CSCS Resistance Training Techniques Flashcards

Which variable most directly determines the mechanical tension stimulus for muscle hypertrophy during resistance training?

Answer: Total session volume (sets × reps × load)

Mechanical tension—largely a function of total training volume (sets × reps × load)—is the primary driver of hypertrophic adaptation.

A lifter performs 3 sets of 10 repetitions at 70% 1RM with 2 minutes rest. This protocol best matches which training goal?

Answer: Muscular hypertrophy

Moderate loads (67–85% 1RM), moderate volumes (3–6 sets, 6–12 reps), and moderate rest intervals are the classic hypertrophy prescription.

Which muscle action produces the greatest force output in skeletal muscle?

Answer: Eccentric

Eccentric muscle actions can generate up to 20–50% more force than concentric actions because cross-bridge cycling is augmented by passive elastic elements.

What is the recommended range of motion cue for the barbell Romanian deadlift (RDL)?

Answer: Hinge at the hips until the back is horizontal, feeling a hamstring stretch

The RDL involves a hip hinge with a soft knee bend, lowering the bar until the hamstrings are fully stretched, typically when the torso is near horizontal.

Which resistance training principle states that a muscle must be loaded beyond its normal demands to improve strength?

Answer: Overload

The overload principle requires that training stress exceed the body's current capacity to force physiological adaptation.

During a dumbbell lateral raise, at what elbow angle is internal shoulder rotation (thumbs-down position) contraindicated?

Answer: At approximately 90° of shoulder abduction

Internally rotating the shoulder (thumbs-down) near 90° of abduction impinges the supraspinatus under the acromion, increasing injury risk.