Your FREE ISSA CPT Flashcards 2026 – 220+ Cards

Nutrition. ISSA does not publish exact per-unit counts, but Nutrition carries the most weight; Health & Physical Fitness is second.

Carbohydrate 4 kcal/g, protein 4 kcal/g, fat 9 kcal/g; alcohol 7 kcal/g (not a nutrient).

Carbohydrate (glucose and glycogen). Fat is the dominant fuel at rest and low intensity.

There are 9 — the body cannot make them, so they must come from the diet. A protein with all 9 is 'complete'.

A protein containing all 9 essential amino acids (animal proteins and soy). Most single plant proteins are incomplete.

Calories in vs calories out. A deficit (out > in) drives weight loss; a surplus drives gain.

A ~500 kcal/day deficit yields roughly 1 lb of fat loss per week (≈3,500 kcal ≈ 1 lb).

The energy used at complete rest to maintain vital functions — the largest component of daily energy expenditure.

A ranking of how quickly a carbohydrate raises blood glucose. Riper or more processed foods have a higher GI.

Dangerously low blood sodium, often from overhydration diluting sodium — the reason 'more water' is not always safer.

Usually under-reporting intake or reduced non-exercise activity (NEAT); cutting liquid/sugary calories restores the deficit.

Replace electrolytes, not just water, to avoid hyponatremia; match fluid intake to losses.

Trainers give GENERAL nutrition guidance; clinical/medical meal planning is referred to a registered dietitian.

The body's preferred fuel for moderate-to-high-intensity exercise; stored as glycogen in muscle and liver.

Energy at rest and low intensity, hormone production, vitamin (A, D, E, K) transport, and cell-membrane structure.

Builds and repairs muscle and tissue; provides 4 kcal/g; supplies the 9 essential amino acids.

Vitamins and minerals needed in small amounts for metabolism, bone health, and immune function; they provide no calories.

Vitamins A, D, E, and K — stored in body fat and the liver, so excess intake can accumulate to toxic levels.

The B-complex vitamins and vitamin C — not stored in quantity, so they need regular dietary intake; excess is excreted.

Indigestible plant carbohydrate that aids digestion, promotes satiety, and helps regulate blood glucose and cholesterol.

Saturated fats (mostly animal, solid at room temp) should be limited; unsaturated fats (plant/fish oils) support heart health.

Industrially hydrogenated fats that raise LDL and lower HDL cholesterol; recommended to minimize or avoid.

Essential unsaturated fats (from fish and flax) with anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular benefits.

Simple carbs (sugars) digest fast and spike glucose; complex carbs (starches, fiber) digest slower and provide sustained energy.

The storage form of carbohydrate in muscle and liver; depleted during prolonged exercise and refilled by dietary carbs.

A measure of how well a protein supplies essential amino acids; animal and soy proteins rank highest.

Combining two incomplete plant proteins (rice + beans) so that together they supply all 9 essential amino acids.

Compares protein intake to protein loss; a positive balance indicates net tissue building (anabolism).

The energy used to digest, absorb, and process food; protein has the highest TEF of the macronutrients.

All calories burned in a day — BMR plus the thermic effect of food plus activity (exercise and NEAT).

Calories burned through daily movement that is not formal exercise (walking, fidgeting, chores); a major variable in energy balance.

A fluid deficit that reduces blood volume and impairs thermoregulation and performance; early signs include thirst and dark urine.

Minerals such as sodium, potassium, and chloride that maintain fluid balance and nerve/muscle function; lost in sweat.

A meal emphasizing carbohydrates with moderate protein and low fat/fiber, timed to top off glycogen without GI distress.

Carbohydrate plus protein after training to replenish glycogen and support muscle repair and recovery.

Accounts for both a food's glycemic index and the amount of carbohydrate per serving — a fuller picture of glucose response than GI alone.

The USDA visual food guide dividing a plate into fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein, with dairy alongside.

Trainers may share general, evidence-based information but should not prescribe or sell supplements as treatment; refer clinical questions out.

A well-researched supplement that raises phosphocreatine stores, supporting short, high-intensity performance and strength gains.

The ISSA CPT final-exam format — taken online at home, untimed, and not proctored; you may use your textbook and notes.

