing errors.
✔✔Double leg lowering test - ✔✔measures core stability and strength
50% = poor, 60% = Fair, 80%= Good, 100% = normal
✔✔Sorensen erector spine test - ✔✔measures endurance of spine extensors
maintain extension of 30 degrees for 30 seconds
✔✔Davies Test - ✔✔Measures upper extremity agility and stabilization.
2 pieces of tape 36" apart on the floor. Most number of taps in 15 seconds, 3 trials
✔✔The Davies test is contraindicated for which group of people? - ✔✔people who lack
shoulder stability
✔✔upper extremity strength assessment: bench press - ✔✔designed to estimate one-
rep max on overall upper body strength
✔✔single-leg horizontal hop assessment - ✔✔designed to measure unilateral power
and dynamic stabilization capabilities
, ✔✔Shark skill test - ✔✔Assess lower extremity agility and neuromuscular control.
Client hops in a designated pattern from box to box
✔✔10 yard sprint assessment - ✔✔measure reaction capabilities and acceleration
speed.
✔✔lower extremity functional test (LEFT) - ✔✔drill designed to measure lateral speed
and agility
carioca
side shuffle
backpedal
✔✔5-10-5 drill - ✔✔-SAQ measure lateral speed and agility
-sprint 5 yards right, 10 yards left, and 5 yards right back to the middle cone
✔✔7x30-meter sprint test - ✔✔measure maximal anaerobic power and repeated sprint
ability.
✔✔Three-quarters court sprint - basketball - ✔✔Baseline to farthest free throw line.
measure speed and acceleration over the distance of 3/4 of the court.
✔✔pro-lane agility drill - basketball - ✔✔lane agility the measures how fast an athlete
moves laterally around the key.
✔✔T-Drill - ✔✔-SAQ measure agility, reaction capabilities and speed in multiple planes.
4 cones in a T shape
-Start at cone 1/ sprint 10 yards forward
-side shuffle 5 yards left
-carioca ten yards right
-side shuffle 5 yards left
-backpedal 10 yards backwards
✔✔300 yard shuttle - ✔✔measure total anaerobic endurance
✔✔20-meter multistage shuttle test - ✔✔designed to estimate an aerobic power and
predict VO2Max. An athlete is deemed finished when they fail to reach the 20-meter
cone when the beep is heard on two consecutive attempts.
✔✔Bench Press - muscle synergies - ✔✔Primer Mover: pectoralis major
Synergists: anterior deltoid & Triceps
Stabilizers: rotator cuff and biceps
✔✔Squats - muscle synergies - ✔✔Primer Mover: quadriceps & Gluteus maximus
ANSWERS TAGGED A+
✔✔Stabilization system (Local Muscular) - ✔✔The muscles & joints whose primary
function is to provide joint support and stabilization; also known as the local muscular
system.
Transverse abdominis, lumbar multifidus, internal obliques, diaphragm & pelvic floor
muscles.
✔✔length-tension relationship - ✔✔as length increases, tension decreases
✔✔concentric muscle action - ✔✔Developing tension while a muscle is shortening;
when developed tension overcomes a resistive force.
"a positive". Cloud, collapsing
✔✔isometric contraction - ✔✔muscle tenses but does not shorten. When the contractile
force is equal to the resistive force.
✔✔eccentric muscle action - ✔✔An eccentric muscle action occurs when a muscle
develops tension while lengthening; when resistive force overcomes developed tension.
"A negative"
lowering phase of a resistance exercise. Elongate
✔✔Pronation - ✔✔Foot abducts, dorsiflexes, everts
Knee flexes, adducts internally rotates. Palm to the Plants
✔✔length-tension relationship - ✔✔The resting length of a muscle and the tension the
muscle can produce at this resting length.
✔✔force couple - ✔✔muscle groups moving together to produce movement around a
joint
✔✔Altered reciprocal inhibition - ✔✔muscle inhibition caused by a tight agonist, which
inhibits its functional antagonist. Results in decreased force production by prime mover
& leads to compensation by synergists.
✔✔Synergistic Dominance (Example) - ✔✔if the psoas (agonist) is tight, it leads to
(altered reciprocal inhibition) of the gluteus maximus (antagonist muscle), which in turn
results in increased compensation from the hip extensuion (hamstring complex,
adductor magnus) aka (synergists muscles) to function for the weaken gluteus
maximus. The faulty movement patterns above could lead to hamstring sprains.
,✔✔Synergistic Dominance - ✔✔When synergists take over function for a weak or
inhibited prime movers in an attempt to maintain force productions & functional
movement patterns.
