20 free NSCA CSCS practice questions

Correct answer: B · About 59 N·m, multiplying 98 N by 0.60 m

Torque is force multiplied by its moment arm, the perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation to the force's line of action. With the arms horizontal, the plate's weight acts straight down, so the moment arm is the full 0.60 m: 98 N × 0.60 m = 58.8 N·m, or about 59 N·m. Multiplying the 10-kg mass by the distance skips converting mass to force (10 kg × 9.8 m/s² ≈ 98 N) and gives 6 kg·m, which is not a torque. Dividing force by distance inverts the formula. Weight alone is a force in newtons, not a torque. As the arms rise above or drop below horizontal, the horizontal distance shrinks and so does the torque, which is why this position is the hardest point of the lift.

Look for this next time: Torque equals force times the perpendicular moment arm; it peaks when the load is farthest horizontally from the joint.

Correct answer: D · The pause let the force and elastic energy built up in the dip fade

The quick dip of a countermovement jump is a stretch-shortening cycle: the muscles are stretched and then immediately shortened. NSCA's Guide to Program Design explains that the countermovement mainly lets the athlete reach greater force at the start of the upward movement, which increases impulse; recovery of stored elastic energy, muscle-tendon interaction, and the stretch reflex play a secondary role. A two-second pause at the bottom lets that early force and the stored elastic energy fade, so the jump behaves more like a squat jump from a still crouch, which the same source reports can be 18% to 20% lower. Phosphagen stores barely recover in two seconds, and rest would not slow a jump anyway. Spindles excite the stretched muscle rather than inhibiting it. Both jumps are sagittal-plane movements.

Look for this next time: Keep the switch from dip to jump quick: a pause lets the force and elastic energy built in the countermovement fade.

Correct answer: C · Heavy loads or explosive intent that demand high force output

The size principle (Henneman's principle) states that motor units are recruited in order of size: small, low-threshold units, largely type I fibers, first, then progressively larger, high-threshold units, largely type II fibers, as the force demand rises. The highest-threshold units are therefore reached when the required force is high, as with heavy loads, or when the athlete tries to move a load as fast as possible, because a high rate of force development also requires large motor units. Light, slow repetitions stopped far from fatigue can be completed mostly with low-threshold units. Low-effort isometric holds also demand little force. Passive stretching involves no voluntary recruitment at all.

Look for this next time: Motor units are recruited from small to large as force demand rises, so heavy loads or explosive intent reach high-threshold units.

Correct answer: A · Her stroke volume is higher, so the same cardiac output needs fewer beats

Cardiac output is heart rate multiplied by stroke volume. Aerobic training increases stroke volume, through greater plasma and blood volume, better left ventricular filling, and stronger contraction, so at the same submaximal workload, which needs about the same oxygen delivery as before, the required cardiac output is met with fewer beats. Oxygen demand at a given submaximal running speed changes little with training, so cardiac output does not fall by anything like half. Maximal heart rate depends mainly on age and changes little, or falls slightly, with training; it does not explain a lower submaximal rate. Blood volume rises rather than falls with endurance training, and that rise is one reason stroke volume increases.

Look for this next time: After aerobic training, stroke volume rises, so heart rate at the same submaximal workload falls while cardiac output stays similar.

Correct answer: D · Reliable but not valid, because consistent times were systematically wrong

Reliability is the consistency of a measurement: nearly identical results on repeated trials under the same conditions. Validity is the degree to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure, here each athlete's true sprint time. The hand times were consistent from day to day, so the method was reliable, but every time was about 0.25 s too fast, a systematic error, so it was not a valid measure of true sprint time. A test can be reliable without being valid, but it cannot be valid without being reliable, which rules out the first option. Consistent rankings do not make the absolute times valid. Random error lowers reliability; a constant offset like this one does not.

Look for this next time: Reliability is consistency and validity is measuring the right thing; a test can be consistently wrong, reliable but not valid.

