Title: Strength Training — LearnCoachAssist

Q: What are the six major muscle groups of the body?
A: The six major muscle groups are chest (pectorals), back (latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids), shoulders (deltoids), arms (biceps, triceps), legs (quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves), and core (abdominals, obliques, erector spinae).

Q: What is the difference between a compound and an isolation exercise?
A: A compound exercise works multiple joints and muscle groups simultaneously (e.g., squat, bench press), while an isolation exercise targets a single joint and muscle group (e.g., bicep curl, leg extension). Compound movements allow heavier loads and greater hormonal response.

Q: Name three compound exercises for the lower body.
A: Three compound lower-body exercises are the back squat, deadlift, and lunge. Each engages the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core to varying degrees.

Q: Name three isolation exercises for the arms.
A: Three isolation arm exercises are the bicep curl, tricep pushdown, and hammer curl. These focus on a single joint (the elbow) to target specific arm muscles.

Q: What is proper squat stance width for a standard back squat?
A: A standard back squat stance is approximately shoulder-width apart with toes pointed slightly outward (15–30°). This allows the knees to track over the toes and the hips to descend to at least parallel depth.

Q: What are three common squat variations?
A: Three common squat variations are the front squat (barbell on front delts), goblet squat (holding a dumbbell at chest), and Bulgarian split squat (rear foot elevated). Each shifts emphasis to different parts of the legs and core.

Q: What cue helps prevent knee cave during squats?
A: The cue "push your knees out over your toes" or "spread the floor with your feet" helps activate the glute medius and prevents valgus knee collapse. This protects the ACL and ensures balanced force distribution.

Q: What is the difference between a high-bar and low-bar squat?
A: In a high-bar squat the barbell rests on the upper traps, promoting a more upright torso and greater quad involvement. In a low-bar squat the bar sits on the rear delts, creating more forward lean and greater hip/posterior chain emphasis.

Q: What is the correct bar path during a bench press?
A: The bar should follow a slight diagonal path, descending from above the shoulders to the lower chest (roughly nipple line), then pressing back up and slightly toward the face. This arc optimizes shoulder mechanics and leverages the chest effectively.

Q: What are the five points of contact during a bench press?
A: The five points of contact are: head, upper back/shoulders, and glutes on the bench, plus both feet flat on the floor. This creates a stable base and allows leg drive to assist the press.

Q: Name three bench press variations.
A: Three bench press variations are the incline bench press (targets upper chest), close-grip bench press (emphasizes triceps), and dumbbell bench press (allows greater range of motion and independent arm work).

Q: What is a common cause of shoulder pain during bench pressing?
A: A common cause is excessive elbow flare (arms at 90° to the torso), which places stress on the shoulder joint. Tucking the elbows to about 45–75° and retracting the scapulae helps protect the shoulders.

Q: What muscles does the conventional deadlift primarily work?
A: The conventional deadlift primarily works the posterior chain: hamstrings, glutes, and erector spinae. It also heavily involves the quadriceps, lats, traps, and forearm grip muscles.

Q: What is the difference between a conventional and sumo deadlift?
A: In a conventional deadlift the feet are hip-width and hands outside the knees, emphasizing the back and hamstrings. In a sumo deadlift the feet are wide with hands inside the knees, placing more emphasis on the quads and adductors with a more upright torso.

Q: What cue helps maintain a neutral spine during deadlifts?
A: The cue "chest up, hips back" helps engage the lats and prevent rounding. Thinking of "pushing the floor away" rather than pulling the bar also promotes proper hip hinge mechanics.

Q: What is the Romanian deadlift (RDL) and what does it target?
A: The Romanian deadlift starts from a standing position and involves hinging at the hips while keeping the legs mostly straight (slight knee bend). It primarily targets the hamstrings and glutes through a controlled eccentric stretch.