70% on the base Certified Personal Trainer final (75% applies to specialization exams, not the base CPT).

Up to 200 questions (NCCPT final: 160–200, varies by certification), drawn from all 6 textbook units.

2 free attempts during enrollment with no waiting period; additional attempts are $99 each.

Cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, body composition.

Agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time, speed — NOT among the 5 health-related components.

Divides the body into fat mass and fat-free mass.

Holding the caliper too long compresses the tissue → a falsely LOW body-fat reading.

The maximum rate of oxygen the body can use during intense exercise — the gold-standard measure of cardiorespiratory fitness.

Cardiac output (stroke volume × heart rate). Peripheral factors like the a-vO₂ difference are distractors.

Systolic 120–129 mmHg AND diastolic < 80 mmHg is classified as 'Elevated'.

Less than 120/80 mmHg.

Systolic 130–139 mmHg OR diastolic 80–89 mmHg.

The ability of the heart, lungs, and circulation to deliver oxygen during sustained activity.

The maximal force a muscle or group can produce in a single effort (e.g. a 1RM).

The ability to repeat or sustain sub-maximal contractions over time (e.g. a push-up test).

The available range of motion at a joint or series of joints (e.g. the sit-and-reach test).

Beats per minute at complete rest; a lower RHR generally indicates better cardiorespiratory fitness.

A pre-participation screening form gathering medical history, medications, and risk factors before any assessment or training.

The Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire — a brief self-screen identifying clients who should seek medical clearance before exercising.

Age, family history, smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, prediabetes, obesity, and inactivity — counted during screening to set risk level.

Weight in kg divided by height in meters squared; a population screening tool that does not distinguish fat from muscle.

Waist circumference divided by hip circumference; estimates fat distribution and abdominal-obesity health risk.

Underwater weighing using body density to estimate body fat; long considered a lab gold standard for body composition.

Estimates body fat by passing a small current through the body; accuracy depends heavily on hydration status.

A subjective intensity scale (Borg 6–20 or 0–10) useful when heart-rate data is unavailable or medications blunt HR.

A simple intensity gauge — comfortable talking indicates moderate effort; difficulty speaking indicates vigorous effort.

A graded test (e.g., YMCA cycle, Rockport walk) that estimates VO2max from heart-rate response without going to exhaustion.

A muscular-endurance test counting reps to cadence at a fixed load to gauge upper-body endurance.

A field test of upper-body muscular endurance scored by the maximum number of correct-form push-ups.

A field flexibility test measuring hamstring and lower-back range of motion.

A protractor-like tool used to measure a joint's range of motion in degrees.

A movement screen exposing compensations such as knee valgus, forward lean, or arms falling forward to flag muscle imbalances.

Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound — the framework for setting effective client goals.

Generally resting measures first (HR, BP, body comp), then flexibility, then muscular fitness, with maximal cardio last to avoid fatigue carryover.

Taken seated and rested with the arm supported at heart level; avoid caffeine, exercise, and a full bladder beforehand.

Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands — the body adapts specifically to the type of stress placed on it.

Adaptation requires a training stress greater than what the body is currently accustomed to.

Gradually increase the training demand (load, volume, complexity) as the client adapts.

Programs must fit the individual's needs, goals, fitness level, and response to training.

'Use it or lose it' — fitness adaptations are lost when training stops or is reduced.

Training adaptations are specific to the mode, intensity, and pattern of the exercise performed.

Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type — the four variables used to describe and prescribe an exercise program.

Target HR = (HRR × intensity %) + resting HR, where HRR = (220 − age) − resting HR.

HRmax − resting HR. The basis of the Karvonen target-heart-rate method.

HRmax ≈ 220 − age.

Use Karvonen (HRR) when a resting heart rate is given; it personalizes the target.

Intensity rises while volume falls over successive training phases ('volume down, intensity up').

A planned reduction in training volume before a peak to dissipate accumulated fatigue while keeping fitness.

A phase aimed at preserving existing fitness rather than building it further.

Light, full-body activity to raise core temperature and blood flow before specific work.

Movements that rehearse the activity to come (e.g. light sets before heavy lifting).