Correct answer: B · Negative reinforcement, because she removed an unpleasant session

In operant conditioning, reinforcement increases a behavior and punishment decreases it; positive means a stimulus is added, and negative means one is taken away. Removing an aversive stimulus, the dreaded Saturday session, to increase a desired behavior, on-time attendance, is negative reinforcement, as NSCA's Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning defines it. Positive reinforcement would add something pleasant, such as praise or letting the team choose the music. Positive punishment adds an unpleasant consequence after an unwanted behavior, such as extra sprints for lateness, which she did not use. Negative punishment removes something pleasant to decrease a behavior, such as losing a privilege after arriving late. Remembering that reinforcement always aims to increase a behavior is the quickest way to rule out both punishment options.

Look for this next time: Reinforcement increases a behavior and punishment decreases it; positive adds a stimulus and negative removes one.

Correct answer: A · Talk with her privately and refer her to the sports medicine team per protocol

Weight loss, skipped meals, preoccupation with leanness, compulsive extra exercise, and repeated bone stress injuries are warning signs of disordered eating and low energy availability, which the 2023 IOC consensus statement describes as relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs). The CSCS outline itself lists recognizing the signs of eating disorders and disordered eating and knowing when to refer. The coach's role is to raise the concern privately and without judgment, then refer her to the sports medicine team, such as the team physician, athletic trainer, sports dietitian, or mental health professional, following the institution's protocol. A public weigh-in can shame her and worsen the behavior. Prescribing an individual meal plan exceeds the coach's scope. Ignoring the signs is also wrong, because recognizing and referring is part of the role.

Look for this next time: When signs of disordered eating appear, raise the concern privately and refer to the sports medicine team; do not diagnose or prescribe.

Correct answer: C · About 102–170 g, using 1.2–2.0 g per kilogram of body weight

The 2016 joint position statement of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine generally recommends 1.2 to 2.0 g of protein per kilogram of body mass per day for athletes, spread across the day; NSCA's trainer materials give the same range. For an 85-kg rower: 85 × 1.2 = 102 g and 85 × 2.0 = 170 g, so about 102 to 170 g a day. Using pounds instead of kilograms (187 × 1.2 to 187 × 2.0) more than doubles the figures. The 0.8 g/kg value is the RDA for the general adult population and sits below the range for athletes in heavy training. Intakes of 3 to 4 g/kg exceed the recommended range. General guidance like this is within scope; an individualized plan belongs to a sports dietitian.

Look for this next time: General protein guidance for athletes is 1.2–2.0 g/kg per day; convert pounds to kilograms before you multiply.

Correct answer: A · Hang power clean, back squat, Romanian deadlift, standing calf raise

The CSCS Detailed Content Outline bases exercise order on the session goals and on mechanical or metabolic interference, for example ordering from large to small muscle groups and by speed of movement. Fast, technically demanding power exercises such as the hang power clean go first, while the athletes are fresh, because fatigue degrades bar speed and technique. Large-muscle multijoint strength exercises such as the back squat come next, then the Romanian deadlift, and the small-muscle, single-joint standing calf raise comes last. Starting with the calf raise or the Romanian deadlift fatigues muscles that the clean and the squat rely on. Placing the squat before the clean means the fastest, most technical lift is performed tired.

Look for this next time: Order a session from power exercises to large multijoint strength lifts to small single-joint assistance work.

Correct answer: C · 153–162 kg

Multiply the 1RM by each end of the planned intensity range: 180 kg × 0.85 = 153 kg and 180 kg × 0.90 = 162 kg, so the working range is 153 to 162 kg. That fits common maximal-strength prescriptions, which NSCA trainer materials describe as heavy loads above about 85% of 1RM for low repetitions with long rest. The 135 to 144 kg range is 75% to 80% of 1RM, lighter than planned. The 144 to 153 kg range is 80% to 85%, still below most of the planned range. The 162 to 171 kg range is 90% to 95%, heavier than planned and close to or beyond what most athletes can lift for 5 repetitions. Adjust loads if bar speed or technique breaks down.

Look for this next time: A working load is the 1RM multiplied by the planned percentage; maximal-strength sets typically use about 85% of 1RM or more.

