Resistance Training Biomechanics Flashcards
7 cards from real CSCS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Resistance Training Biomechanics flashcards as text
Increasing the weight on a barbell while maintaining the same bar velocity will increase which mechanical variable?
Answer: Power output
Power equals force multiplied by velocity; increasing force (via heavier load) at the same velocity increases power output.
Which of the following best explains why wider grip widths in the bench press shift emphasis toward the pectoralis major over the triceps?
Answer: A wider grip reduces the moment arm at the elbow, decreasing triceps contribution
A wider grip shortens the horizontal distance the bar travels and reduces the elbow flexion angle, thereby decreasing the moment arm at the elbow and lessening the demand on the triceps.
What does the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) primarily enhance in resistance and plyometric training?
Answer: Concentric power output by utilizing stored elastic energy and neural potentiation
The SSC couples an eccentric pre-stretch with a rapid concentric contraction, using stored elastic energy in tendons and reflexive potentiation to augment concentric power.
Which term describes the product of a force and the perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation?
Answer: Torque
Torque (moment of force) is calculated as force multiplied by the perpendicular moment arm distance from the axis of rotation.
During a conventional deadlift, excessive forward lean of the trunk primarily increases the demand on which muscle group?
Answer: Spinal erectors (erector spinae)
A more forward trunk lean increases the moment arm of the load relative to the lumbar spine, requiring the erector spinae to produce greater extensor torque.
What is the primary biomechanical benefit of training with free weights compared to fixed-axis machines?
Answer: Free weights require the recruitment of stabilizer and synergist muscles to control movement in multiple planes
Because free weights are not guided by a track or cam, athletes must activate stabilizing and synergistic muscles to control the load across multiple planes of motion.
The ratio of useful work output to total work input is known as:
Answer: Mechanical efficiency
Mechanical efficiency describes how effectively a system converts energy input into useful work output, and in human movement it reflects metabolic cost versus external work done.