NASM-CPT Exam Questions

Correct answer: Precontemplation

The Stages of Change model states that individuals progress through a series of behavior change stages and that movement through these stages is not linear but instead is cyclical. This model is made up of the following five stages: 

• Precontemplation: Does not exercise and is not planning to start within the next 6 months
• Contemplation: Does not exercise but is planning to start within 6 months
• Preparation: Planning to exercise soon or is sporadically exercising
• Action: Exercising for less than 6 months
• Maintenance: Exercising consistently for more than 6 months

Correct answer: 14-16

The Borg scale rating of perceived exertion (RPE) goes from 6 to 20, with 6 being no exertion at all and 20 being maximal exertion. 

• 6-7: Very, very light
• 8-9: Very light
• 10-11: Fairly light
• 12-13: Somewhat hard
• 14-15: Hard
• 16-17: Very hard
• 18-20: Very, very hard

Zone 2 training is close to an individual's anaerobic threshold, with a client exercising at 75-85% of their HR max; therefore, the RPE equivalent during zone 2 should be 14-16.

Correct answer: Anterior tibialis, posterior tibialis, transversus abdominis, internal oblique

Lower crossed syndrome is characterized by the lengthening of the following muscles:

• Anterior tibialis
• Posterior tibialis
• Transversus abdominis
• Internal obliques
• Gluteus maximus
• Gluteus medius

Upper crossed syndrome is characterized by lengthened deep cervical flexors, serratus anterior, rhomboids, mid and lower trapezius, teres minor, and infraspinatus. Pronation distortion syndrome is characterized by lengthened anterior and posterior tibialis, vastus medialis, gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, and hip external rotators.

Correct answer: The reps, sets, and intensity must increase.

In order for hypertrophy to take place, volume and intensity must increase over time. If they don't, the person is unlikely to achieve hypertrophy. 

Correct answer: Diagnosing or treating areas of pain

Diagnosing or treating areas of pain falls outside the scope of practice for an NASM-certified personal trainer. Personal trainers are educated to enhance physical fitness and implement preventive health measures but are not medically trained to diagnose or treat health conditions, including areas of pain. This area is reserved for healthcare professionals such as physicians, physical therapists, or licensed chiropractors who have specific qualifications to diagnose medical conditions and implement treatment plans. A personal trainer attempting to diagnose or treat pain could lead to mismanagement of a medical condition, potential injury, or legal issues due to practicing beyond their expertise.

Below are explanations for the incorrect answer options:

• Performing CPR on a client who has lost consciousness: This is not outside the scope of practice for a NASM-certified personal trainer. In fact, most certification programs, including those by NASM, require personal trainers to be certified in CPR and basic emergency procedures. This requirement ensures that trainers can provide immediate and essential care in life-threatening situations until medical professionals arrive, making it a critical skill within their scope of practice.
• Providing nutritional advice within dietary guidelines: Providing general nutritional advice that aligns with established dietary guidelines is within the scope of practice for NASM-certified personal trainers. While they are not licensed dietitians or nutritionists and thus cannot prescribe diets or provide specialized nutritional counseling (especially for clinical conditions), they can offer general guidance on healthy eating habits and nutritional strategies that support fitness and wellness goals.
• Advising on lifestyle changes to enhance physical fitness: Advising clients on lifestyle modifications to improve physical fitness is a fundamental part of a personal trainer's role. This can include suggestions on incorporating more physical activity into daily routines, improving sleep habits, managing stress, and other general wellness tips. These advisements are geared toward creating a healthy lifestyle that complements the exercise programs they design and implement, directly aligning with their qualifications and responsibilities.

While personal trainers have a broad scope of practice that includes fitness programming, basic emergency care, nutritional guidance, and lifestyle advisement, diagnosing and treating medical conditions, specifically pain, are clear exceptions that require professional medical intervention.

Correct answer: Planned manipulations of a training program over time to help a client progress over time

Periodization is a systematic approach to training that involves the planned manipulation of training variables (such as intensity, volume, and type of exercise) over specific periods of time to optimize physical performance and progression while minimizing the risk of overtraining. This method allows athletes and clients to achieve peak performance at optimal times by progressively and strategically increasing the training load and then incorporating rest or recovery phases. The primary goal of periodization is to maximize gains in physical performance over time by structuring training into distinct phases that focus on different goals, such as building endurance, strength, or power, and then tapering toward recovery and peak performance.