Correct answer: B · Lengthen the rest to about 2 to 5 minutes between these heavy sets

Heavy multijoint sets near an athlete's maximum need longer recovery so that each set can be done with the intended load, repetitions, and technique. NSCA materials pair heavy, low-repetition strength work with rest periods of about 2 to 5 minutes, and an NSCA review of rest intervals notes that large-muscle lifts such as squats need at least 2 minutes, with up to 5 minutes acceptable. Sixty seconds is too short for sets at 88% of 1RM, and the failed repetitions and worsening technique show incomplete recovery. Cutting the rest to 30 seconds would make both problems worse. Dropping the load to 60% would let him finish, but it changes the training stimulus away from maximal strength instead of solving the recovery problem.

Look for this next time: Give heavy, near-maximal multijoint sets about 2 to 5 minutes of rest so load and technique hold across sets.

Correct answer: D · Reduce volume by about 41–60% while keeping intensity and frequency

A taper reduces accumulated fatigue while preserving the adaptations built during training. Bosquet and colleagues' 2007 meta-analysis of tapering studies in competitive athletes found that the most efficient strategy was a taper of about two weeks in which training volume was progressively reduced by roughly 41% to 60%, without changing training intensity or frequency. Lowering intensity while keeping volume high reverses that pattern: intensity helps maintain the adaptations, and volume is what drives the fatigue. Stopping all training for two weeks risks detraining. Cutting intensity and frequency while keeping volume removes the stimulus that preserves fitness and leaves the fatigue in place. The exact taper length and reduction are individualized to the athlete and the sport.

Look for this next time: An effective taper cuts training volume substantially while keeping intensity and frequency, usually over about two weeks.

Correct answer: A · Which joint actions and muscle actions occur in the spike approach?

The CSCS Detailed Content Outline describes the needs analysis as evaluating the sport (movement, physiological, and injury analysis), then reviewing the athlete's history and goals and selecting assessments. Movement analysis looks at body and limb movement patterns and the muscles and muscle actions involved, such as the triple extension, arm swing, and landing in a spike approach. Asking which energy systems dominate a rally is physiological analysis, which also sets the priorities among strength, power, hypertrophy, and endurance. Asking where injuries occur most often is injury analysis. Training age and injury history belong to the review of the athlete rather than to the evaluation of the sport. Each part informs exercise selection, but they answer different questions.

Look for this next time: A needs analysis evaluates the sport's movements, physiology, and injuries, then the athlete's history, training status, and goals.

Correct answer: C · Keep the elbows straight until the hips, knees, and ankles extend, then shrug

In the power clean technique the NSCA publishes from its Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance Training (3rd edition), the elbows stay extended and the shoulders stay over the bar while the bar is kept as close to the body as possible. The second pull begins with a forceful, quick extension of the hips, knees, and ankles; the shrug comes as those joints reach full extension, and only then do the elbows flex to pull the body under the bar. Bending the arms early cuts the pull short, wastes the power from the hips and legs, and swings the bar away. Pulling with the arms sooner is the fault itself. Letting the hips rise first turns the lift into a back-dominant pull. Holding the bar away from the thighs makes the loop worse.

Look for this next time: In the clean, keep the elbows extended and the bar close until triple extension and the shrug, then pull under.

Correct answer: B · The barbell bench press, because the free weight moves over the face

Standard 3.2 of the NSCA's Strength and Conditioning Professional Standards and Guidelines (2017) requires attentive spotting, together with appropriate safety equipment such as power racks, for activities in which free weights are supported on the trunk or moved over the head or face. The barbell bench press moves a free weight over the face and chest, so that station needs the spotter. The seated cable row and the leg press are machines, with the load guided by the equipment rather than held over the body. In the walking lunge, the dumbbells hang at the athlete's sides, neither supported on the trunk nor moved over the head or face. Every station still needs supervision, but spotting is required for the bench press.

Look for this next time: Spot free-weight exercises in which the load is supported on the trunk or moved over the head or face, such as the bench press.

