wrong focus? - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[Dre]

After reading more and more about the CPT it appears that my focus should be more centered around the resource for the PT as opposed to the exercise testing and prescription? I have the cert review, resource for PT, and guidelines for exercise testing. Out of the three would you say the resource is the most useful? I've been steady plugging away at the exercise testing and prescription and trying to store exact #'s for things. Have I been going about this wrong, and the bulk of my focus should be on the resource for the PT?

[Dinah]

Hi Dre,

I believe we corresponded about this a few weeks back. You can access it through the ACSM section on the forum.

In any case, you've got the three texts (I believe) that are recommended by ACSM to help you pass the test. I don't think any one book is better than the other. They complement each other.

The Resources for the Personal Trainer is the main textbook, so I've suggested (as have others here on the forum) that you read through the textbook once. You certainly won't commit everything to memory with one read through, but you'll certainly become familiar with the material. Like I suggested in our earlier exchange, it would be best then to start going through the KSAs, which guide you as to what is in and out of scope for ACSM-CPTs to know. Everyone has their own study methods (as well as their backgrounds and baseline of knowledge), but from there, you really want to start researching those KSAs very thoroughly. I found a study buddy on this very site and we developed flashcards for every single KSA. We also made up test questions for each other. You also want to start testing yourself along the way. The Cert Review is excellent in my opinion and should be exhausted. I also utilized the online tests through ACSM. I did the free one as well as a few of the specific ones offered for purchase including the 100 question test that is a compilation of all sections. One other thing that was also helpful was the 750-question test offered through the Starting Your Own Personal Training Business Web site. Basically you want to keep testing yourself until you've reached about 90%. Try not to memorize the answers to the tests, but really try to understand the question being asked and the applicable answer. You're partly studying "to the test" and also to lay the foundation for being a good personal trainer.

So the short answer is that the Exercise Testing and Prescription book is really a more practical book for when you're actually a CPT, versus the textbook, which is structured to actually teach you stuff that's required for becoming a CPT.

Also take some time (if you haven't already) to look through the forum for tips and advice. I'm certainly just one person and there's plenty of good wisdom to go around on how to study well.

Dinah