ACE Personal Trainer CPT 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client's resting heart rate is 58 bpm. According to ACE guidelines, how should this affect their target heart rate zone calculation?
- Use the Karvonen formula with heart rate reserve (Correct answer)
- Use age-predicted max HR only, ignoring resting HR
- Subtract resting HR from 220 before applying intensity percentage
- Add resting HR to the target zone percentage directly
Correct answer: Use the Karvonen formula with heart rate reserve
The Karvonen (heart rate reserve) formula incorporates resting HR to personalize target zones: THR = [(HRmax - HRrest) × intensity%] + HRrest.
Question 2: Which muscle action occurs when lowering a dumbbell curl under control from the flexed position?
- Concentric biceps contraction
- Eccentric biceps contraction (Correct answer)
- Isometric biceps contraction
- Concentric triceps contraction
Correct answer: Eccentric biceps contraction
During the lowering phase the biceps lengthens while still producing force, which is an eccentric contraction.
Question 3: A new client reports taking a beta-blocker medication. What primary effect should the trainer anticipate during exercise?
- Elevated blood pressure response
- Attenuated heart rate response (Correct answer)
- Increased perceived exertion at low intensities
- Reduced stroke volume at rest
Correct answer: Attenuated heart rate response
Beta-blockers block beta-adrenergic receptors, blunting the heart rate rise normally seen with exercise, making HR an unreliable intensity gauge.
Question 4: Which of the following BEST describes the ACE IFT Model's Functional Movement and Resistance Training Phase 1 goal?
- Maximize hypertrophy through progressive overload
- Improve muscular endurance with high repetitions
- Correct movement imbalances and establish postural stability (Correct answer)
- Develop anaerobic power for sport performance
Correct answer: Correct movement imbalances and establish postural stability
Phase 1 of the ACE IFT Resistance Training component focuses on correcting movement impairments and building core and joint stability before loading.
Question 5: A client's waist circumference is 38 inches and hip circumference is 42 inches. What is their waist-to-hip ratio and risk classification?
- 0.90 — high risk for females
- 0.86 — low risk for males
- 0.90 — high risk for males (Correct answer)
- 0.86 — moderate risk for females
Correct answer: 0.90 — high risk for males
WHR = 38 ÷ 42 ≈ 0.90; for males, a WHR ≥ 0.90 is classified as high risk for cardiovascular and metabolic disease.
Question 6: During an overhead squat assessment, a client's arms fall forward. Which muscle group is MOST likely overactive?
- Gluteus maximus
- Latissimus dorsi (Correct answer)
- Rectus abdominis
- Tibialis anterior
Correct answer: Latissimus dorsi
Tight latissimus dorsi limits shoulder flexion and external rotation, pulling the arms forward during an overhead squat.
Question 7: Which energy system is the PRIMARY contributor during a 10-second maximal sprint?
- Oxidative (aerobic) system
- Fast glycolysis (lactic acid system)
- Phosphagen (ATP-PCr) system (Correct answer)
- Slow glycolysis
Correct answer: Phosphagen (ATP-PCr) system
Efforts lasting up to ~10 seconds rely predominantly on stored ATP and phosphocreatine (the phosphagen system) for rapid energy.
ACE Personal Trainer CPT 2
A client's resting heart rate is 58 bpm.
According to ACE guidelines, how should this affect their target heart rate zone calculation?