Correct answer: D · Lower the load and cue him to keep his knees tracking over his feet

Knees collapsing inward (valgus) is a recognized squat fault: in sound technique, the knees track in line with the feet throughout the descent and the ascent. When valgus appears only under heavy loads, the load is often more than the athlete can control with good alignment, so the coach reduces it to a load he can lift with good knee tracking, cues him to keep the knees over the feet, for example with "spread the floor," and then rebuilds the load. Bringing the feet together with the toes pointed straight ahead narrows the base without teaching the knees to track over the feet. A neutral back does not make knee position irrelevant. Rising onto the toes shifts balance forward and adds a second fault.

Look for this next time: Knees should track in line with the feet in the squat; if they cave in under load, reduce the load and cue alignment.

Correct answer: A · “Jump up and touch the highest vane you can reach.”

An external focus directs attention to the effect of a movement on the environment, such as reaching a target, rather than to the body's own movements. Wulf's 2013 review of 15 years of attentional-focus research reported that an external focus generally improves performance and learning compared with an internal focus on body movements, across task types, skill levels, and ages, and in measures such as accuracy, balance, and force production. Reaching for the highest vane is an external cue. Extending the knees and hips, pushing through the balls of the feet, and squeezing the glutes all direct attention to the athlete's own joints or muscles, so they are internal cues. Internal cues still have uses, such as briefly explaining a position, but for performing the jump the target cue is the better choice.

Look for this next time: External cues aimed at a target or the environment usually improve performance more than cues about body parts.

Correct answer: B · +1.5, meaning she jumped 1.5 standard deviations above the team mean

A z-score expresses how far a result lies from the group mean in standard deviation units: z = (score − mean) ÷ standard deviation. Here, (56 − 50) ÷ 4 = 6 ÷ 4 = +1.5, so she jumped 1.5 standard deviations above the team mean. Reporting +6.0 uses the raw difference in centimeters without dividing by the standard deviation. A value of +0.67 comes from dividing the standard deviation by the difference, which inverts the formula. A negative z-score would mean a result below the mean, but 56 cm is above 50 cm. Because z-scores remove units, coaches can use them to compare an athlete's standing across tests measured in different units, such as jump height and sprint time, remembering that a lower sprint time is better.

Look for this next time: A z-score equals (score − mean) ÷ standard deviation and shows how many standard deviations a result sits from the mean.

Correct answer: C · 2,560 m

The 2019 CSCCa and NSCA joint consensus guidelines apply a 50/30/20/10 rule to new athletes, such as freshmen or transfers coming off a period of inactivity: weekly conditioning volume is reduced by at least 50%, 30%, 20%, and 10% from the uppermost volume on file in weeks 1 to 4. For week 3 the reduction is 20%: 3,200 m × 0.80 = 2,560 m at most. The 1,600 m figure is the week 1 limit (a 50% reduction), 2,240 m is the week 2 limit (30%), and 2,880 m is the week 4 limit (10%). The guidelines also call for work-to-rest ratios of 1:4 or greater in week 1 and 1:3 or greater in week 2, and coaches may reduce workloads further for heat or individual needs.

Look for this next time: For new athletes, the 2019 transition guidelines cut conditioning volume by at least 50, 30, 20, and 10% in weeks 1 to 4.

Correct answer: D · 4, so that no ratio exceeds 1:15

Guideline 3.1 of the NSCA's Strength and Conditioning Professional Standards and Guidelines (2017) recommends professional-to-participant ratios of 1:10 or lower in junior high school, 1:15 or lower in high school, and 1:20 or lower in college at peak usage, along with about 100 square feet of floor space per participant. For 48 high school athletes: 48 ÷ 15 = 3.2, and because staff cannot be fractional and the ratio must not exceed 1:15, at least 4 professionals are needed, which gives 1:12. Three professionals would mean 1:16, above the guideline. The college ratio does not apply to a high school, and 2 professionals would mean 1:24 in any case. The junior high ratio is for younger athletes. Novices and complex lifts call for even closer supervision.

Look for this next time: Divide participants by the recommended ratio and round up: a high school weight room needs one professional per 15 athletes or fewer.