AFAA Personal Trainer Certification
Exam Questions and Answers
Myocardial Infarction - Answer- Hear attack occurs due to lack of blood flow through
the coronary arteries to the heart muscle
Ischemia - Answer- lack of blood flow
Stroke Volume - Answer- the amount of blood pumped with each beat or systole
Cardiac Output - Answer- heart rate x stroke volume. usually measured in liters (or
milileters) of blood pumped per minute
Venous Return - Answer- The amount of blood returned to the heart by the veins
Valsalva Maneuver - Answer- occurs when a person holds his or her breath during a
strenuous activity, such as lifting weights or shoveling snow
Minute Ventilation - Answer- total amount of air breathed per minute
Residual lung volume - Answer- amount of air remaining in the lungs after a
complete and total forced exhale
Forced vital capacity - Answer- amount of air that can be forcefully exhaled after a
maximal inahle
Total lung capacity - Answer- sum of the residual volume and the forced vital
capacity
Glucose - Answer- body's usable form of carbohydrate
Lactic Acid - Answer- produced in muscles during rapid exercise when the body
cannot supply enough oxygen to the tissues
Glycolysis - Answer- a metabolic process that breaks down carbohydrates and
sugars through a series of reactions to either pyruvic acid or lactic acid and release
energy for the body in the form of ATP
Mitochondria - Answer- a subcellular structure where oxidation takes place
Beta oxidation - Answer- A metabolic sequence that breaks fatty acids down to two-
carbon fragments that enter the citric acid cycle as acetyl CoA.
Krebs cycle - Answer- the acetyl CoA formed in the first component of aerobic
metabolism enters into the citric acid cycle
,Electron transport system - Answer- the final sequence of reactions in the aerobic
production of ATP
Maximal oxygen uptake - Answer- the maximum amount of oxygen consumed and
utilized by the body during an all-out effort to exhaustion
Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption - Answer- additional oxygen consumed
immediately after an exercise bout when the body is no longer exercising
Sarcomere - Answer- each section of a myofibril in muscle
Actin - Answer- structural protein that makes up the thin filaments of myofibrils;
functions in muscle contraction
Anatomical Position - Answer- standing position with hands down and palms facing
forward
Supine - Answer- lying on the spine
Prone - Answer- lying face down
Axial Skeleton - Answer- part of the skeleton that contains skull, vertebral column,
ribs, and sternum
Synovial joints - Answer- have a small space between the articulating bones that
allows for a greater range of motion
Cartilage - Answer- a white, semi-opaque, fibrous connective tissue that cushions
the joints and prevents wear on the joint surfaces
Synovial membrane - Answer- secretes synovial fluid which provides nourishment,
lubrication, and hydrotastic cushioning for the joint
Bursae - Answer- liquid-filled membranes that protect soft tissues as they pass by
bony projections
Ligament - Answer- band of fibrous tissue that connects bone to bone and provides
joint stability.
Tendon - Answer- dense, fibrous connective tissue that forms the end of a muscle
and attaches muscle to bone
Fascia - Answer- fibrous connective tissue that forms sheaths for individual muscles.
Circuit Weight Training - Answer- resistance exercises performed one after the other
without rest for approximately 20 minutes
Muscular Strength - Answer- maximum force a muscle or muscle group can
generate at one time
, Muscle Endurance - Answer- capacity to sustain repeated muscle actions, as in
push-ups or sit ups, or sustain fixed, static muscle actions for an extended period of
time
Muscle Power - Answer- explosive aspect of strength, is the product of strength and
speed of movement
Muscle Stability - Answer- ability of a muscle or muscle group to stabilize a joint and
maintain its position without movement. (to perform a sustained isometric
contraction)
Muscle hypertrophy - Answer- an increase in the muscle fiber size, specifically an
increased cross-sectional area resulting from increased myofibrilis
Overload Principle - Answer- increasing the intensity (resistance), frequency, or
duration of the training above the levels normally expected
Specificity - Answer- specific adaptions in the metabolic and neuromuscular systems
depending on the type of program or exercises that are performed
Volume - Answer- total number of repetitions performed multiplied by the total
amount of weight, or resistance, used during a single training session. (Reps x
Weight = Volume)
Progressive resistance exercise - Answer- resistance must be gradually,
progressively increased as the muscles adapt to a given exercise
Periodization - Answer- variations in the training program over the course of several
months or a year, that help to improve performance and prevent injury, staleness,
and burnout
Plateau - Answer- a point where further increases in strength become difficult and
progress seems to stop
Single-Set System - Answer- basic system ( one set 8-12 reps for each muscle
group) that is widely recommended and used for beginners and those interested in
an effective, time efficient workout
Multiple-Set system - Answer- consists of 3 to 6 sets of an exercise, usually the
same weight load throughout
Super-Set System - Answer- any combination of 2 different exercises immediately
following one another without a rest
Tri-Set System - Answer- 3 different exercises immediately following one another
Dynamic Constant Resistance - Answer- external resistance or weight that does not
