Question 1

When a Group Fitness Instructor has a novice exerciser in a group exercise class, cues for this person should be focused on all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  Correctly timing movements with the music
B)  Ensuring the participant's safety
C)  Assuring correct positioning during the movements
D)  Cueing appropriate breathing patterns A

Question 2

One of the most important responsibilities of a Group Fitness Instructor is to provide understandable cues from "afar". Many of these cues relate to safety. Which of the following are the MOST likely to be classified by Biscontini (2011) as safety-related cues?

Accepted Answer

A)  Numerical, counting, tempo and rhythm
B)  Encouraging, energetic, reinforcement and humor
C)  Anatomical, alignment, breathing and equipment
D)  Relevance, functional purpose, progressions and regressions C

Question 3

Which of the following Cardiovascular Exercise concepts is strongly supported by the latest ACSM literature?

Accepted Answer

A)  Individuals who are unable to meet the minimum recommendations for exercise will not benefit from making the attempt
B)  Sedentary behavior (sitting for long periods of time)  is not a health risk factor as long as the individual participates in daily resistance training
C)  Adults should get a minimum of 180 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity training every week
D)  Individuals seeking cardiovascular training effects can break cardiovascular training into multiple shorter sessions (of at least 10 minutes)  or perform one long sustained training session D

Question 4

Which of the following Resistance Exercise concepts is NOT strongly supported by the latest ACSM literature?

Accepted Answer

A)  Previously sedentary individuals should start resistance training with very light or light intensity
B)  Adults should alternate training so as to address each major muscle group 2-3 days per week
C)  Adults interested in gaining strength and power should perform 8-12 repetitions of a greater resistance, while individuals seeking muscular endurance should perform 15-20 repetitions of a lower resistance
D)  Adults should wait no longer than 12-24 hours between bouts of resistance training

Question 5

Water-based exercise brings many benefits to the forefront, not the least of which is the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the lower extremities. Which of the following is MOST likely to be the result of hydrostatic pressure acting on the human body when positioned in a vertical (upright) posture in the pool?

Accepted Answer

A)  A reduction in weight through the legs and spine
B)  A loss of joint position sense (the ability to know where the limbs are in space) 
C)  An increase in resistance to movement
D)  A shift in pooled blood and lymph from the legs to the abdomen and thorax

Question 6

Exercise can be difficult for the individual who is excessively overweight. Which of the following should be the HIGHEST priority for establishing an exercise program for the obese participant?

Accepted Answer

A)  Keep the activity at an intensity level that is sustainable without pain and soreness
B)  Reduce body fat
C)  Improve BMI
D)  Gain muscle mass so that the body requires a greater number of calories at rest

Question 7

During maximal exercise, blood flow decreases to all the following organs EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  Skeletal muscle
B)  Liver
C)  Brain
D)  Kidneys

Question 8

Specificity of Training doctrine tells us that sports training should be relevant to the activity for which the individual is training in order to produce a maximal effect. Individuals looking to gain aerobic fitness must train aerobically. Why does an increase in the size and number of mitochondria result from aerobic endurance training?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mitochondria contain DNA which determines the genetic makeup of the muscle tissue
B)  Mitochondria contain enzymes that suppress the production of ATP
C)  Mitochondria help the muscle to produce ATP
D)  Mitochondria contain glycogen

Question 9

"Music is like a legal drug for athletes," says Costas Karageorghis, Ph.D., one of the world's leading authorities on music and exercise. By this, he MOST likely meant:

Accepted Answer

A)  Music creates an unrealistic state of euphoria, serving much like an amphetamine drug
B)  Music improves endurance significantly while reducing the athlete's perception of effort, serving much like performance-enhancing drugs
C)  Music reduces the anxiety and stress of competition, serving much like a depressant drug
D)  Athletes can become addicted to listening to music

Question 10

Negligence is typically defined as the "failure to act as a reasonable and prudent person would act under similar circumstances." Which of the following is LEAST related to the concept of "failure to act"?

