Questions on studying for the NASM exam - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[circlethetree]

Hi,
I just took the certification test and passed. April 2009.

It is quite detailed.
Here are some thoughts after taking the exam.

Know the different categories for exercises - be able to tell whether an exercise falls into Stability, Strength, or Power. Know what amount of reps are for hypertrophy vs. max. strength. Know what the sounds you are looking for when you are taking blood pressure. Know how many calories you get from a gram of carb., from a gram of fat, and from a gram of protein.
Know what READ stands for. Know what the purpose of a business is.

Really get down what muscles are overactive and what muscles are underactive when the client is performing the different tests. There were quite a few on this.

Know number of sets and reps for everything. Know what the function of the L&R atrium and ventricles are. Beta-blockers are for what?

I started seeing a pattern with the exercises and learning how to tell if they are in one stage or the other. For example, all reactive stabilization exercises have the word "stabilization" after them The power exercises in resistance training almost all involve a medicine ball. Strength exercise resistance training involves almost all seated exercises, except for a few.

Something that might help to think about is that if you are needing to remember numbers - like for number of reps, sets, the answers are going to be close and therefore hard to remember unless you have it down.
example:
A) 0-5
B)6-10
C)11-15
D)12-25
They start looking quite alike unless you have them memorized.

I hope this helps some of you who are coming up on your test.

[Christina]

circlethetree,

I just bought the NASM book tonight at Borders. I may need to hire another trainer in the not too distant future so I figured I better look into NASM and see what it's all about since it's such a popular certification. If I decide to take the exam what else do I need to get besides the practice exams? Also, I noticed that the questions at the end of the chapters are super easy. I assume this is not at all an indication of how difficult (or easy) the exam really is, correct?

Thanks!
Christina

[Pat..]

Hi Christina,

Those end of chapter questions aren't indicative of the test, at least not the version that I passed on Saturday.



I'll post my test prep steps and observations later today.

[Pat..]

These are my observation, or how to pass the NASM cert test in 10 weeks or less.

First off, I have many, many years working out, love to run, and always had this as an interest. I do not have a degree in exercise science, or experience in the health field.

A fitness center at the local university offers a prep class that meets twice a week, and to add some structure, I signed up for this. As a part of the class fee, the exam and materials are included. Looking back, I could have passed the exam without the class, since NASM offers good study materials, but would not have had the opportunity for the hands on experience that the class provided.

I went through all the information provided. I printed and reviewed the chapter slides. I read the text, highlighting important points. I watched the chapter DVDs and did all of the workbook questions. I took the practice test that NASM offers, twice.

Not having a background in exercise science, I made copies of the muscle information from the text and cut them into individual flash cards, highlighting the concentric, and in some cases the eccentric movement. I spent extra time on anterior, posterior, etc., and the flexion, extension, adduction, abduction section in the text. I made sure I knew the agonist, antagonist, synergist and stabilizer for specific movements and exercises.

NASM uses an Optimum Performance Training (OPT) program/template with five program phases or levels. To pull everything together I made copies of all the exercises in the text, and then sorted them by their respective category of stability, strength or power. I used five key slides from the Program Design chapter that listed the acute variables, including tempo, for each of the five phases. I then incorporated the exercises and variables to study/visualize putting the OPT template together as a designed program. Designing a program for oneself is also a good study tool.

I also did a lot of work in the assessment chapter, including the overhead squat, push/pull, and the one legged squat. Corrective stretches and exercises are important to know.

There are also random questions from throughout the text, including nutrition, professional development, special populations, CPR; so going through everything is important.

That is about it, good luck to anyone choosing this certification!

[Jaslee10]

I'm studying the NASM right now and does anyone know the break down of the exam? How many questions? Format? This can possibly help me understand what is important. Also, does any one know what's important compareable to other sections?

I took the ACE and I know some parts were important than others.

Thank you and much appreciated.