How To Be overprepared for the NASM

[Bradster101190]

Hey guys ,after posting these past few weeks in here I constantly get pms regarding taking the NASM but that doesn't bother me at all , I am making this post to help everyone in the future on taking the NASM.

My NASM experience was a very long one, I drove 3 hours to fail it by 1 point! This was the first test I have ever failed in my life and more then anything it made me very angry I could fool myself into thinking I was ready like that.

So I decided at that point I no longer wanted to pass the NASM, I wanted to "teach it" , I didn't want to "pass" it. I wanted to not miss a single question in the whole exam. I began studying the test and would draw graphs on dry erase boards everyday, I made 350 note cards and read every tip I could find, I being a fitness nut and working out 2 hours a day 6 days a week applied NASM in every workout I did and developed a real understanding of the text. I talked to the head NASM instructor multiple times on the phone and probably bugged him to death...

And having the test scheduled the LAST possible day I could I studied like crazy everyday. But then it happened, I could get 100% on the practice exams everytime without memorization and do all my 350 note cards only missing 1 or 2.

So I rescheduled my exam for the next day , and went with my family and friends to take it...

TIP: Make your testing day a fun day , plan a nice dinner afterwards , this way if you fail you still will have a awesome day and wont be discouraged



My family dropped me off and 26 minutes later I called them, I told them I was done and passed it. Now NASM CANNOT give exact numbers on your score but secretly they do keep track of %s to determine if the test is too easy or too hard and what questions people are missing the most. After talking to a few Representatives one finally told me I scored within the top 7% of exam takers recorded and could not believe my time and said that was unheard of....

So I truly was "over-prepared" , but do i regret it? No... think of it this way , once you take the test its OVER , your a NASM trainer for life and never have to be retested on the whole book again. So study as hard and as long as you can until you pass it.


P.S this is a work in progress and after starting it tonight I am very tired considering it is 3 AM, So I will finish it over the next few days. I will add a complete list of what I studied the hardest , and what I read right before the exam as instructed by the head NASM instructor. BUT I WILL NOT tell you a cheap way to pass or give you a COMPLETE guide. I am not here to make you pass without YOU putting in the time , but I guarantee if you follow this and do appropriate studying you to will be "Over-Prepared"

[Bradster101190]

Here we go!


First off the main thing to remember when studying the NASM test is comprehension , not memorization, why MEMORIZE when you can comprehend sometimes faster.

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE READY?
The best way to know you are fully ready for the NASM exam is this simple test...study for one week , take notes on everything you can, draw diagrams, act out any movement and make mental notes then when you believe you are truly ready have someone quiz you on the questions at the end of every chapter, make sure you get atl east 90% of these correct, then take ONE practice exam and make sure you score at least a 90% on that as well. And if you miss a question , do NOT memorize the question , they will NOT be worded the same. COMPREHEND the material. If I get this question....


On the Pulling assesment what tempo should be used?

-4/2/1
-x/x/x
-2/0/2
/1/1/1

And I GUESS 4/2/1 because that sounds good, im WRONG, why? Because it is 2/02, so then the exam will say no it is 2/02 and you will say COOL ILL MEMORIZE THAT. No... go back and read the assessment section of the book especially involving pushing and pulling assessments , how else will you know you need to also do 20 reps at that 2/0/2 tempo?


It is little things like that , which you just COMPLETELY forget to study , and trust me it happens to all of us , maybe your girlfriend called you or something fell over and you overlooked that assessment. Which reminds me , study in a relaxing environment with very little distractions.


Another way to know you can ensure your ready is read the book again..( skip special populations if you want it only has 2 questions usually ) If you don't totally remember something make a note card of it. I did this and had 30 or so notecards , well that's 30 new things I learnt.

ACUTE VARIABLES
The acute variables is what i consider the hardest part, but at the same time the easiest. Learn the main variables for Stabilization,Strength and Power and you should know enough of this it wont kill you, otherwise your going to have to learn all 5 phase adpations, core training, power training adaptions ect. I learned all of them but all I needed was the core 3 and common sense wuch as this question....

In stage 3 hypertrophy training How many repetitions are performed?

1-5
2-6
8-12
12-16

Well common sense says hypertrophy(phase 3) is part of the strength "block" and from a little weightlifting experience you should remember 8-12




THE DREADED PAGE 169

If you read around 80% of people say MEMORIZE 169, well I say don't. I probably have looked at page 169 less then 10 minutes but can still tell you the entire chart. How? I learned functional anatomy, yes functional anatomy,,pages 68-86 that no one ever reads because its too much information. and I agree it is too much information, becuase it repeats itself over and over and over....This is how I learnt those pages and therefore fully understood overactive and under active muscles with no memorization.