Q: What is the overhead press (OHP) and what muscles does it work?
A: The overhead press involves pressing a barbell or dumbbells from shoulder height to full lockout overhead. It primarily targets the anterior and lateral deltoids, triceps, and upper chest, with core muscles stabilizing the torso.

Q: What is a common mistake during the overhead press?
A: A common mistake is excessive lower-back arching to compensate for weak shoulders, which places stress on the lumbar spine. Bracing the core, squeezing the glutes, and using an appropriate weight help maintain proper form.

Q: What muscles do barbell rows primarily target?
A: Barbell rows primarily target the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, rear deltoids, and biceps. They also strengthen the lower back and core isometrically as stabilizers.

Q: What is the difference between a Pendlay row and a bent-over row?
A: A Pendlay row starts each rep from the floor with an explosive pull and a more horizontal torso. A bent-over row keeps the bar in the air between reps and allows a slightly higher torso angle, maintaining constant tension.

Q: How should you perform a proper pull-up?
A: Start from a dead hang with palms facing away, hands just wider than shoulder-width. Pull your body up by driving elbows down and back until your chin clears the bar, then lower with control. Avoid excessive kipping or swinging.

Q: What is the difference between a pull-up and a chin-up?
A: A pull-up uses an overhand (pronated) grip and emphasizes the lats and upper back. A chin-up uses an underhand (supinated) grip and recruits more bicep involvement, often making it slightly easier for beginners.

Q: What is a "set" in strength training?
A: A set is a group of consecutive repetitions performed without rest. For example, doing 10 push-ups without stopping is one set of 10 reps.

Q: What is a "rep" in strength training?
A: A rep (repetition) is one complete movement of an exercise through its full range of motion. For example, lowering and pressing the bar once on bench press is one rep.

Q: What is training volume and how is it calculated?
A: Training volume is the total amount of work performed, typically calculated as sets × reps × weight. Higher volume generally promotes greater muscle growth, up to the point of diminishing returns or overtraining.

Q: What is training intensity in strength training?
A: Training intensity refers to the load used relative to your one-rep max (1RM). It is expressed as a percentage (e.g., 80% of 1RM). Higher intensity means heavier weight and fewer reps per set.

Q: What is progressive overload?
A: Progressive overload is the gradual increase of stress placed on the body during training. This can be achieved by increasing weight, reps, sets, or decreasing rest periods, and is the primary driver of strength and muscle gains.

Q: Name four ways to apply progressive overload.
A: Four methods are: increasing weight (add 2.5–5 lbs), increasing reps within a set, adding sets to increase total volume, and decreasing rest intervals between sets. Tempo changes and range of motion improvements also count.

Q: What is periodization in strength training?
A: Periodization is the systematic planning of training into phases (e.g., hypertrophy, strength, peaking) over weeks or months. It prevents plateaus, manages fatigue, and optimizes performance for specific goals.

Q: What is linear periodization?
A: Linear periodization gradually increases intensity while decreasing volume over a training cycle. For example, weeks 1–4 might use 4×12 at 65%, weeks 5–8 might use 4×8 at 75%, and weeks 9–12 might use 5×3 at 85%.

Q: What is undulating periodization?
A: Undulating periodization varies intensity and volume within a single week (e.g., Monday: heavy 5×5, Wednesday: moderate 4×8, Friday: light 3×12). This frequent variation can prevent accommodation and maintain diverse training adaptations.

Q: How much rest should you take between sets for strength goals?
A: For maximal strength (1–5 reps at high intensity), rest 3–5 minutes between sets. This allows the phosphocreatine energy system to fully replenish, enabling maximal force output on the next set.

Q: How much rest should you take between sets for hypertrophy?
A: For hypertrophy (8–12 reps at moderate intensity), rest 60–90 seconds between sets. Shorter rest periods maintain metabolic stress, which is a key driver of muscle growth.

