CIC Athlete Development & Training Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During the Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model, which stage is considered the critical window for developing aerobic capacity in females?
- Active Start (ages 0–6)
- FUNdamentals (ages 6–8)
- Learn to Train (ages 8–11)
- Train to Train (ages 11–15) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Train to Train (ages 11–15)
The Train to Train stage in females (approximately ages 11–15) is identified as the optimal window for aerobic capacity development.
Question 2: What is the recommended rest interval between sets when training for maximum strength development (>85% 1RM)?
- 15–30 seconds
- 30–60 seconds
- 2–5 minutes (Correct answer)
- 8–10 minutes
Correct answer: 2–5 minutes
Heavy strength training requires 2–5 minutes of rest to allow adequate phosphocreatine replenishment and CNS recovery between sets.
Question 3: A basketball player wants to improve reactive agility. Which drill is MOST sport-specific for this goal?
- Ladder drills with predetermined foot patterns
- Cone drills with a coach signaling direction changes (Correct answer)
- Straight-line acceleration sprints
- Seated leg press machine exercises
Correct answer: Cone drills with a coach signaling direction changes
Reactive agility drills that require athletes to respond to an unpredictable external cue (such as a coach's signal) best replicate game demands.
Question 4: Which of the following BEST describes the concept of 'relative strength'?
- The maximum force produced regardless of body weight
- Strength expressed relative to the athlete's body weight (Correct answer)
- The ratio of upper-body to lower-body strength
- The strength gained per week of training
Correct answer: Strength expressed relative to the athlete's body weight
Relative strength is the amount of force an athlete can produce per unit of body weight, critical for weight-bearing sports.
Question 5: What physiological adaptation primarily explains strength gains during the first 4–6 weeks of resistance training in untrained youth athletes?
- Muscle hypertrophy
- Increased testosterone production
- Neural adaptations (Correct answer)
- Fiber type conversion
Correct answer: Neural adaptations
Early strength gains in novice athletes are primarily due to improved motor unit recruitment and neuromuscular coordination, not muscle growth.
Question 6: Which type of muscle action produces the greatest force output and causes the most muscle damage?
- Concentric
- Isometric
- Eccentric (Correct answer)
- Isokinetic
Correct answer: Eccentric
Eccentric muscle actions generate the highest force levels and result in greater microtrauma, which drives supercompensation when recovered properly.
Question 7: A coach wants to develop power in their athletes. According to the force-velocity curve, which training zone targets power development MOST directly?
- Maximum strength zone (very heavy loads, slow velocity)
- Speed-strength zone (moderate loads, high velocity) (Correct answer)
- Speed zone (bodyweight, maximal velocity)
- Endurance zone (light loads, high reps)
Correct answer: Speed-strength zone (moderate loads, high velocity)
The speed-strength zone on the force-velocity curve, using moderate loads moved at high velocity, maximizes mechanical power output.
CIC Athlete Development & Training Techniques 3
During the Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model, which stage is considered the critical window for developing aerobic capacity in females?