Exercise Science and Anatomy
Know the systems and their roles
The musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory, nervous, and energy systems interact during exercise. Skeletal muscle contracts to produce force; tendons attach muscle to bone; ligaments attach bone to bone. Know the major muscle groups and their actions: quadriceps extend the knee, hamstrings flex the knee and extend the hip, gluteals extend and abduct the hip, the pectoralis major horizontally adducts and flexes the shoulder, and the latissimus dorsi extends, adducts, and internally rotates the shoulder. The trap: questions that swap origin and insertion or reverse an action.
Understand planes and joint motion
Movement occurs in sagittal (flexion/extension), frontal (abduction/adduction), and transverse (rotation) planes. Agonist produces the movement, antagonist opposes it, and synergists assist. Concentric contraction shortens the muscle; eccentric lengthens it under tension; isometric holds length constant. Eccentric actions generate high force and often cause delayed soreness.
Energy systems and cardiorespiratory response
ATP-CP fuels brief maximal efforts; glycolysis covers short-to-moderate high-intensity work; oxidative metabolism supports sustained activity. During aerobic exercise, heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output rise while resting blood pressure reflects vascular tone. Cardiac output = heart rate x stroke volume - a frequently tested relationship.
Worked rule of thumb
When a question asks which muscle performs an action, identify the joint and the direction of motion first, then name the muscle whose line of pull matches. For example, shoulder abduction in the frontal plane is driven primarily by the deltoid (middle fibers) with assistance from the supraspinatus.