Muscular Training Principles Flashcards
7 cards from real ACE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Muscular Training Principles flashcards as text
Which rest interval is MOST appropriate when the primary training goal is maximal strength development?
Answer: 2–5 minutes
Maximal strength training requires near-complete phosphocreatine resynthesis (which takes 2–5 minutes) to sustain high-intensity efforts across multiple sets.
Eccentric muscle actions are characterized by:
Answer: The muscle lengthening while producing force
Eccentric contractions occur when the muscle generates force while being elongated, such as lowering a weight under control.
What is the primary adaptation responsible for strength gains during the first 4–8 weeks of resistance training in a novice?
Answer: Neural adaptations and improved motor unit recruitment
Early strength gains in beginners are driven primarily by neural adaptations — improved motor unit recruitment, firing rate, and inter-muscular coordination — before notable hypertrophy occurs.
A personal trainer designs a program using 'supersets' pairing antagonist muscle groups. Which statement best explains the physiological rationale?
Answer: Reciprocal inhibition allows the agonist to relax during the antagonist set, improving efficiency
Antagonist supersets exploit reciprocal inhibition — when one muscle contracts, its antagonist is neurologically inhibited to relax, allowing more efficient and potentially stronger agonist contractions.
Which of the following BEST describes the progressive overload principle?
Answer: Gradually increasing training stress over time to continually challenge the body
Progressive overload requires incrementally increasing training demands (load, volume, frequency, or complexity) over time to drive continued adaptation.
The size principle of motor unit recruitment states that motor units are recruited in order from:
Answer: Smallest (slow-twitch) to largest (fast-twitch) as force demands increase
Henneman's size principle dictates orderly recruitment from small, fatigue-resistant slow-twitch motor units to larger, powerful fast-twitch units as force requirements rise.
Which scenario BEST illustrates the principle of reversibility (detraining)?
Answer: A client loses 30% of strength gains after 8 weeks of inactivity
Reversibility describes the loss of training adaptations when the training stimulus is removed; strength and muscle mass decline significantly after weeks of inactivity.