vary through the range of motion
Exam Questions and Answers
Myocardial Infarction - Answer- Hear attack occurs due to lack of blood flow through
the coronary arteries to the heart muscle
Ischemia - Answer- lack of blood flow
Stroke Volume - Answer- the amount of blood pumped with each beat or systole
Cardiac Output - Answer- heart rate x stroke volume. usually measured in liters (or
milileters) of blood pumped per minute
Venous Return - Answer- The amount of blood returned to the heart by the veins
Valsalva Maneuver - Answer- occurs when a person holds his or her breath during a
strenuous activity, such as lifting weights or shoveling snow
Minute Ventilation - Answer- total amount of air breathed per minute
Residual lung volume - Answer- amount of air remaining in the lungs after a
complete and total forced exhale
Forced vital capacity - Answer- amount of air that can be forcefully exhaled after a
maximal inahle
Total lung capacity - Answer- sum of the residual volume and the forced vital
capacity
Glucose - Answer- body's usable form of carbohydrate
Lactic Acid - Answer- produced in muscles during rapid exercise when the body
cannot supply enough oxygen to the tissues
Glycolysis - Answer- a metabolic process that breaks down carbohydrates and
sugars through a series of reactions to either pyruvic acid or lactic acid and release
energy for the body in the form of ATP
Mitochondria - Answer- a subcellular structure where oxidation takes place
Beta oxidation - Answer- A metabolic sequence that breaks fatty acids down to two-
carbon fragments that enter the citric acid cycle as acetyl CoA.
Krebs cycle - Answer- the acetyl CoA formed in the first component of aerobic
metabolism enters into the citric acid cycle
,Electron transport system - Answer- the final sequence of reactions in the aerobic
production of ATP
Maximal oxygen uptake - Answer- the maximum amount of oxygen consumed and
utilized by the body during an all-out effort to exhaustion
Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption - Answer- additional oxygen consumed
immediately after an exercise bout when the body is no longer exercising
Sarcomere - Answer- each section of a myofibril in muscle
Actin - Answer- structural protein that makes up the thin filaments of myofibrils;
functions in muscle contraction
Anatomical Position - Answer- standing position with hands down and palms facing
forward
Supine - Answer- lying on the spine
Prone - Answer- lying face down
Axial Skeleton - Answer- part of the skeleton that contains skull, vertebral column,
ribs, and sternum
Synovial joints - Answer- have a small space between the articulating bones that
allows for a greater range of motion
Cartilage - Answer- a white, semi-opaque, fibrous connective tissue that cushions
the joints and prevents wear on the joint surfaces
Synovial membrane - Answer- secretes synovial fluid which provides nourishment,
lubrication, and hydrotastic cushioning for the joint
Bursae - Answer- liquid-filled membranes that protect soft tissues as they pass by
bony projections
Ligament - Answer- band of fibrous tissue that connects bone to bone and provides
joint stability.
Tendon - Answer- dense, fibrous connective tissue that forms the end of a muscle
and attaches muscle to bone
Fascia - Answer- fibrous connective tissue that forms sheaths for individual muscles.
Circuit Weight Training - Answer- resistance exercises performed one after the other
without rest for approximately 20 minutes
Muscular Strength - Answer- maximum force a muscle or muscle group can
generate at one time
, Muscle Endurance - Answer- capacity to sustain repeated muscle actions, as in
push-ups or sit ups, or sustain fixed, static muscle actions for an extended period of
time
Muscle Power - Answer- explosive aspect of strength, is the product of strength and
speed of movement
Muscle Stability - Answer- ability of a muscle or muscle group to stabilize a joint and
maintain its position without movement. (to perform a sustained isometric
contraction)
Muscle hypertrophy - Answer- an increase in the muscle fiber size, specifically an
increased cross-sectional area resulting from increased myofibrilis
Overload Principle - Answer- increasing the intensity (resistance), frequency, or
duration of the training above the levels normally expected
Specificity - Answer- specific adaptions in the metabolic and neuromuscular systems
depending on the type of program or exercises that are performed
Volume - Answer- total number of repetitions performed multiplied by the total
amount of weight, or resistance, used during a single training session. (Reps x
Weight = Volume)
Progressive resistance exercise - Answer- resistance must be gradually,
progressively increased as the muscles adapt to a given exercise
Periodization - Answer- variations in the training program over the course of several
months or a year, that help to improve performance and prevent injury, staleness,
and burnout
Plateau - Answer- a point where further increases in strength become difficult and
progress seems to stop
Single-Set System - Answer- basic system ( one set 8-12 reps for each muscle
group) that is widely recommended and used for beginners and those interested in
an effective, time efficient workout
Multiple-Set system - Answer- consists of 3 to 6 sets of an exercise, usually the
same weight load throughout
Super-Set System - Answer- any combination of 2 different exercises immediately
following one another without a rest
Tri-Set System - Answer- 3 different exercises immediately following one another
Dynamic Constant Resistance - Answer- external resistance or weight that does not
vary through the range of motion