First all you need to know is each muscles isolated function and whats even better is you can GROUP THEM..this basically gets all those pages.Allso remember to walk all these out so it will stick much faster, you can learn them in 2-3 days.

---------------------------------------------------------
Hamstring group -Accelerates knee flexion and hip extension..( Grouped them all together instead of learning every little muscle)


Quadricep Group-Knee Extension and Hip Flexion( grouped them as well)

Gluteus Maximus -hip extension and external rotation

Latissimus Dorsi-Shoulder extension, abduction and internal rotation

Rhomboids-Scapular retraction and downward rotation.

Biceps Brachi-Elbow flexion , shoulder flexion and supination of radioulnar joint

Triceps-Elbow and shoulder extension

Serratus Anterior- Scapular Protraction

Solues and Gastrocnemius-Plantarflexion

Rectus Abdominis- Spinal flexion, lateral flexion and rotation



------------------------------------------------------------

FREE QUESTIONS

These questions are on 70% of tests.


What is the inner most layer of muscle?
ANWSER Endomysium


How much water is recommended per day?
ANWSER :96 ounces, 3 quarts or 8-12 cups.

How many calories are in 1 gram of protein/carbohydrate/fat?
4/4/9

A person who's pants are higher in the back than in the front displays?
Anterior Pellvic tilt

When taking the pulse the diastolic pulse is heard when?
It begins to fade.

Remember people react to you based on 55% physiology , 38% tone of voice and 7% words.



COOL APPLICATIONS FOR YOUR PHONE
-----------------------------------------------
Speed Anatomy- its free and will teach you anatomy very fast since you have fun the whole time.


NASM - its available in the android market and has questions right of the exam. I went overboard with this to where I could take all 400 questions and make a 95%+....dont study it that hard , I dont even recommend taking tests on it use its study mode , it will ask you and then EXPLAIN 400 questions , which is invaluable.

Thanks everyone!

As far as studying goes, I spent a good solid 5 months studying every night for about an hour. I used the text book, my flashcards that I made along the way, and the study tools on the NASM website (i.e. the practice exam, domain specific quiz walk thru's). I was rather intimidated too, because I didn't know what exactly to focus on. I did memorize page 169 and knew it like the back of my hand, and that did help for the exam.

Here's my test experience:

• KNOW YOUR VOCABULARY! Especially from chapter 5 & 6.
• CHAPTER 5 IS VERY IMPORTANT! Lots of questions about the assessments. i.e. Tempo for pulling assessment, how much weight to add after the warm-up on the upper extremity assessment, where are the skin fold caliper measurements taken...
• KNOW THE EXERCISES! I had a lot of questions about the exercises shown in the book. You need to know what kind they are (core, balance, resistance, reactive), what level they are (Stabilization, Strength, etc.) and how to regress and progress them.
• Don't focus too much on Special Populations...I had maybe one question about youth clients, but the answer was obvious.
• The nutrition questions were pretty simple. Know the daily intake requirements for fat, carbs and protein, and how many calories per one gram they each yield. Know about amino acids...
• Know any acronyms: READ, SCAMPI, F.I.T.T.E, SAID Principle...
• Take your time to read the questions on the exam...they can be tricky! For example:

Rather than just asking what foam roll technique you would have someone do for their feet turning out during an overhead squat assessment, they put it more like this:

During an overhead squat assessment, the client shows the compensation of their feet turning out. What would you incorporate into their flexibility routine to correct this problem?

It then gives you various answer choices, which, you will need to know that foam rolling would be the flexibility technique and that you are foam rolling the overactive muscles, therefore; Soleus, Lateral Gastrocnemius & Biceps Femoris. Then, you would choose the answer listing one of those three being foam rolled.

All in all, I didn't kill myself studying...just a little every night, and the test ended up being a lot easier than I thought. If I absolutely did not know the answer on the exam, I tagged it and went to the next one. I checked at the half-way point, and had only tagged about 10, so I felt pretty good at that point. By the end, I had checked about 21, so I was pretty certain that I had passed. There were several questions that used terms that I didn't remember reading in the book, so I feel like those were some of the research questions.

What helped me, was talking about what I was learning during the course of my husband's or my own exercise routines. Getting family and friends to let you practice assessments and incorporate the different levels of the OPT model into their routines was also helpful. I'm a hands on person, so I learn things better if I'm actually DOING it, rather than just reading it.

Good luck to everyone taking the exam!! Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help!

Know the differences between the stabilization, strength, and power specific exercises of ALL training concepts (cardiorespiratory: translating heart rate zones into stages, core, balance, reactive, and resistance). A couple that I can recall that came up are as follows...

