Hey guys, I am studying for a personal trainers test. I just want to make sure that I got it. For those of you that know, can you please tell me if I am right or wrong?? I would highly appreciate it.
Concentric Action is pretty much the same thing as “Flexion”?
Eccentric Action is pretty much the same as “Extension”?
For Example: in a Bicep Curl, the “agonist” is the Bicep itself and the “antagonist” would that be, the triceps? Or would the agonist be stabilizer muscles to keep you steady?
You are pretty much right on. Just remember these definitions and you’ll be fine.
1)Concentric contraction is a contraction in which there is a shortening of the muscle.
Flexion decreases the angle between the bones of the limb at a joint, and extension increases it.
2)Eccentric muscle contraction causes the muscle to lengthen.
You’re on track with this question as well.
Agonist is kind of muscle that causes movement to occur. It creates the normal range of movement in a joint by contracting. It’s also known as the prime movers.
An antagonist is a kind of muscle that acts in opposition to the movement generated by the agonist and is responsible for returning a limb to its initial position.
Hope this helps. I’m sure you’ll do fine on your test. Good luck!
Thank you so much Pauly! I have been so busy I am way behind. I have the written test on Tues and the practical on Thurs. The practical should not be a problem, its the written I am VERY worried about. I heard its a hard test too. if you have taken it, any pointers (W.I.T.S. test)?
Concentric Action is pretty much the same thing as “Flexion”?
Eccentric Action is pretty much the same as “Extension”?
For Example: in a Bicep Curl, the “agonist” is the Bicep itself and the “antagonist” would that be, the triceps? Or would the agonist be stabilizer muscles to keep you steady?
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1 and 2 are a little off. Concentric Action and flexion are not the same thing, not even pretty much. Consider the elbow during a bench press. The triceps are doing a “concentric actoin”, but the elbow is exteding, not flexing. The reverse would be true for a BP negative, eccentric tricep contraction/elbow flexion. Don’t confuse the two, or you’ll be messed up for sure.
Flexion and extension has to do with joints, concentric and exccentric with muscle contractions.
Study hard, because if you don’t know this, I’m worried about you… and your clients.
[quote]Mr ian wrote:
Hey guys, I am studying for a personal trainers test. I just want to make sure that I got it. For those of you that know, can you please tell me if I am right or wrong?? I would highly appreciate it.
Concentric Action is pretty much the same thing as “Flexion”?
Eccentric Action is pretty much the same as “Extension”?
For Example: in a Bicep Curl, the “agonist” is the Bicep itself and the “antagonist” would that be, the triceps? Or would the agonist be stabilizer muscles to keep you steady?
[/quote]
You are close but a little off. As another poster said concentric is when the muscle is shortening, it is going against gravity or against resistance. It is the hard part of the exercise, where you would exhale. In a bicep curl the concentric part is flexion but in a tricep extension the concentric part is extension, so don’t think that concentric is always flexion or you will be incorrect.
The opposite is true for eccentric. Eccentric is when the muscle is lengthening or working with gravity, it is the easy part of the exercise. Just imagine what the weights/bar/handle would do if you passed out in the middle of the exercise (ie faint during a bench and the bar drops on you) and that is the eccentric part of the movement. In your examples going down in a bicep curl is extension and going up in a tricep pushdown is flexion, both are eccentric. Usually when a question asks what movement is taking place during an exercise it is asking about the concentric part unless specified otherwise. When lifting weights the same muscle that performs the concentric contraction in an exercise also performs the eccentric contraction.
Regarding the agonist it is the prime mover or main muscle working during an exercise, so the biceps in a bicep curl or the pecs in a bench press. The antagonist is the opposing muscle to the prime mover, conveniently it is usually exactly opposite on the body (triceps for biceps, lats for chest, hams for quads, etc).
Thanks for the info guys, dont worry. If I pass this I will not consider myself a PT yet, I this is just the start of the science aspect of my hobby. After this I still have a long way to go, and ALOT to learn. This is just the start.
[quote]sjm wrote:
Concentric is the “effort” part of the lift. So if you are doing say a bent over row, then yes the muscle does shorten in the concentric phase.
However, in a movement like a squat, the concentric phase is when the muscle lengthens as you are standing up.
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I think you are a little confused on that. The definition of concentric is not a guideline, it is a hard and fast rule, the muscle always shortens. In a squat the main muscles working are your glutes, quads, and hams among other things. All of these muscles shorten, which is pulling the insertion toward the origin. If you were to stretch out your quad you would bend your knee, so that means to shorten it you would straighten your knee (as in a leg extension). This is what happens in a squat, your knee straightens. Remember the hamstrings are acting mainly at the hip and not the knee if that is what is confusing you. The same is true of the glutes, you stretch them by bringing your knee up to your chest and you contract them by bringing your upper leg back (extension). If that not is clear let me know.
[quote]Tim Henriques wrote:
sjm wrote:
Concentric is the “effort” part of the lift. So if you are doing say a bent over row, then yes the muscle does shorten in the concentric phase.
However, in a movement like a squat, the concentric phase is when the muscle lengthens as you are standing up.
I think you are a little confused on that. The definition of concentric is not a guideline, it is a hard and fast rule, the muscle always shortens. In a squat the main muscles working are your glutes, quads, and hams among other things. All of these muscles shorten, which is pulling the insertion toward the origin. If you were to stretch out your quad you would bend your knee, so that means to shorten it you would straighten your knee (as in a leg extension). This is what happens in a squat, your knee straightens. Remember the hamstrings are acting mainly at the hip and not the knee if that is what is confusing you. The same is true of the glutes, you stretch them by bringing your knee up to your chest and you contract them by bringing your upper leg back (extension). If that not is clear let me know.[/quote]
yeh sorry about that one. i forgot bout the squat with the quads origin beng below the knee so as is with a leg extension, the quadricep shortens!