Continuously performing the same exercises focuses more on maintaining current skill levels rather than improving physical performance across various facets, which is a key element of periodized training. This approach does not define periodization, as it lacks the strategic variation and cycling of exercise types, intensities, and volumes essential to periodization. 

Randomly altering exercises may keep training interesting, but it does not constitute periodization, which is a methodical and planned approach to training variation. Periodization involves deliberate changes aligned with specific training goals and timelines, not just random modifications for engagement or interest. The strategic planning aspect is crucial to ensure that each phase of training builds upon the previous one toward achieving peak performance.

While periodization does involve manipulating variables such as intensity and volume, describing these changes merely as "short-term variables" fails to capture the long-term, strategic planning involved in periodization. Periodization spans multiple cycles that could cover weeks, months, or even years, and includes carefully planned phases that progressively build toward long-term goals, not just short-term adjustments.

Periodization is a comprehensive approach to training that involves strategic, long-term planning of workout phases to enhance overall performance systematically. It contrasts sharply with approaches that focus on repetition without variation, random changes, or short-term adjustments, lacking the structured progression that periodization aims to provide.

Correct answer: It fosters autonomy

Incorporating a client's preferred exercises into an Optimum Performance Training (OPT) program is crucial because it fosters autonomy. 

Autonomy in this context refers to giving clients a sense of control and ownership over their fitness journey. When clients feel that they have a say in their workout routine, it can increase their intrinsic motivation, enhance their commitment to the program, and improve adherence to the training plan. This sense of autonomy helps clients feel more engaged and satisfied with their workout, contributing to a more positive overall exercise experience.

Including a client's preferred exercises in their training regimen does not guarantee rapid improvement in physical performance. While client preference can enhance motivation and possibly lead to more consistent training, improvement rates vary widely based on numerous factors, including genetic predisposition, prior conditioning, overall health, and the specific nature of the training stimulus. Improvement in physical performance is influenced by systematic progression and proper training principles, not solely by exercise preference.

The metabolic cost of a workout session depends on the intensity, duration, and type of exercise performed, not merely on whether the exercises are preferred by the client. While preferred exercises might lead to more vigorous participation, this does not inherently mean that each session will achieve maximum metabolic expenditure. Other exercises, potentially less favored, could be more effective in achieving higher metabolic costs based on how they stress the body.

While incorporating preferred exercises might enhance a client’s motivation due to increased enjoyment and satisfaction, it does not eliminate the need for motivational coaching. Motivational coaching encompasses a range of strategies designed to address various barriers to exercise, help set and achieve goals, and support clients through challenges. Even with preferred activities included, clients may still face periods of low motivation or other obstacles that require professional encouragement and guidance.

Incorporating a client’s preferred exercises can greatly contribute to their sense of autonomy and enhance intrinsic motivation, but it is not a panacea for all aspects of training such as guaranteeing rapid performance improvements, maximizing metabolic costs, or replacing the multifaceted role of motivational coaching.

Correct answer: 40-80% of 1 RM

Through resistance training, older adults can achieve improvements in muscular fitness, such as improving muscle mass, increasing function and balance, and enhancing power. It is recommended that older adults train 3-5 days per week, with 1-3 sets of 8-20 repetitions, at an intensity between 40% and 80% of their one-repetition maximum or 1RM.

Correct answer: Increase the volume of training

Muscular hypertrophy is the enlargement of skeletal muscle fibers in response to being recruited to develop increased levels of tension. One of the primary focuses in hypertrophy-focused training or phase 3 training is the increase in the volume of training.

Improved rate of force production is a phase 5 focus, and increased muscular endurance and improved neuromuscular efficiency are focuses of phase 1.

Correct answer: Knee adduction 

Overhead squat assessment may indicate compensations such as turned-out feet, knee adduction/inward rotation, excessive forward lean, low back arch, or arms falling forward.