The maximum weight liftable for a single repetition; training intensity is often set as a % of 1RM.

The planned variation of training variables over time to manage fatigue and peak performance.

Roughly 1–6 reps at ~85%+ of 1RM with long rest to develop maximal strength.

Roughly 6–12 reps at ~67–85% of 1RM with moderate rest to maximize muscle growth.

Roughly 12+ reps at lighter loads (<67% 1RM) with short rest to build endurance.

Strength/power use long rests (2–5 min) for ATP-PC recovery; hypertrophy uses moderate (30–90 s); endurance uses short rests.

The total work performed, typically sets × reps × load; a key driver of hypertrophy adaptations.

The speed of each rep phase (eccentric-pause-concentric); slowing the eccentric increases time under tension.

Compound lifts work multiple joints/muscles (squat, deadlift); isolation lifts target one joint/muscle (biceps curl).

Generally perform large, compound, and power movements first when fresh, then smaller isolation movements.

Varies volume and intensity frequently — even within a week — rather than across long phases like linear periodization.

Holding a muscle at end range (typically 15–30 s) to improve flexibility; best after exercise rather than before power work.

Active, controlled movements through a full range of motion used in warm-ups to prepare for activity.

Bouncing into a stretch using momentum; higher injury risk because it triggers the stretch reflex — generally discouraged.

Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation — a contract-relax technique using GTO autogenic inhibition for greater flexibility gains.

Chronic excess training without adequate recovery, marked by performance decline, fatigue, poor sleep, and elevated resting HR.

Programmed lower-intensity or off days that allow tissue repair and adaptation, preventing overtraining and injury.

Muscle soreness peaking 24–72 hours after unaccustomed or eccentric exercise; a normal part of adaptation, not a goal in itself.

Combining strength and endurance training; managing volume and timing limits the interference effect on strength gains.

Moving through a series of exercises with minimal rest to combine resistance work with a cardiovascular stimulus.

Age 18+, a high school diploma or GED, and a current Adult CPR/AED certification before you sit for the exam.

Every 2 years: 20 CEUs + current CPR/AED. The $99 renewal fee is waived if all 20 CEUs are earned through ISSA.

Obtain medical clearance and progress conservatively with individualized modifications — not 'stop' or 'train normally'.

Can usually continue with modifications; avoid elevated core temperature and late-pregnancy supine positions.

Exercise improves insulin sensitivity; monitor blood glucose and watch for hypoglycemia.

Functional movements for independence; balance and lower-body strength to reduce fall risk.

Weight-bearing and resistance training to support bone density; avoid loaded spinal flexion.

Progress conservatively under physician guidance and monitor intensity closely.

Low-impact activity to preserve joint function and reduce pain; avoid high-impact loading of affected joints.

Design programs, assess fitness, coach technique, and give general nutrition guidance.

Diagnosing conditions, prescribing clinical diets/supplements, treating or rehabilitating injuries — refer out.

Current Adult CPR/AED certification is required to certify with ISSA and to recertify.

Risk-management tools documenting that a client understands and accepts the risks of exercise.

Any sign of a medical condition, uncontrolled risk factor, or symptom outside a trainer's scope.

Emphasize fun, movement skill, and proper technique with bodyweight/light loads; avoid maximal lifting on immature growth plates.

Most clients can exercise with physician-approved management; allow a longer warm-up, keep a rescue inhaler accessible, and avoid known triggers.

Favor rhythmic aerobic work, avoid breath-holding/Valsalva and heavy isometrics, and stop if blood pressure responses are abnormal.

Start with low-impact activity, prioritize joint comfort and adherence, and progress gradually to manage cardiovascular and orthopedic risk.

Shakiness, sweating, confusion, and dizziness during exercise in a diabetic client — stop and provide fast-acting carbohydrate.

Forced exhalation against a closed glottis during heavy lifting; spikes blood pressure and is risky for hypertensive and cardiac clients.

Professional coverage protecting a trainer against claims of negligence or injury; standard risk management for practicing CPTs.

Failure to provide reasonable, standard-of-care service that results in client harm; minimized with proper screening, supervision, and documentation.

Professional standards requiring honesty, confidentiality, respect, and practice within one's scope and competence.

