Practical Flashcards
7 cards from real NSCA 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 Practical flashcards as text
What is the MOST appropriate method for a strength coach to measure an athlete's resting heart rate for training program decisions?
Answer: First thing in the morning before rising from bed
Resting heart rate is most accurately measured in the morning before rising, when sympathetic nervous system activity is at its lowest.
When coaching a hang power snatch, the coach notices the athlete is catching the bar with a wide elbow position. What is the likely cause?
Answer: The athlete lacks adequate shoulder external rotation and flexibility
Wide elbows during the snatch catch typically indicate insufficient shoulder external rotation and overhead mobility rather than a pulling mechanics issue.
An athlete is performing a dumbbell walking lunge. Which technical error most increases the risk of patellar tendon stress?
Answer: Allowing the front knee to track significantly forward past the toes
Excessive forward knee travel past the toes increases the moment arm at the knee, placing disproportionate stress on the patellar tendon.
Which of the following BEST describes the primary role of the spotter during a heavy barbell overhead press performed in a standing position?
Answer: Stand behind the athlete with hands near the bar at shoulder height
The spotter stands behind the athlete with hands ready near the bar at shoulder height to intervene safely if the athlete fails the lift overhead.
A baseball pitcher is doing a 1RM test for the back squat. Which readiness indicator should make the coach POSTPONE the test?
Answer: Athlete had a competition game 24 hours prior
Competing 24 hours before a maximal strength test means the athlete has not sufficiently recovered, making valid 1RM assessment unsafe and unreliable.
During a high pull exercise, the elbows should travel in which direction as the bar rises?
Answer: Upward and outward, staying above the wrists
In the high pull, the elbows move upward and outward and must remain above the wrists throughout the pulling phase to maintain proper bar trajectory.
An athlete performing a box jump consistently fails to land with knees flexed and absorbs the landing with straight, stiff legs. What is the MOST appropriate coaching intervention?
Answer: Cue the athlete to 'stick the landing' with soft, bent knees
Cueing 'soft, bent knees' on landing reinforces the deceleration mechanics needed to absorb impact and protect the joints from stiff-legged landing forces.