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Personal TrainerExam Review Course : 

Personal Trainer Exam Review Course

American Council on Exercise: 

American Council on Exercise Introduction

About ACE: 

About ACE 1) ACE is dedicated to promoting physical activity and protecting consumers against unsafe and ineffective fitness products and instruction 2) ACE sponsors university-based exercise science research that targets fitness products and trends 3) One of three certifying organizations to be accredited by the National Organization of Certifying Agencies (NOCA)

What makes ACE different?: 

What makes ACE different? 1) ACE exams are legally defensible 2) ACE develops the study materials without using the actual exam 3) Rather than teaching answers to the exam, ACE prepares you to be a safe and effective personal trainer

About the ACE Exam: 

About the ACE Exam 1) Written simulation portion a. Designed to simulate situations that a personal trainer might encounter in actual practice b. 1 hour to complete 2) Multiple-choice portion a. 150 questions b. 3 hours to complete c. 72 seconds per question

About the ACE exam (cont.): 

About the ACE exam (cont.) 3) Number of correctly-answered questions to pass exam a. The number will vary because each exam version has a different level of difficulty b. For example: A candidate may have to answer 60% of the questions correctly on one exam version and 70% on another

About the ACE exam (cont.): 

About the ACE exam (cont.) 4) How is the exam developed? a. Questions are written using the Personal Trainer Exam Content Outline b. Exam content 1. Client assessment (20%) 2. Program design (21%) 3. Program implementation and adjustment (29%) 4. Applied sciences (15%) 5. Professional role (15%)

About the ACE exam (cont.): 

About the ACE exam (cont.) 5) Who administers the exam? a. CASTLE Worldwide, Inc., an independent, professional testing company b. Ensures exam security and integrity, and eliminates bias 6) Eligibility requirements for exam a. 18 years of age b. Current CPR c. 100 hours of designing and implementing exercise programs is strongly recommended

ACE Personal Trainer Manual: 

ACE Personal Trainer Manual Chapter 6 Testing & Evaluation

Purpose of measurements: 

Purpose of measurements 1) Establishes a baseline 2) Helps to monitor progress 3) Increases your level of professionalism

Disadvantages of measurements: 

Disadvantages of measurements 1) Can be intimidating 2) Can be discouraging 3) Not always accurate

Maximal oxygen uptake: 

Maximal oxygen uptake 1) Also known as maximal oxygen consumption, VO2max, and aerobic capacity 2) The maximum amount of oxygen a person can consume during exercise 3) Expressed in liters or milliliters

Absolute vs. relative VO2max : 

Absolute vs. relative VO2max 1) Absolute a. O2 uptake determined without body weight as a factor b. Usually used for non-weightbearing exercise tests such as cycling c. Expressed in L/min

Absolute vs. relative VO2max (cont.): 

Absolute vs. relative VO2max (cont.) 2) Relative a. Absolute O2 uptake divided by body weight b. Used for weightbearing exercise tests such as walking, jogging and stepping c. Expressed in mL/kg/min d. This method allows for comparison to others of different body weights

Absolute vs. relative VO2max (cont.): 

Absolute vs. relative VO2max (cont.) 2) Relative (cont.) e. A heavy person may have a high VO2max (L/min) when compared to a lighter person, but when expressed in relative terms (mL/kg/min), the lighter person may show a higher level of cardiorespiratory fitness Formula: Relative O2 uptake = O2 uptake (L/min) x 1,000 BW (kg)

Percentage of maximal heart rate (MHR) : 

Percentage of maximal heart rate (MHR) 1) Method of monitoring exercise intensity 2) Can be determined by a maximal functional capacity test or by the age-predicted maximal heart rate formula (220 – age) Formula: Target heart rate (THR) = 220 – age x desired intensity %

Heart-rate Reserve (HRR): 

Heart-rate Reserve (HRR) 1) The result of subtracting resting heart rate (RHR) from maximal heart rate (MHR) 2) Represents the working range between resting and maximal heart rate within which all activity occurs Formula: HRR = (220 – age) – RHR

Karvonen formula: 

Karvonen formula 1) The mathematical formula that uses HRR to determine target heart rate (THR) 2) A common mistake is forgetting to add back in the RHR Formula: HRR x desired intensity % + RHR

Metabolic equivalent (MET): 

Metabolic equivalent (MET) 1) A simplified system for classifying physical activities where 1 MET = resting O2 consumption 2) Resting O2 consumption equals approximately 3.5 mL/kg/min Formula: 1 MET = 3.5 mL/kg/min

Rating of perceived exertion (RPE): 

Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) 1) Developed by Gunnar Borg, this scale provides a standard means for subjective self-evaluation of exercise intensity level Original scale: 6–20 3) Revised (modified) scale: 0–10

Submaximal aerobic exercise test: 