Which of the following is a Reactive-Strength exercise?

a)Squat Jump with Stabilization
b)Tuck Jump [CORRECT ANSWER]
c)Ice Skaters
d)Lunge Jump

For a client in phase I of the OPT Model, what is the proper set range for Reactive-Training Concepts implementation?

a)0-4
b)1-3 [CORRECT ANSWER]
c)2-3
d)3-5

I would suggest going over the progressions/regressions of stabilization/balance exercises, as well.

Know little things such as the following...

The purpose of a business: to create and keep customers
The READ System: Rapport, Empathy, Assessment, Development
Directive questions: Directive question can only be answered with a "yes" or "no".
Nondirective questions: Questions with answers that aren't "yes" or "no".
Objective Information: Measurable data.
Subjective Information: Information clients give you in regards to occupation, lifestyle, medical history, and personal information.
Structure/Function of the heart: Pages 41-42
What % of communication is physiological (55%), tone (38%), and words that are actually spoken (7%) (all 3 were questions on the test).
Davies Test: Clients with weak shoulders (or with shoulder injuries) can't complete.
Shark Skill Test: Know the faults in which you'd be penalized for .1 seconds.
Upper Extremity Strength Assessment: 10lb.-20lb. increase in weight (or 5%-10% body weight).
Lower Extremity Strength Assessment: 30lb.-40lb. increase in weight (or 10%-20% body weight).
Agility/Quickness: Know the difference (both were on the test).
Essential/Non-Essential Amino Acids: How many, which are which, etc...

[Sauce-head]

Here we go!


First off the main thing to remember when studying the NASM test is comprehension , not memorization, why MEMORIZE when you can comprehend sometimes faster.

Couldn't have said it better. When I finished the book, looking back I had most of the stuff memorized, which is why when I wouldn't look at it for a couple days, I would forget it. Then after speaking with you and really drilling the ssssshiat outta the DVD's, the book, the study guide and w-horing the practice exams I can say I throughly understood the material.

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE READY?
The best way to know you are fully ready for the NASM exam is this simple test...study for one week , take notes on everything you can, draw diagrams, act out any movement and make mental notes then when you believe you are truly ready have someone quiz you on the questions at the end of every chapter, make sure you get atl east 90% of these correct, then take ONE practice exam and make sure you score at least a 90% on that as well. And if you miss a question , do NOT memorize the question , they will NOT be worded the same. COMPREHEND the material. If I get this question....


On the Pulling assesment what tempo should be used?

-4/2/1
-x/x/x
-2/0/2
/1/1/1

Haha! This question was on my exam, I initially flagged it. Then when I cam back to it, read the question slowly and realized a pulling assessment is testing strength, I immediately knew it was 2/0/2.


And I GUESS 4/2/1 because that sounds good, im WRONG, why? Because it is 2/02, so then the exam will say no it is 2/02 and you will say COOL ILL MEMORIZE THAT. No... go back and read the assessment section of the book especially involving pushing and pulling assessments , how else will you know you need to also do 20 reps at that 2/0/2 tempo?

Great point!


It is little things like that , which you just COMPLETELY forget to study , and trust me it happens to all of us , maybe your girlfriend called you or something fell over and you overlooked that assessment. Which reminds me , study in a relaxing environment with very little distractions.

Another very good point!

Another way to know you can ensure your ready is read the book again..( skip special populations if you want it only has 2 questions usually ) If you don't totally remember something make a note card of it. I did this and had 30 or so notecards , well that's 30 new things I learnt.

I gotta say, I dunno how people read these books 2 or 3 times within a few months. I'm sure its easier as you get to understand what they're saying. But for me, 1 time was all I could handle. Although I did go back several times and re-read important sections, and parts of chapters.

ACUTE VARIABLES
The acute variables is what i consider the hardest part, but at the same time the easiest. Learn the main variables for Stabilization,Strength and Power and you should know enough of this it wont kill you, otherwise your going to have to learn all 5 phase adpations, core training, power training adaptions ect. I learned all of them but all I needed was the core 3 and common sense wuch as this question....

What helped me remember the variables esp for # of sets was realizing stab is 1-3 sets, then seeing how every phase from there except for power goes up. So strength endurance was 2-4, hypertrophy was 3-5 and so forth. Then from understanding the goal of the phase, the variables were easy.

In stage 3 hypertrophy training How many repetitions are performed?

1-5
2-6
8-12
12-16

Dude do you have my test sitting in front of you???! LOL This was another question on my test, word for word. I was actually stumped on this for a second because 5-7 was an option and I almost picked that, before I went with 8-12. I knew 12 was the upper limit on anything strength related, but specifically for hypertrophy I was slightly thrown off by the 5-7 option.

Well common sense says hypertrophy(phase 3) is part of the strength "block" and from a little weightlifting experience you should remember 8-12


THE DREADED PAGE 169

If you read around 80% of people say MEMORIZE 169, well I say don't. I probably have looked at page 169 less then 10 minutes but can still tell you the entire chart. How? I learned functional anatomy, yes functional anatomy,,pages 68-86 that no one ever reads because its too much information. and I agree it is too much information, becuase it repeats itself over and over and over....This is how I learnt those pages and therefore fully understood overactive and under active muscles with no memorization.