Q: How many hours of sleep are recommended for optimal muscle recovery?
A: Most strength training experts recommend 7–9 hours of quality sleep per night. During deep sleep, growth hormone is released, facilitating muscle repair and adaptation.

Q: What is the importance of rest days?
A: Rest days allow muscles to repair micro-damage from training, replenish glycogen stores, and reduce central nervous system fatigue. Training the same muscle group without adequate rest (typically 48–72 hours) can lead to overtraining and regression.

Q: Why is warming up important before lifting?
A: Warming up increases blood flow to muscles, raises body temperature, improves joint lubrication, and activates the nervous system. A proper warm-up reduces injury risk and improves performance by preparing muscles for heavy loads.

Q: What does a good warm-up for squats look like?
A: A good squat warm-up includes 5 minutes of light cardio (cycling, rowing), followed by dynamic stretches (leg swings, hip circles), bodyweight squats, and ramping warm-up sets (empty bar, 50%, 70%, 85% of working weight).

Q: What is a rotator cuff and why is it injury-prone?
A: The rotator cuff is a group of four small muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis) that stabilize the shoulder joint. They are injury-prone because they are relatively small yet handle significant loads during pressing and overhead movements.

Q: How can you prevent lower back injuries during training?
A: Prevent lower-back injuries by maintaining a neutral spine, bracing the core (Valsalva maneuver), using appropriate loads, and strengthening the core and posterior chain. Avoid rounding the back during deadlifts, rows, and squats.

Q: What is tendinitis and how is it commonly prevented?
A: Tendinitis is inflammation of a tendon, often caused by repetitive stress or rapid load increases. Prevention includes progressive overload, adequate warm-ups, proper form, balanced programming, and sufficient recovery time between sessions.

Q: What is the push/pull/legs (PPL) training split?
A: PPL divides training into three sessions: Push (chest, shoulders, triceps), Pull (back, biceps, rear delts), and Legs (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves). It is typically run twice per week for six training days.

Q: What is the upper/lower training split?
A: The upper/lower split alternates between upper-body and lower-body days, typically 4 days per week. It provides good frequency (each muscle trained twice per week) with adequate recovery between sessions.

Q: What is a full-body training split?
A: A full-body split trains all major muscle groups in every session, usually 3 days per week. It is ideal for beginners because high frequency per muscle group accelerates motor learning and strength gains.

Q: What is the bro split?
A: The "bro split" assigns one muscle group per day (e.g., Monday: chest, Tuesday: back, Wednesday: shoulders). While popular, it typically trains each muscle only once per week, which may be suboptimal for natural lifters compared to higher-frequency splits.

Q: How much protein should a strength trainee consume daily?
A: Current evidence suggests 1.6–2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for optimal muscle protein synthesis. Spreading intake across 3–5 meals with 20–40 g per serving maximizes the anabolic response.

Q: Why are carbohydrates important for strength training?
A: Carbohydrates are the primary fuel for high-intensity exercise, replenishing muscle glycogen stores. Consuming adequate carbs (3–7 g/kg/day depending on training volume) supports workout performance, recovery, and prevents muscle protein breakdown.

Q: What role do fats play in a strength athlete's diet?
A: Dietary fats support hormone production (including testosterone), cell membrane integrity, and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). A minimum of 0.5–1 g/kg/day is generally recommended for health and performance.

Q: What is a caloric surplus and why is it used for muscle gain?
A: A caloric surplus means consuming more calories than you expend. A moderate surplus of 250–500 calories/day provides the energy needed to build new muscle tissue while minimizing excessive fat gain.

Q: What is a caloric deficit and when is it used?
A: A caloric deficit means consuming fewer calories than you expend, forcing the body to use stored energy (fat) for fuel. It is used during cutting phases to reduce body fat while attempting to preserve lean muscle mass.

Q: What is creatine monohydrate and what does it do?
A: Creatine monohydrate is the most researched and effective supplement for strength and power. It increases phosphocreatine stores in muscle, improving ATP regeneration during high-intensity efforts. A dose of 3–5 g/day is standard.

