NSCA-CPT Corrective Exercise 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which muscle is most commonly overactive and contributing to excessive lumbar lordosis during a squat assessment?
- Hip flexors (Correct answer)
- Gluteus maximus
- Transverse abdominis
- Posterior tibialis
Correct answer: Hip flexors
Overactive hip flexors anteriorly tilt the pelvis, increasing lumbar lordosis during movement.
Question 2: During an overhead squat assessment, arms falling forward indicates weakness in which muscle group?
- Latissimus dorsi
- Middle and lower trapezius (Correct answer)
- Anterior deltoid
- Pectoralis minor
Correct answer: Middle and lower trapezius
Weak middle and lower trapezius cannot maintain scapular retraction and depression needed to keep arms overhead.
Question 3: A client exhibits knee valgus during a single-leg squat. Which inhibited muscle should be activated first in a corrective strategy?
- Adductor longus
- Gluteus medius (Correct answer)
- Vastus lateralis
- Tensor fasciae latae
Correct answer: Gluteus medius
Gluteus medius inhibition allows the hip to adduct and internally rotate, causing knee valgus.
Question 4: Self-myofascial release (SMR) with a foam roller is best performed for how long on a tender spot before moving on?
- 5–10 seconds
- 30–60 seconds (Correct answer)
- 2–3 minutes
- 10–15 seconds
Correct answer: 30–60 seconds
Holding pressure on a tender spot for 30–60 seconds allows autogenic inhibition to reduce muscle tone.
Question 5: In the NSCA corrective exercise continuum, which phase follows inhibition of overactive muscles?
- Integration
- Lengthening (Correct answer)
- Activation
- Strengthening
Correct answer: Lengthening
After inhibiting overactive tissue via SMR, the next step is lengthening through static or dynamic stretching.
Question 6: Which assessment finding would indicate restricted ankle dorsiflexion as a compensatory cause of excessive forward lean in a squat?
- Heels rise off the floor (Correct answer)
- Knees cave inward
- Arms fall forward
- Excessive lumbar flexion
Correct answer: Heels rise off the floor
Heels rising off the floor during a squat is a classic sign of restricted ankle dorsiflexion limiting forward tibial translation.
Question 7: Static stretching of an overactive muscle is recommended to be held for at least how long to elicit a neurological change?
- 10 seconds
- 20 seconds
- 30 seconds (Correct answer)
- 60 seconds
Correct answer: 30 seconds
A minimum of 30 seconds is required for a static stretch to elicit the neurological response that reduces muscle spindle activity.
NSCA-CPT Corrective Exercise 2
Which muscle is most commonly overactive and contributing to excessive lumbar lordosis during a squat assessment?