NASM-CPT Exam

I passed the NASM personal training test!!!!!!!!!

It was a looooong journey...

Sept 24th, 2013 I signed up for the NASM-CPT online class. 

I have spent the last 6 months busting my hump to finally pass the test last Monday. 

Woot! Woot! Woot! 

Wanted to put all of the info here for anyone else who was preparing to take it ;)

It was HARD. 

Not Bc the test itself was necessarily hard (taking it on a computer was hardest :/) but Bc there was just so much info to cover. I just wasn't sure what would be on it. So I studied everything!!! And obvy it worked ;) 

Here goes everything...

These are the questions I remember that were ON the test: 
 

Total 120 ?'s: 

-10 ?'s on Overhead Squat Assessment (Be sure to know that overactive muscles get foam rolled and Stretched, and under active muscles get strengthened) 

-2 ?'s Shark Skill test definition. 

-Isone position for pregnant lady: they asked the opposite of prone. "What exercise positions should be avoided after 12 weeks of pregnancy? Supine & prone position exercises."

-Glycemic was 2?'s one with a high protein diet and one was with a high carb diet. (I was not 100% on the answer to this one!)

-3?'s on Zone: which zone to train in etc. 

-1? On Resistance training systems the answer was horizontal loading 

-1? Davis' Law: law stating that soft tissue models along the lines of stress

-1? On circuit training

-1? On 4 p's of marketing: Product, Price, Place, Promotion. (They try to trip you up by adding other p words that Could work!)

-2?'s on Sagittal plane & frontal plane

-1? On tempo for phase 1=4/2/1

-1 ? On taxes and keep records for 4 years. 

-1 ? About EPOC

-1? About ATP

-1? About upper body progression: 2 arms, alternate arms, single arms, single arm with trunk rotation 

-2 ?'s: Balance 2 leg stable, 1 leg stable, 2 leg unstable,1 leg unstable 

-1? muscles to breathe: diaphragm...

-1 ? 20 seconds to make a judgment about you

-2 ?'s: What type of support is personal training? Instrumental (There are 4 Types of support mechanisms to help clients reach their health and fitness goals. Know them all.) 

-1 ? DIAZ: the vitamins that can be taken dangerously in excess

-1? What are the 4 skin-gold sites tested when using the Durnin-Womersley formula for body fat assessment? Biceps, triceps, subscapular, iliac crest 

-1 ? Max heart rate: 220-age

-2 ?'s 5 Stages of change: 1) Pre contemplation, 2) Contemplation 3)Preparation 4) Action 5) Maintence (Know what happens in each stage and they ask the order.) 

-1 ? Name 2 Common tests for assessing cardiorespitory efficiency: YMCA 3-months step test & Rockport Walk test 

-1? calories in 1 gram of carb=4 calories 

-2 ?'s calories in 1 gram of fat=9 (they trick you by calling it lipids.)

-1 ? average stroke volume of an adult= 70ml (asks what the stroke is too.) 

-1 ? What blood pressure reading defines hypertension (high blood pressure)? Greater than or equal to 140/90

-1 ? Emotion is the premise on which all buying decisions are based. 

-1 ? Personal trainers have how much time to make a good first impression: 20 seconds

-1 ? recommended protein intake for strength athletes: 1.2-1.7 g/kg (.5-.8g/Lb) 

-1 ? how much extra fluid should a person consume for every 15-20 minutes of exercise? 6-12 ounces 

-3 ?'s Subjective vs Objective info, vs non directive & directive questions. (Know these terms Bc they are all used.) 

-1 ? recommend amount of carbs to be ingested within 30 minutes of exercise in order to maximize recovery: 1.5g/kg

-1 ? type of stretching that engages Golgi Tendon Organs

-1 ? # of amino acids the body uses? 20

-1 ? The most frequent reason given for not exercising: Lack of time. 

-1 ? SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely

Tips I found along the way that helped:  

-Single leg exercise is a stabilizing exercise 

-Throw/ball is a power exercise 

Here is my full journey...

Sept 24th I signed up & immediately began the online class. 

The average amount of chapters to be tested on per week was 3.5. It was very hard to keep up with the material. Many a Saturday was spent indoors reading long a** chapters of stuff I didnt understand. Although, I kept at it! Every week I would study on the subway. Then Sunday nights take the unit tests just in time for the midnight deadlines. 

I passed all of the weekly tests. And made my way up to the final exam. It was the holidays so I missed taking my final online exam. 

Come mid January 2015 I panicked Bc I knew there was a 6 month deadline to take the test. 

I called NASM and they told me I had until March 14th to take the test. 

Sooo...

I booked the test for as late as I could! March 9th was the last test held closest to me before the deadline. 

Leading up to the test I printed out the test Flashcards from Nasm. I spent a week creating a binder separated by topics. I stated memorizing. Soon to realize that I needed to understand the concepts behind the definitions. I began rereading the textbook. I broke down the textbook totally. 

Meanwhile, I downloaded the Nasm app and would play the games all day long. While I waited for the train, eating lunch, on elevators...

Then I scoured online looking for help with the test. I found a number of websites that I'll add below. This was very helpful Bc other people who had just taken the test posted their experiences. I kept googling to find more and more study aids. I watched you tube videos galore! Then stumbled upon Quizlet. I took other people's NAsM's tests over & over. Only to realize that it was their notes of the items they needed to study. Which was a great discovery Bc then I knew I could create my own study list! 

Today, if you are taking the NASM test use my experience as a guide to make your test prep easier! I'm here to help! Feel free to ask as many ?'s you need & I'll answer all that I can remember of the test! 

You Can Do It :))) 

enJOY! 

Xoxo