Q: Is protein powder necessary for strength gains?
A: Protein powder (whey, casein, plant-based) is a convenient supplement but not essential. It helps reach daily protein targets when whole-food intake is insufficient. Whole foods should form the foundation of your nutrition.

Q: What is caffeine's effect on strength training performance?
A: Caffeine (3–6 mg/kg taken 30–60 minutes pre-workout) can improve strength, power output, and reduce perceived exertion. It stimulates the central nervous system and increases alertness, making it one of the most effective legal ergogenic aids.

Q: What is the RPE scale in strength training?
A: The RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) scale rates effort from 1–10, where RPE 10 means maximum effort (no more reps possible) and RPE 7 means about 3 reps left in reserve. It helps autoregulate training intensity based on daily readiness.

Q: What does RPE 8 mean in practical terms?
A: An RPE 8 means you completed your set and feel you could have performed 2 more reps before failure. This level of effort is commonly used for productive strength and hypertrophy training while managing fatigue.

Q: What is RIR and how does it relate to RPE?
A: RIR (Reps in Reserve) estimates how many more reps you could perform before failure. It directly maps to RPE: RPE 10 = 0 RIR, RPE 9 = 1 RIR, RPE 8 = 2 RIR, and so on.

Q: How do you estimate your 1 rep max (1RM)?
A: A common formula is the Epley formula: 1RM = weight × (1 + reps/30). For example, if you bench 200 lbs for 5 reps: 1RM ≈ 200 × (1 + 5/30) = 233 lbs.

Q: What is the Brzycki formula for estimating 1RM?
A: The Brzycki formula is: 1RM = weight × (36 / (37 − reps)). It is most accurate for sets of 10 reps or fewer and tends to give slightly lower estimates than the Epley formula at higher rep ranges.

Q: Why is estimating 1RM useful?
A: Estimating 1RM allows you to program percentages (e.g., 5×5 at 80% 1RM) without the fatigue and injury risk of actually maxing out. It helps standardize training load prescriptions across different programs.

Q: What is time under tension (TUT)?
A: Time under tension is the total time a muscle is under load during a set. Controlling tempo (e.g., 3-second eccentric, 1-second pause, 2-second concentric) increases TUT, which can enhance hypertrophy by increasing metabolic stress.

Q: What is the eccentric phase of a lift?
A: The eccentric phase is the lowering portion of a lift where the muscle lengthens under load (e.g., lowering the bar to the chest in bench press). Eccentric training causes more muscle damage and is a strong stimulus for hypertrophy.

Q: What is the concentric phase of a lift?
A: The concentric phase is the lifting portion where the muscle shortens under load (e.g., pressing the bar up in bench press). This phase requires the most muscular force to overcome gravity and accelerate the load.

Q: What is the Valsalva maneuver and when is it used?
A: The Valsalva maneuver involves taking a deep breath and bracing the core against a closed glottis to increase intra-abdominal pressure. It stabilizes the spine during heavy lifts like squats and deadlifts, reducing injury risk.

Q: What is a deload week?
A: A deload week is a planned period (usually one week) of reduced training volume or intensity (typically 40–60% of normal). It allows accumulated fatigue to dissipate while maintaining the training habit, preventing overtraining.

Q: How often should you deload?
A: Most intermediate to advanced lifters benefit from a deload every 4–8 weeks, depending on training intensity, volume, and individual recovery capacity. Beginners typically need deloads less frequently due to lower absolute loads.

Q: What is the difference between muscular strength and muscular endurance?
A: Muscular strength is the maximum force a muscle can produce in a single effort (trained with heavy loads, 1–5 reps). Muscular endurance is the ability to sustain repeated contractions over time (trained with lighter loads, 15+ reps).

