SCS Sport-Specific Training Methods 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following BEST describes the 'transfer of training' concept in sport-specific conditioning?
- The degree to which strength gains in one limb benefit the opposite limb
- The degree to which performance gains from a training exercise carry over to sport performance (Correct answer)
- The rate at which cardiovascular adaptations reverse during detraining
- The process of moving an athlete from one sport to another
Correct answer: The degree to which performance gains from a training exercise carry over to sport performance
Transfer of training refers to how much improvement in a training exercise translates into improved performance in the actual sport skill.
Question 2: A volleyball player needs to improve block jump height. Which plyometric progression is MOST appropriate to start with?
- Depth jumps from a 45-inch box
- Double-leg box jumps emphasizing arm drive (Correct answer)
- Single-leg bounding drills
- In-place tuck jumps at maximal effort
Correct answer: Double-leg box jumps emphasizing arm drive
Double-leg box jumps emphasizing arm drive provide a foundational plyometric stimulus that directly mimics the arm-swing blocking motion while managing landing impact.
Question 3: For a wrestler, which type of training BEST improves the ability to maintain force output over a 6-minute match?
- 1RM testing sessions twice per week
- Strength-endurance circuits with moderate load and short rest (Correct answer)
- Single-set maximal efforts with full recovery
- Aerobic base training only at 60% HRmax
Correct answer: Strength-endurance circuits with moderate load and short rest
Strength-endurance circuits develop the capacity to sustain high muscular output repeatedly, matching the intermittent high-force demands of wrestling.
Question 4: Which approach to footwork training is MOST sport-specific for a defensive back in American football?
- Steady-state treadmill running at 8 mph
- Reactive shuffle and backpedal drills responding to visual cues (Correct answer)
- Bilateral leg press at maximal load
- High-volume walking lunges with a barbell
Correct answer: Reactive shuffle and backpedal drills responding to visual cues
Reactive footwork drills with visual cues train the perception-action coupling that defensive backs must use to mirror receivers in real time.
Question 5: An ice hockey player needs to improve lateral crossover speed. Which dryland exercise has the HIGHEST specificity for this skill?
- Barbell Romanian deadlift
- Lateral band walks with hip abduction emphasis
- Skating-stance lateral bounding with arm drive (Correct answer)
- Bilateral calf raises on a step
Correct answer: Skating-stance lateral bounding with arm drive
Lateral bounding in a skating stance replicates the hip extension and abduction mechanics of crossovers, maximizing specificity and transfer.
Question 6: Which metabolic characteristic distinguishes training for a 100m sprinter versus a 1500m runner?
- The sprinter relies more on the oxidative system; the runner on ATP-PCr
- The sprinter relies more on ATP-PCr and glycolysis; the runner relies primarily on the oxidative system (Correct answer)
- Both athletes rely equally on all three energy systems
- The runner relies exclusively on ATP-PCr for the final kick
Correct answer: The sprinter relies more on ATP-PCr and glycolysis; the runner relies primarily on the oxidative system
Sprint events are dominated by phosphocreatine and glycolysis, while middle- and long-distance events rely predominantly on aerobic oxidative metabolism.
Question 7: Which training tool is MOST commonly used to measure and develop rotational core power for baseball and softball athletes?
- Resistance bands anchored at low pulley
- Slam ball vertical throws
- Medicine ball (Correct answer)
- Kettlebell Turkish get-up
Correct answer: Medicine ball
Medicine balls allow ballistic rotational movements that develop rotational power through sport-specific planes of motion.
SCS Sport-Specific Training Methods 3
Which of the following BEST describes the 'transfer of training' concept in sport-specific conditioning?