NSCA-CPT Corrective Exercise 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When performing a pushing assessment and a client exhibits scapular winging, which muscle is most likely underactive?
- Pectoralis major
- Serratus anterior (Correct answer)
- Rhomboids
- Subscapularis
Correct answer: Serratus anterior
Serratus anterior holds the medial border of the scapula against the thorax; weakness causes winging.
Question 2: A client with upper crossed syndrome would most likely display which postural deviation?
- Flat thoracic spine and depressed shoulders
- Forward head posture and rounded shoulders (Correct answer)
- Posterior pelvic tilt and hip flexion
- Knee valgus and foot pronation
Correct answer: Forward head posture and rounded shoulders
Upper crossed syndrome involves tight chest/neck flexors and weak deep cervical flexors/lower trapezius, producing forward head and rounded shoulders.
Question 3: Which corrective exercise is most appropriate for activating an inhibited gluteus maximus?
- Leg press
- Ball wall squat
- Supine bridge (glute bridge) (Correct answer)
- Standing hip abduction with band
Correct answer: Supine bridge (glute bridge)
The supine bridge isolates and activates the gluteus maximus with minimal compensation from hip flexors.
Question 4: During a pulling assessment, a client exhibits excessive cervical extension. Which muscle is most likely overactive?
- Deep cervical flexors
- Upper trapezius (Correct answer)
- Levator scapulae
- Sternocleidomastoid
Correct answer: Upper trapezius
An overactive upper trapezius elevates and anteriorly tilts the scapula, causing the neck to extend during pulling movements.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of the activation phase in the corrective exercise continuum?
- Decrease neural drive to overactive muscles
- Increase the extensibility of shortened soft tissue
- Re-educate underactive muscles with low-load exercises (Correct answer)
- Integrate corrected movement patterns under high load
Correct answer: Re-educate underactive muscles with low-load exercises
The activation phase uses isolated, low-load exercises to re-educate underactive muscles before integrated movement.
Question 6: Lower crossed syndrome is characterized by which combination of muscle imbalances?
- Tight hip extensors and weak hip flexors
- Tight hip flexors/lumbar extensors and weak abdominals/gluteals (Correct answer)
- Tight abdominals and weak lumbar extensors
- Tight hip abductors and weak adductors
Correct answer: Tight hip flexors/lumbar extensors and weak abdominals/gluteals
Lower crossed syndrome involves overactive hip flexors and lumbar extensors paired with inhibited abdominals and gluteals, causing anterior pelvic tilt.
Question 7: Which technique uses reciprocal inhibition to help lengthen an overactive muscle during corrective stretching?
- Active-isolated stretching (Correct answer)
- Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF)
- Foam rolling
- Ballistic stretching
Correct answer: Active-isolated stretching
Active-isolated stretching contracts the agonist to neurologically inhibit (via reciprocal inhibition) the opposite overactive muscle.
NSCA-CPT Corrective Exercise 3
When performing a pushing assessment and a client exhibits scapular winging, which muscle is most likely underactive?