Q: What is hypertrophy?
A: Hypertrophy is the increase in muscle fiber size resulting from resistance training. It is best stimulated with moderate loads (65–80% 1RM), moderate to high reps (6–12), and sufficient training volume with progressive overload.

Q: What is the mind-muscle connection?
A: The mind-muscle connection refers to consciously focusing on contracting the target muscle during an exercise. Research suggests this internal focus can increase muscle activation, particularly during isolation exercises for hypertrophy.

Q: What is muscle soreness (DOMS) and is it necessary for growth?
A: DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is soreness that peaks 24–72 hours after training, caused by eccentric muscle damage. It is not a reliable indicator of a productive workout; muscles can grow without significant soreness.

Q: What is the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC)?
A: The stretch-shortening cycle is a rapid eccentric contraction immediately followed by a concentric contraction (e.g., the bounce at the bottom of a squat). It stores elastic energy in tendons and muscles, enabling more powerful concentric output.

Q: What is unilateral training and why is it important?
A: Unilateral training involves working one limb at a time (e.g., single-leg squat, single-arm row). It corrects muscle imbalances, improves stability, and prevents the stronger side from compensating for the weaker side.

Q: What is the posterior chain?
A: The posterior chain includes all muscles on the back side of the body: hamstrings, glutes, erector spinae, lats, and calves. Strengthening it is critical for athletic performance, posture, and injury prevention.

Q: What are supersets?
A: A superset pairs two exercises performed back-to-back with no rest between them. They can target the same muscle group (compound set) or opposing muscles (antagonist superset, e.g., bicep curl + tricep extension) to save time and increase intensity.

Q: What is a drop set?
A: A drop set involves performing an exercise to failure, then immediately reducing the weight and continuing for more reps. This technique increases metabolic stress and time under tension, promoting hypertrophy beyond what a straight set achieves.

Q: What is an AMRAP set?
A: AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) means performing as many quality reps as possible with a given weight, typically on the last set. It is used to gauge progress, push intensity, and auto-regulate volume.

Q: What is the role of the core in heavy lifts?
A: The core acts as a stabilizer, transferring force between the upper and lower body and protecting the spine. Bracing the core (creating 360° of intra-abdominal pressure) is essential during squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, and rows.

Q: What is a lifting belt and when should it be used?
A: A lifting belt increases intra-abdominal pressure by giving the core something to brace against. It should be used for heavy compound lifts (typically above 80% 1RM) but not as a substitute for developing core strength.

Q: What are wrist wraps used for?
A: Wrist wraps provide support to the wrist joint during heavy pressing movements (bench press, overhead press). They limit excessive wrist extension, reduce strain, and are especially useful at near-maximal loads.

Q: What are lifting straps used for?
A: Lifting straps wrap around the barbell to reinforce grip, allowing you to lift heavier on pulling exercises (deadlifts, rows, shrugs) when grip strength becomes the limiting factor. They should not replace direct grip training.

Q: What is the difference between free weights and machines?
A: Free weights (barbells, dumbbells) require stabilizer muscles and allow natural movement paths. Machines provide a fixed path, isolate muscles more effectively, and are generally safer for beginners or rehabilitation.

Q: What is a training max?
A: A training max is a percentage of your true 1RM (often 85–90%) used for programming purposes. Training below your true max allows sustainable progression and reduces injury risk while still providing an effective training stimulus.

Q: What does the acronym SAID stand for?
A: SAID stands for Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. It means the body adapts specifically to the type of stress placed on it — heavy lifting builds strength, high reps build endurance, and so on.

Q: What is General Physical Preparedness (GPP)?
A: GPP is a broad base of fitness including cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, flexibility, and coordination. A strong GPP foundation supports specific strength training goals and improves overall work capacity.

Q: What is the difference between power and strength?
A: Strength is the ability to produce maximum force regardless of time. Power is the ability to produce force quickly (force × velocity). Olympic lifts and plyometrics train power; heavy squats and deadlifts train maximal strength.