To conduct an overhead squat assessment, have the client stand with feet shoulder-width apart and pointed straight and arms raised fully extended overhead. Then ask the client to squat as if sitting in a chair and then return to standing.

Shoulder elevation, scapular protraction, and cervical extension are related to other movement compensations.

Correct answer: "What are your fitness and health goals?"

An open-ended question is designed to encourage a full, meaningful answer using the subject's own knowledge and feelings. These questions are powerful because they require more thought, elicit deeper discussions, and can result in a broader range of responses, giving insight into the respondent's thoughts, feelings, and opinions.

"What are your fitness and health goals?" is open-ended because it does not restrict the respondent to a specific set of answers. Instead, it allows the individual to explore and express their personal goals related to fitness and health in detail. The answer can vary widely among individuals, providing valuable information about their motivations, priorities, and aspirations.

The incorrect answer options are explained as follows:

• "Do you exercise regularly?": This is a closed-ended question because it typically requires a simple "yes" or "no" answer, or at most, a specific frequency (e.g., "three times a week"). It does not allow for elaboration on the type of exercise, reasons for their frequency, or feelings about the exercise.
• "Have you been to the gym this week?": Similar to the previous example, this question is also closed-ended. The expected response is a straightforward "yes" or "no," which does not provide room for further discussion or detail about the individual's gym habits, the intensity of workouts, or their experiences at the gym.
• "Is this your first time consulting a fitness trainer?": This question is closed-ended as well, requiring only a "yes" or "no" answer. It does not encourage the client to share more about their past experiences with fitness training, their expectations from the training session, or why they decided to consult a trainer now.

The question "What are your fitness and health goals?" is correctly identified as open-ended because it encourages a detailed response that reflects personal perspectives and experiences, unlike the other questions that limit responses to short, often one-word answers.

Correct answer: Tendons connect muscle to bone, facilitating the transfer of force to produce movement

Tendons play a crucial role in the musculoskeletal system, connecting muscles to bones and facilitating movement by transmitting force from muscle contractions to bone. The correct answer underscores this fundamental function of tendons in enabling bodily motion.

While tendons possess some degree of elasticity to allow for movement, they are not as elastic as other connective tissues like ligaments or elastic cartilage. Tendons are designed to withstand tension and transmit force efficiently, but excessive stretching can lead to damage or injury rather than enhanced flexibility.

Tendons are indeed vascular structures, meaning they have a blood supply. While tendons have a relatively low metabolic rate compared to other tissues, they still require blood vessels to deliver nutrients and oxygen and remove waste products to support their function and repair processes.

While tendons do contribute to the body's overall shock-absorbing capacity to some extent, their primary role is not as shock absorbers. This function is more closely associated with other structures such as cartilage, synovial fluid, and certain specialized ligaments. Tendons are primarily responsible for transmitting muscular forces to bone, providing stability and facilitating movement rather than directly absorbing shock.

While tendons are integral to the biomechanics of movement and contribute to the body's overall resilience, their primary function is to connect muscles to bones and transmit force.

Correct answer: It is required for kinetic chain efficiency and increased rate of force production

Stabilization training is the foundation of the OPT model because it is necessary to improve the safety and function of other types of training. This is especially true in power (rate of force production) training. Lack of stability leads to injury, inefficient motions, and reduced performance.

Correct answer: Synergist pairing

In a force-couple relationship, synergists work together to create the same joint action from different angles.

For example: In a posterior pelvic tilt, the hamstrings and gluteus maximus pull down on the posterior of the pelvis while the rectus abdominis pulls up on the anterior of the pelvis.

Correct answer: The trainer and client should agree that the goal is achievable

After establishing a good first impression and discussing health concerns, it is important to talk with clients about their fitness goals. Goals energize performance by motivating people to exert effort, to persist over time, and to direct attention to relevant behaviors and information that can help them achieve their goals.

Fitness goals should be important to the client and recognized as beneficial by the trainer, but they must also be realistically achievable. The client and trainer should create the fitness goal together based on the client's desired outcome, the fitness assessment, and the trainer's knowledge of fitness.