The obligation to protect a client's personal health and training information and share it only with consent.

A documentation format (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) used to record client sessions and progress.

A predetermined procedure for handling injuries or medical emergencies in the facility, including EMS contact and AED location.

Behavior-change stages — precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance — used to tailor coaching.

A client-centered counseling style that resolves ambivalence and strengthens a client's own motivation to change.

Intrinsic motivation comes from internal satisfaction (enjoyment); extrinsic comes from external rewards (praise, prizes).

A client's belief in their ability to succeed at a behavior; built through small wins and a strong driver of exercise adherence.

The degree to which a client sticks to a program; improved by goal setting, social support, enjoyment, and realistic progression.

The prime mover — the muscle chiefly responsible for a movement (the biceps in a curl).

The muscle that opposes the agonist and relaxes via reciprocal inhibition (the triceps in a curl).

A muscle that assists the prime mover in producing a movement (the brachialis in a curl).

The antagonist relaxes as the agonist contracts, allowing smooth, coordinated movement.

Fulcrum BETWEEN effort and resistance (a seesaw; triceps extension at the elbow).

Resistance BETWEEN fulcrum and effort; favors force (a calf raise; a wheelbarrow).

Effort BETWEEN fulcrum and resistance; favors ROM and speed; most common in the body (a biceps curl).

Divides the body into left and right halves; forward/back motion (squats, curls).

Divides the body into front and back halves; side-to-side motion (lateral raises).

The horizontal plane dividing the body into superior and inferior portions; rotation (a trunk twist).

A pivot joint that allows the head to rotate.

Origin = fixed (usually proximal) attachment; insertion = moving (usually distal). Contraction draws insertion toward origin.

The muscle shortens while producing force (the lifting phase of a rep).

The muscle lengthens under load (the controlled lowering phase); main driver of muscle soreness.

The muscle produces force with no change in length (a held plank or wall sit).

Sagittal-plane joint actions: flexion decreases the joint angle, extension increases it (bending vs straightening the elbow).

Frontal-plane actions: abduction moves a limb away from the body's midline, adduction moves it back toward the midline.

Transverse-plane actions: rotating a limb inward toward (internal) or outward away from (external) the body's midline.

Forearm rotation — pronation turns the palm down/back, supination turns the palm up/forward.

Ankle actions — dorsiflexion lifts the foot toward the shin, plantarflexion points the toes down.

Ankle/foot actions — inversion turns the sole inward, eversion turns the sole outward.

A circular movement combining flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction (arm circles at the shoulder).

A muscle that contracts to steady a joint or body part so the prime mover can act efficiently (the core during a shoulder press).

A joint allowing movement in all three planes — the most mobile type (shoulder and hip).

A joint permitting flexion and extension in one plane only (elbow and knee).

The front-to-back axis about which frontal-plane movements (abduction/adduction) occur.

The side-to-side axis about which sagittal-plane movements (flexion/extension) occur.

The vertical axis about which transverse-plane rotation occurs.

An exercise where the distal segment moves freely (leg extension, biceps curl); isolates a joint/muscle.

An exercise where the distal segment is fixed against a surface (squat, push-up); more functional and multi-joint.

The point where body mass is balanced; lies near the navel in anatomical position and shifts with posture and load.

The area beneath and between the points of contact with the ground; a wider base improves stability.

The direction a muscle's fibers pull on a bone; determines the joint action the muscle produces.

As contraction velocity increases, the force a muscle can produce decreases; slow movements allow greater force.

A muscle generates its greatest force near its resting length, where actin-myosin overlap is optimal.

A rapid eccentric loading followed immediately by a concentric action that stores and releases elastic energy (plyometrics).

The four front-thigh muscles that extend the knee; the rectus femoris also flexes the hip.

The three posterior-thigh muscles that flex the knee and extend the hip.

The largest hip muscle; the prime mover for hip extension (squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts).

The large back muscle that adducts, extends, and internally rotates the shoulder (pull-ups, rows).

The main chest muscle that horizontally adducts and flexes the shoulder (bench press, push-ups).

Four muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis) that stabilize the shoulder joint.