Q: What is a sticking point in a lift?
A: A sticking point is the portion of a lift where the mechanical disadvantage is greatest and the bar decelerates or stalls. For example, just above parallel in a squat or a few inches off the chest in bench press.

Q: How can you train through a sticking point?
A: You can train through sticking points using pause reps (holding at the weak position), pin squats/presses (starting from the sticking point), tempo work, and accessory exercises that target the muscles weakest at that range.

Q: What is accommodating resistance?
A: Accommodating resistance uses bands or chains to increase load as the lifter approaches lockout, matching the strength curve. This trains speed off the bottom and lockout strength simultaneously.

Q: What is concurrent training?
A: Concurrent training combines strength training and cardiovascular training in the same program. Excessive cardio can interfere with strength gains (the "interference effect"), so balancing volume and timing is important.

Q: What is the interference effect?
A: The interference effect occurs when endurance training blunts strength and hypertrophy adaptations due to conflicting molecular signaling pathways (AMPK vs. mTOR). Separating sessions by 6+ hours and prioritizing the primary goal helps minimize this.

Q: What is autoregulation in training?
A: Autoregulation adjusts training load based on daily performance readiness rather than fixed percentages. Methods include RPE/RIR-based loading, velocity-based training, and AMRAP sets, allowing optimal stimulus even on good or bad days.

Q: What is a cluster set?
A: A cluster set breaks a traditional set into smaller segments with brief intra-set rest (10–30 seconds). For example, instead of 5 continuous reps, you might do 2-2-1 with short pauses. This maintains rep quality and power output.

Q: What is the minimum effective volume (MEV) for muscle growth?
A: MEV is the lowest number of challenging sets per muscle per week needed to stimulate growth. For most muscle groups, this is approximately 6–10 sets per week, though individual variation exists.

Q: What is maximum recoverable volume (MRV)?
A: MRV is the highest amount of training volume from which you can still recover. Exceeding MRV leads to overtraining, accumulated fatigue, and regression. It varies by individual, muscle group, and training phase.

Q: What is the optimal rep range for strength?
A: For maximal strength development, the optimal range is 1–5 reps at 85–100% of 1RM. This rep range maximizes neural adaptations, motor unit recruitment, and rate coding improvements.

Q: What is the optimal rep range for hypertrophy?
A: For hypertrophy, the traditional optimal range is 6–12 reps at 65–80% 1RM. However, recent research shows muscle growth occurs across a wide rep range (5–30) as long as sets are taken close to failure.

Q: What is the optimal rep range for muscular endurance?
A: For muscular endurance, training with 15–25+ reps at 40–60% 1RM is most effective. This improves the muscle's ability to sustain repeated contractions and enhances capillary density and mitochondrial function.

Q: What is proper breathing technique during heavy lifts?
A: Inhale and brace before the eccentric (lowering) phase, hold the breath through the sticking point, and exhale during the concentric (lifting) phase or at lockout. This maintains intra-abdominal pressure and spinal stability.

Q: What is a spotter and when should you use one?
A: A spotter is someone who assists during heavy lifts to prevent injury if you fail a rep. Spotters are essential for exercises like the bench press and back squat when training at high intensities (RPE 9–10).

Q: What is the leg press and what muscles does it target?
A: The leg press is a machine-based compound exercise targeting the quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Foot placement variations (high, low, wide, narrow) shift emphasis between muscle groups. It is a safer alternative to squats for some lifters.

Q: What is the hip thrust and why is it popular?
A: The hip thrust involves driving the hips upward against resistance while the upper back rests on a bench. It produces high glute activation through a full range of motion and is one of the most effective exercises for glute hypertrophy.

Q: What is the face pull and what does it prevent?
A: The face pull targets the rear deltoids, rhomboids, and external rotators of the shoulder. It helps counteract the internal rotation and anterior dominance caused by heavy pressing, reducing shoulder injury risk.