Submaximal aerobic exercise test 1) A cardiorespiratory fitness test designed so that the intensity does not exceed 85% HRR 2) Provides an estimation of the VO2max without the risks associated with maximal exercise testing 3) Examples a. YMCA Submaximal Step Test b. McArdle Step Test c. Rockport Fitness Walking Test (1-mile walk) d. BYU Jog Test

Graded exercise test (GXT): 

Graded exercise test (GXT) 1) A treadmill or cycle-ergometer test that measures (clinical setting) or estimates (field setting) maximum aerobic capacity by gradually increasing the intensity until a person has reached a maximal level or voluntary exhaustion 2) Examples a. YMCA Submaximal Bicycle Test b. Ross Submaximal Treadmill Protocol

Body Mass Index (BMI): 

Body Mass Index (BMI) 1) A relative measure of body height to body weight for determining degree of obesity 2) Should not be used solely in determining body composition for the athletic client, because BMI does not distinguish between fat mass and fat-free mass Formula: Weight (kg) Height2 (m)

Skinfold measurements: 

Skinfold measurements 1) Used to determine the ratio of fat mass to fat-free mass in the body 2) Fat mass: adipose tissue 3) Fat-free mass: bone, muscle, and organs 4) Measurements are performed with a skinfold caliper

Skin-fold measurements (cont.): 

Skin-fold measurements (cont.) 5) The Jackson and Pollock (1985) three-site method has a relatively small margin of error for the general population a. Sites for men: chest, abdomen, and thigh b. Sites for women: triceps, suprailium, and thigh 6) Should be repeated by the same technician during reassessment to decrease error 7) Should be performed prior to physical activity because fluid transfer to the skin could result in overestimations

Bioelectrical impedance analysis: 

Bioelectrical impedance analysis 1) Involves passing a small current through the body and measuring the opposition to the current’s flow a. Fat-free tissue is a good conductor of electricity b. Fat tissue is a poor conductor of electricity

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (cont.): 

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (cont.) 2) Estimations can have the same margin of error as skinfold measurements as long as the client follows the correct pre-test protocol a. Abstain from eating or drinking within 4 hours of the assessment b. Avoid moderate or vigorous physical activity within 12 hours of the assessment c. Void completely before the assessment d. Abstain from alcohol consumption for 48 hours before the assessment e. Avoid diuretic agents, including caffeine, prior to the assessment unless prescribed by a physician

Circumference (girth) measurements : 

Circumference (girth) measurements 1) Can be used to assess body composition as well as body-fat distribution 2) Measurements are taken with a cloth measuring tape and must be taken at specific anatomical sites for accuracy 3) More practical for obese clients

Calculating desired body weight: 

Calculating desired body weight 1) Once body composition is known, the personal trainer can assist the client in goal-setting using the desired body-weight equation 2) This equation assumes there is no loss in lean BW Formula: Desired body weight = lean body weight 1 – desired body fat %

Common flexibility tests: 

Common flexibility tests Measures range of motion (ROM) at specific joints 1) Trunk flexion (sit-and-reach) 2) Trunk extension 3) Hip flexion 4) Shoulder flexibility As with any test or exercise, the client’s health and injury history should be considered

Muscular strength assessments: 

Muscular strength assessments Muscular strength assessments measure the greatest amount of force that muscles can produce in a single maximal effort 1) Common muscular strength tests a. 1 repetition maximum (1 RM) bench press b. 1 RM leg press 2) 1 RM strength testing is not commonplace among personal trainers as the risks typically outweigh the benefits

Muscular endurance assessments: 

Muscular endurance assessments Muscular endurance assessments measure a muscle’s ability to exert a submaximal force either repeatedly or statically over time 1) Common muscular endurance tests a. Push-up test b. Half sit-up test As with any test or exercise, the client’s health and injury history should be considered

Test termination criteria: 

Test termination criteria 1) Onset of angina or angina-like symptoms 2) Significant drop (20 mmHg) in systolic blood pressure or failure of systolic blood pressure to rise with an increase in exercise intensity 3) Excessive rise in blood pressure: systolic pressure >260 mmHg or diastolic pressure >115 mmHg 4) Signs of poor perfusion: lightheadedness, confusion, ataxia (uncoordinated movement), pallor (pale skin), cyanosis (bluish coloration, especially around mouth), nausea, or cold and clammy skin

Test termination criteria (cont.): 

Test termination criteria (cont.) 5) Failure of heart rate to increase with increased exercise intensity 6) Noticeable change in heart rhythm 7) Subject requests to stop 8) Physical or verbal manifestations of severe fatigue 9) Failure of testing equipment

Reassessment: 

Reassessment 1) Measurable changes usually take about 4–6 weeks 2) The first follow-up assessments should be administered 4–12 weeks after the onset of training 3) The information gained during the follow-up assessment can be useful in client motivation as well as in future exercise programming