The muscle group running along the spine that extends and stabilizes the trunk (deadlifts, back extensions).

The deep trunk muscles (transverse abdominis, multifidus, diaphragm, pelvic floor) that stabilize the spine and pelvis.

Anatomy & Physiology — the lowest-weighted of the six Main Course Textbook units.

Slow-twitch — fatigue-resistant and aerobic; suited to long-duration, low-intensity work.

Fast-twitch — powerful and anaerobic; fatigue quickly; suited to short, high-intensity effort.

When a motor unit is stimulated, all of its fibers contract fully — or none do.

Fuels ~0–10 s of maximal effort using stored ATP and creatine phosphate; no oxygen needed.

Fuels ~10 s–2 min of high-intensity work from glucose/glycogen; produces lactate (the 'burn').

Fuels sustained 2+ minute activity using oxygen to burn carbohydrate and fat.

Testosterone — the keyed answer for the muscle-building hormone (growth hormone and IGF-1 also help).

A catabolic stress hormone that breaks down tissue; chronically elevated levels impair recovery.

A hormone that drives glucose into cells; technically anabolic, but testosterone is the keyed 'muscle' answer.

Adenosine triphosphate — the body's immediate energy currency, regenerated by the three energy systems.

A single motor neuron and all the muscle fibers it innervates; recruited per the all-or-none principle.

The standard reference posture — standing erect, feet forward, arms at the sides with palms facing forward; all directional terms are described from it.

The basic contractile unit of skeletal muscle, spanning Z-line to Z-line; shortening of many sarcomeres produces a muscle contraction.

Muscle shortens as actin (thin) filaments slide over myosin (thick) filaments via cross-bridge cycling, pulling the Z-lines together.

The two contractile proteins of the sarcomere — actin is the thin filament, myosin is the thick filament that forms cross-bridges.

The synapse where a motor neuron meets a muscle fiber; acetylcholine is released to trigger contraction.

The neurotransmitter released at the neuromuscular junction that signals a muscle fiber to contract.

The cell's aerobic powerhouses where the oxidative system produces ATP; Type I fibers are mitochondria-rich.

The volume of blood the heart pumps per minute; equals stroke volume × heart rate.

The volume of blood ejected by the left ventricle per beat; increases with endurance training to raise cardiac output.

Systole is the contraction/ejection phase of the heart (top BP number); diastole is the relaxation/filling phase (bottom number).

The loop carrying deoxygenated blood from the right heart to the lungs and oxygenated blood back to the left heart.

The loop carrying oxygenated blood from the left heart to the body and returning deoxygenated blood to the right heart.

Arteries carry blood away from the heart (mostly oxygenated); veins return blood to the heart and contain valves.

The tiny air sacs of the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged with the blood.

The volume of air moved in or out of the lungs in a normal, relaxed breath.

The brain and spinal cord — the body's processing center for movement and reflexes.

All nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, carrying signals between the CNS and the body.

The body's sense of joint and limb position in space, supplied by proprioceptors such as muscle spindles and GTOs.

A stretch receptor inside muscle that triggers a reflexive contraction when the muscle is stretched quickly (the stretch reflex).

A receptor in the tendon that senses tension and reflexively inhibits the muscle to protect against excessive force (autogenic inhibition).

An involuntary muscle contraction in response to rapid stretch, mediated by the muscle spindle; the reason fast/bouncy stretching is discouraged.

The network of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream to regulate metabolism, growth, and recovery.

An anabolic hormone from the pituitary that stimulates tissue growth and repair; secretion rises with intense exercise and sleep.

An anabolic hormone that mediates many growth-hormone effects, promoting muscle protein synthesis.

A catecholamine that raises heart rate, blood pressure, and fuel availability for the fight-or-flight response.

A pancreatic hormone that raises blood glucose by stimulating glycogen breakdown — the functional opposite of insulin.

The elevated oxygen uptake after exercise used to restore the body to rest; higher after intense or interval work.

The exercise intensity at which lactate accumulates faster than it can be cleared; a strong predictor of endurance performance.

A high-energy stored compound that rapidly regenerates ATP during the first few seconds of maximal effort.

The formation of new glucose from non-carbohydrate sources such as amino acids, mainly in the liver.