Correct answer: Microcycle

Fitness and sport-performance programming are based on the concept of periodization, which is a systematic approach to program design that exploits the general adaption syndrome and principle of specificity. When designing a workout program for a client, there are a few different ways to structure it:

• Macrocycle: This is a yearly or annual fitness plan.
• Mesocycle: This is a monthly fitness plan.
• Microcycle: This is a weekly fitness plan.

Correct answer: Ensure all clients achieve their fitness goals within a specified timeframe

The statement, ensure all clients achieve their fitness goals within a specified timeframe, is not part of the NASM Code of Professional Conduct because it guarantees specific outcomes, which is unrealistic and unethical in the practice of personal training. 

Fitness professionals can provide tools, knowledge, and support to help clients work toward their goals, but they cannot guarantee specific results due to the multitude of variables that influence individual progress, such as genetics, personal commitment, existing health conditions, and lifestyle factors. This promise could set unrealistic expectations and potentially lead to client dissatisfaction or harm if not achieved.

NASM emphasizes the importance of maintaining professional communication at all times. This includes clear, respectful, and appropriate interactions that reflect well on the trainer’s professionalism and respect for clients and colleagues.

Fitness professionals are expected to disclose any relationships or affiliations that could be seen as potential conflicts of interest. This transparency is crucial to maintaining trust and integrity in professional relationships and ensuring that clients' interests are always prioritized.

Maintaining personal hygiene is a fundamental requirement listed in the NASM Code of Professional Conduct. This standard helps to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for all clients, fostering a professional atmosphere conducive to health and fitness activities. It reflects on the professionalism of the trainer and the respect for the health concerns of clients.

The correct answer highlights an unrealistic and unethical guarantee that is not supported by the NASM Code of Professional Conduct. In contrast, the other options are indeed aspects of professional behavior that NASM trainers are expected to uphold, emphasizing the importance of ethical practices, transparency, and professionalism in all interactions within a fitness setting.

Correct answer: Balance disc to BOSU ball

Exercise selection allows the training program to support the desired adaptations. To develop optimal stability, common exercises can be progressed by changing to a more unstable environment. Examples of unstable environments include standing on a single leg, a BOSU ball, a foam pad, and a wobble board. The balance disc is more stable than the BOSU ball, which means that a progression of an exercise such as the shoulder press will go from the floor, to a balance disc, to a BOSU ball.

Correct answer: "Why do you want to begin working out?"

The question "Why do you want to begin working out?" is an excellent example of an open-ended question because it allows for a detailed, narrative response that can provide deep insights into a person's motivations and intentions. 

Open-ended questions do not restrict responses to a simple "yes" or "no" or to a specific set of predefined options. Instead, they encourage the respondent to explore their thoughts and feelings, which can lead to a more meaningful dialogue. This type of question is valuable in understanding underlying reasons and can help in tailoring advice or support to individual needs.

"Do you prefer morning or evening workouts?"

• This is a closed-ended question because it limits the response to one of two specified options: morning or evening. Closed-ended questions are designed to gather specific information and typically require a short, direct answer that fits within the parameters set by the question.

"Is your goal to lose weight or gain muscle?"

• Similarly, this is another closed-ended question that confines answers to either "lose weight" or "gain muscle." While it asks about the respondent's goals, it does not allow for elaboration or discussion of any other goals they might have, which restricts the depth of response.

"Do you have any fitness and health goals?"

• Although this question might seem more open because it could potentially allow for various answers, it is technically a closed-ended question if the expectation is simply to confirm whether the person has goals. If rephrased to something like "What are your fitness and health goals?", it would become an open-ended question, allowing for a broader range of answers and discussions about specific goals.

Open-ended questions are essential for gaining comprehensive insights and fostering conversation, especially in contexts where understanding personal motivations and experiences is crucial, such as fitness and health goal-setting. They allow for depth and personal expression beyond the constraints of yes/no or either/or answers typical of closed-ended questions.

Correct answer: 20-35% of total daily calories

It is recommended that an individual get 20-35% of their total daily calories from healthy sources of fat. While fats are the major source of energy in the body, they are also responsible for functions such as supplying essential fatty acids and protecting and insulating vital organs. Healthy sources of fats include avocados, peanuts, almonds, salmon, and flax seeds.