NASM-YES flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Peak height velocity

The age at which stature increases fastest during the adolescent growth spurt; approximately 12 years in girls and 14 years in boys, with individual variation of about two years.

Maturity offset

An estimate of how far a youth is from peak height velocity, calculated from anthropometric measures such as sitting height and leg length, used to time training emphasis.

Adolescent awkwardness

A temporary period during the growth spurt when bone lengthens faster than muscle and tendon, causing reduced coordination, flexibility, and relative strength.

Neural strength gains

Strength improvements in pre-pubertal children driven mainly by increased motor unit recruitment and coordination rather than muscle size, since androgen levels are low.

Youth thermoregulation

Children have a higher surface-area-to-mass ratio and lower sweating rate than adults, so they gain heat faster and are more susceptible to heat stress during exercise.

Osteogenic loading

Bone formation stimulated by impact and ground-reaction forces; jumping, hopping, and plyometric activities during growth promote bone mineral accrual when progressed safely.

Physical literacy

The motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding needed to value and take responsibility for lifelong physical activity participation.

Post-activation potentiation

A brief enhancement of force production after a conditioning contraction; used cautiously in youth only with well-trained, post-pubertal clients and low volumes.

Growth hormone axis

The GH–IGF-1 system, amplified by sex steroids at puberty, that drives the adolescent growth spurt and increases lean mass, bone density, and protein synthesis.

Relative VO2max

Oxygen uptake expressed per kilogram of body weight; it can appear to decline during the growth spurt because body mass increases faster than aerobic capacity in absolute terms.

Daily activity target

Children and adolescents aged 6–17 should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day, predominantly aerobic, per WHO guidance.

Vigorous activity frequency

Youth should include vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, plus muscle- and bone-strengthening activities, on at least three days per week.

Youth resistance entry dose

A common starting prescription is one to three sets of eight to fifteen repetitions for major muscle groups, performed one to three days per week under supervision.

Load progression rule

Increase resistance by about five to ten percent only after the client completes all prescribed sets and repetitions with sound technique across consecutive sessions.

Repetition maximum loading

Prescribing youth intensity by a repetition target, such as a ten-to-fifteen-repetition maximum, rather than by percentage of one-repetition maximum, which is generally avoided.

One-repetition maximum testing

Maximal strength testing is not recommended for youth; estimated or submaximal repetition-based assessments are used instead to set and monitor training loads.

Youth aerobic prescription

Moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise for roughly twenty to sixty minutes per session, three to seven days per week, progressed from shorter initial bouts.

Youth flexibility protocol

Static stretching is most effective after a warm-up or in a separate session, holding each stretch about fifteen to thirty seconds for two to four repetitions per muscle group.

Sedentary behavior limit

Recreational screen time is commonly limited to two hours or less per day, and this limit is separate from and additional to the daily activity target.

Warm-up structure

A youth warm-up typically combines five to ten minutes of light aerobic activity with dynamic mobility and movement-specific drills before the main training session.

Training-age classification

Clients are grouped by months of consistent structured training rather than age: beginner zero to six months, intermediate six to twelve, advanced beyond twelve.

Fundamental movement skills

Core patterns such as squat, hinge, push, pull, brace, rotate, and land that must be performed with control before external load is added.

Training sequence rule

Programs progress from movement competency to strength to power; plyometrics are added only after adequate landing mechanics and lower-body strength are demonstrated.

Plyometric readiness criteria

Before jump training, the youth client should land softly with knees aligned, hold a squat for several seconds, and tolerate repeated low-level hops without discomfort.

Session duration for youth

Youth sessions typically run thirty to sixty minutes with varied, game-based tasks, because attention spans and training tolerances are lower than in adults.

Neuromuscular warm-up

A structured pre-practice program combining balance, landing, cutting, strengthening, and plyometric drills that reduces lower-extremity sports injury risk in adolescents.

Osgood-Schlatter disease

Traction apophysitis at the tibial tuberosity causing anterior knee pain in growing adolescents; managed by modifying loading rather than eliminating all activity.

Sever's disease

Calcaneal apophysitis producing heel pain in active youths during the growth spurt; managed with load modification, footwear review, and calf flexibility work.

Mastery climate

A motivational environment emphasizing personal improvement and effort over comparison with peers, which supports intrinsic motivation and adherence in adolescent clients.

Autonomy-supportive coaching

A style offering choices, rationale, and effort-based feedback, which meets adolescent needs for autonomy and competence and improves long-term exercise retention.

Parental involvement

Guardians participate in screening, goal setting, and consent, and their support of activity outside sessions strongly influences a youth client's adherence.

Growth-related pain monitoring

Track complaints tied to rapid growth, such as heel or knee pain; reduce volume or impact temporarily and refer for medical evaluation if pain persists or alters gait.