NCSF Certified Strength Coach - Strength and Conditioning Science
Domain 1: Strength and Conditioning Science
This domain tests the physiological and biomechanical basis for training decisions: how muscle produces force, how energy systems fuel work, and how the body adapts to stress. Expect questions that link acute variables-load, velocity, rest, volume-to specific adaptations rather than isolated definitions.
Core rules
- Specificity (SAID): adaptation mirrors the demand. Max strength needs high load and low velocity; power needs moderate load moved explosively; aerobic capacity needs sustained submaximal work.
- Size principle: motor units are recruited from low- to high-threshold. Heavy or explosive efforts recruit high-threshold units; light, slow sets do not.
- Force–velocity and power: force falls as shortening velocity rises; power peaks at intermediate loads and velocities, so power training is not maximal-load training.
- Stretch-shortening cycle: a rapid eccentric phase stores elastic energy and increases concentric output. Fast SSC actions use short ground contacts; long contacts shift toward force production.
- Bioenergetics: ATP-PCr dominates brief maximal efforts (roughly 0–10 s), glycolysis fuels 10 s–2 min, and oxidative metabolism dominates longer work. Rest intervals must match the system being trained.
- Adaptation and recovery: overload drives adaptation; excessive load without recovery causes fatigue, not fitness. Connective tissue and bone adapt more slowly than muscle.
Worked example
A coach wants a power clean progression for a basketball athlete. Because power is force × velocity, the coach keeps load moderate (e.g., 70–80% 1RM), limits reps to 1–3, requires maximal bar speed, and uses 2–3 min rest so fatigue does not slow the bar. A 10-rep set to failure would train hypertrophy/endurance and reduce velocity-poor specificity for power.
Traps
Assuming DOMS means a session was effective; using bodybuilding rep ranges for maximal strength; ignoring the SSC in jump training; prescribing short rest for maximal strength; treating energy-system thresholds as exact rather than approximate.