Accepted Answer

A)  Failure to do something that should have been done
B)  Doing something that should not have been done
C)  Not doing anything
D)  Eliminating all potential for future liability

Question 11

One of the most common cautions cited for the pregnant women concerns exercising while positioned in supine (lying on the back). The weight of the uterus pressing on blood vessels can reduce blood flow to the fetus which creates a potential for fetal hypoxia and possible developmental disorders. Supine exercises for pregnant women are MOST often:

Accepted Answer

A)  Carefully monitored for duration and repetitions
B)  Avoided after first trimester
C)  Avoided after initial weight gain of five pounds
D)  Avoided all together

Question 12

The rotator cuff - often mispronounced as "rotor cuff" -- is comprised of a group of muscles that are BEST known to work in harmony to:

Accepted Answer

A)  Depress the head of the humerus into the glenoid fossa during shoulder elevation
B)  Elevate the head of the humerus into the inferior aspect of the acromion during shoulder elevation
C)  Provide normal scapulo-humeral rhythm during shoulder adduction
D)  Work in concert with the upper trapezius to elevate the entire shoulder complex (e.g. a shrugging motion)

Question 13

Your facility just launched a new aerobic fitness initiative. For the kick-off, they offered members a standardized method to estimate their VO2max without the risks commonly associated with maximal exercise testing. Which of the following would LEAST likely have been chosen as a test for assessing submaximal aerobic fitness?

Accepted Answer

A)  YMCA sub maximal step test
B)  McArdle step test
C)  Timed up and go (TUG)  test
D)  Rockport fitness walking test (1-mile walk)

Question 14

During pregnancy, the weight of the uterus during supine exercise will MOST likely cause:

Accepted Answer

A)  An increase in cardiac output
B)  An increase in blood pressure
C)  A decrease in urine output
D)  Shortness of breath

Question 15

If a victim is found unconscious and not breathing, it is no longer standard procedure to "look, listen and feel for breathing". Instead, the responder should FIRST assess if:

Accepted Answer

A)  Blood pressure is low
B)  Breathing is absent or not normal
C)  The heart is not beating
D)  Blood is present on the scene

Question 16

Broken, neglected or just plain nasty equipment will ruin the vibe - and safety - of any exercise class. Which of the following would be the BEST method to prevent the use of damaged equipment in a group class setting?

Accepted Answer

A)  Remove the equipment from the group exercise space or lock it in a secure location that is not accessible to participants
B)  Hang a large sign on the main entry door directing participants to avoid use of equipment placed in the back of the room
C)  Hang a sign over the most visible location on the equipment alerting the participants that the piece is out of order
D)  Complete a work order requesting that the equipment be removed and serviced prior to the next class

Question 17

ACE-Certified professionals are required to provide fair and equal treatment for participants without bias, preference or discrimination against all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  Gender
B)  Ability to pay
C)  Religion
D)  National origin

Question 18

The day is young and the Group Fitness Instructor (GFI) has many responsibilities to fulfill. Which of the following is LEAST likely to be a part of a comprehensive Risk Management strategy implemented by the GFI?

Accepted Answer

A)  Selecting equipment that meets industry-standards for safety and design
B)  Assembling equipment following the guidelines established by the manufacturer
C)  Recommending the best equipment for class members to purchase for home use
D)  Establishing a regular schedule for the service and repair of all equipment

Question 19

The contract-relax stretching technique applies the principle of reciprocal inhibition. Which of the following BEST defines this principle?

Accepted Answer

A)  Activation of muscles on both sides of a joint simultaneously will cause an overflow cascade of muscle recruitment
B)  Activation of muscles on both sides of the body simultaneously will cause an overflow cascade of muscle recruitment
C)  Activation of a muscle on one side of a joint will cause inhibition of the muscle on the opposite side of the joint
D)  Activation of a muscle on one side of the body will cause inhibition of the same muscle on the opposite side of the body

Question 20

"If you can just talk, you are just about at the right exercise intensity." This sage piece of exercise advice is often referenced as:

Accepted Answer

A)  The Rating of Perceived Exertion Test
B)  The Talk Test
C)  The Borg Test
D)  The Intensity Test

Exam 15: The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Group Exercise Instructor Practice Test