✔✔exercise progression continuum - ✔✔• Slow to fast
• Simple to complex
• Known to unknown
• Low force to high force
• Static to dynamic
• Two arms to one arm
• Two legs to one leg
• Stable to unstable
• Eyes open to eyes closed
• Quality before quantity
✔✔Posterior Oblique Subsystem (POS) - ✔✔works synergistically w/the deep
longitudinal sub-syst & consists of the glute max, thoracolumbar fascia, & contralateral
latissimus dorsi.
When contract a stabilizing force is transmitted across the sacroiliac joint.
Prime importance for rotational activities. TRANSVERSE PLANE
✔✔Supination - ✔✔Foot: plantar flexes, inverts and adducts
Knee: extends, abducts, externally rotates
Palm to the Sun
✔✔Ground reaction force - ✔✔an equal and opposite external force that is exerted back
onto the body by the ground.
✔✔quantitative analysis - ✔✔Taking physical measurements and making mathematical
computations to reach a conclusion
✔✔qualitative analysis - ✔✔Applying principles of proper technique and combining
them with observations in order to make an educated evaluation.
✔✔force velocity curve - ✔✔the relationship of a muscle's ability to produce tension at
differing shortening velocities
✔✔Arthrokinematics - ✔✔joint motion
✔✔rotary motion - ✔✔Movement of the bones around the joints
,✔✔Neuromuscular system - ✔✔Complex System that integrates muscles and nerves
Controls voluntary and involuntary movement
✔✔systolic pressure - ✔✔The blood pressure generated by the heart as it pumps blood
to the body. Top number
✔✔diastolic pressure - ✔✔The pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest. Bottom
numer
✔✔Normal diastolic pressure - ✔✔80 to 85
mmHg
✔✔Durnin formula four sites for body fat % - ✔✔Biceps, triceps (both vertical fold)
subscapular (a 45-degree angle fold 1-2cm below the inferior angle of the scapula),
Iliac crest (a 45-degree angle fold, taken just above the iliac crest at the anterior axillary
line
✔✔Knee Valgus during OH squat test - ✔✔is influenced by decreased hip abductor and
hip external rotation strength, increased hip adductor activity and restricted ankle
dorsiflexion.
✔✔Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) - ✔✔identifying improper movement patterns
during the jump landing tasks. Jump forward from the box with both feet and land with
both feet just after the jump line and immediately after landing, jump up for max height
and land again. Three trials performed. Higher score indicates a greater number of
landing errors.
✔✔Double leg lowering test - ✔✔measures core stability and strength
50% = poor, 60% = Fair, 80%= Good, 100% = normal
✔✔Sorensen erector spine test - ✔✔measures endurance of spine extensors
maintain extension of 30 degrees for 30 seconds
✔✔Davies Test - ✔✔Measures upper extremity agility and stabilization.
2 pieces of tape 36" apart on the floor. Most number of taps in 15 seconds, 3 trials
✔✔The Davies test is contraindicated for which group of people? - ✔✔people who lack
shoulder stability
✔✔upper extremity strength assessment: bench press - ✔✔designed to estimate one-
rep max on overall upper body strength
✔✔single-leg horizontal hop assessment - ✔✔designed to measure unilateral power
and dynamic stabilization capabilities
, ✔✔Shark skill test - ✔✔Assess lower extremity agility and neuromuscular control.
Client hops in a designated pattern from box to box
✔✔10 yard sprint assessment - ✔✔measure reaction capabilities and acceleration
speed.
✔✔lower extremity functional test (LEFT) - ✔✔drill designed to measure lateral speed
and agility
carioca
side shuffle
backpedal
✔✔5-10-5 drill - ✔✔-SAQ measure lateral speed and agility
-sprint 5 yards right, 10 yards left, and 5 yards right back to the middle cone
✔✔7x30-meter sprint test - ✔✔measure maximal anaerobic power and repeated sprint
ability.
✔✔Three-quarters court sprint - basketball - ✔✔Baseline to farthest free throw line.
measure speed and acceleration over the distance of 3/4 of the court.
✔✔pro-lane agility drill - basketball - ✔✔lane agility the measures how fast an athlete
moves laterally around the key.
✔✔T-Drill - ✔✔-SAQ measure agility, reaction capabilities and speed in multiple planes.
4 cones in a T shape
-Start at cone 1/ sprint 10 yards forward
-side shuffle 5 yards left
-carioca ten yards right
-side shuffle 5 yards left
-backpedal 10 yards backwards
✔✔300 yard shuttle - ✔✔measure total anaerobic endurance
✔✔20-meter multistage shuttle test - ✔✔designed to estimate an aerobic power and
predict VO2Max. An athlete is deemed finished when they fail to reach the 20-meter
cone when the beep is heard on two consecutive attempts.
✔✔Bench Press - muscle synergies - ✔✔Primer Mover: pectoralis major
Synergists: anterior deltoid & Triceps
Stabilizers: rotator cuff and biceps
✔✔Squats - muscle synergies - ✔✔Primer Mover: quadriceps & Gluteus maximus