First all you need to know is each muscles isolated function and whats even better is you can GROUP THEM..this basically gets all those pages.Allso remember to walk all these out so it will stick much faster, you can learn them in 2-3 days.

This is excellent advice; I memorized the chart and then after speaking with you, learning the isolated muscle functions. Once I learned the muscles functions, I didn't have to look at the chart again to be able to write it down from understanding the anatomy, not memorization.

---------------------------------------------------------
Hamstring group -Accelerates knee flexion and hip extension..( Grouped them all together instead of learning every little muscle)


Quadricep Group-Knee Extension and Hip Flexion( grouped them as well)

Gluteus Maximus -hip extension and external rotation

Latissimus Dorsi-Shoulder flexion, abduction and internal rotation

I swear I don't have my book in front of my but I could've have sworn Lat Dorsi is accelerating shoulder extension, adduction??

Rhomboids-Scapular retraction and downward rotation.

Biceps Brachi-Elbow flexion , shoulder flexion and supination of radioulnar joint

Triceps-Elbow and shoulder extension

Serratus Anterior- Scapular Protraction

Solues and Gastrocnemius-Plantarflexion

Rectus Abdominis- Spinal flexion, lateral flexion and rotation



------------------------------------------------------------

FREE QUESTIONS

These questions are on 70% of tests.


What is the inner most layer of muscle?
ANWSER Endomysium


How much water is recommended per day?
ANWSER :96 ounces, 3 quarts or 8-12 cups.

How many calories are in 1 gram of protein/carbohydrate/fat?
4/4/9

A person who's pants are higher in the back than in the front displays?
Anterior Pellvic tilt

When taking the pulse the diastolic pulse is heard when?
It begins to fade.

Remember people react to you based on 55% physiology , 38% tone of voice and 7% words.


Awesome, all of these were on my test and I knew them all. The inner layer of muscle was def one I stole from your other thread.


COOL APPLICATIONS FOR YOUR PHONE
-----------------------------------------------
Speed Anatomy- its free and will teach you anatomy very fast since you have fun the whole time.


NASM - its available in the android market and has questions right of the exam. I went overboard with this to where I could take all 400 questions and make a 95%+....dont study it that hard , I dont even recommend taking tests on it use its study mode , it will ask you and then EXPLAIN 400 questions , which is invaluable.

What a great post bro! Major reps and maybe NASM should hire you to teach the course! No joke!!!








SH

[Bradster101190]

What a great post bro! Major reps and maybe NASM should hire you to teach the course! No joke!!!








SH

Haha It was the first test I ever failed in my life so I got MAD. And good point catching me on latissimus dorsi , remembering it all from my head wasn't easy at 4am bro.

Thanks for your input as well!

I might add more , but this is already giving it away in my book lol.

[mmcarr2]

I passed the exam. It you the book from front to back, take notes and highlights important info, and study the test guide you will pass You just have to study a ton. I studied every day for at least an hour for 2 months before I took it. Good luck everyone!

[BabyMuscles]

5 star thread.

[Sauce-head]

haha!! didn't realize you failed the test the first time, that explains the raw passion you have and increased attention to detail! We are def lucky to have you on this board.

Yeah I was thinking you were up late writing that up, sorry not trying to be a know it all by any stretch, just making sure I learned it right and didn't f-up on that! haha


Good stuff




SH

[Bradster101190]

Yea bro I know you were just being helpful.Yep I failed the first time by 2 or so questions. Glad I did fail though now I feel like I mastered it like I should.

[GodOfWar202]

I have know idea when I will take the test but I'm sure going to sticky this thread. Good stuff. I just started watching the free introduction to fitness training video.

[extremenergy3]

Good advice. Comprehension, not memorization. To be able to pull up the information in your mind whenever a question is brought up and be able to explain it is true comprehension. Everything in NASM is very applicable to training clients and helping them towards their goals. Put in the time and you'll pass AND be able to use the information after. That's the most important part...

[Bradster101190]

Exactly , thanks for you're input.

[EdgarAllanPoe]

how much do you need to focus on special populations for the test? They have a table for each issue explaining many of the acute variables and special considerations...do u need to know the whole chart? Will they have questions about % of heart rate for exercise with an obese person

So far i've gotten the defitions down for each disease but haven't really done too much w/ related acute variables

[Al Shades]

So I decided at that point I no longer wanted to pass the NASM, I wanted to "teach it" , I didn't want to "pass" it. I wanted to not miss a single question in the whole exam. I began studying the test and would draw graphs on dry erase boards everyday, I made 350 note cards and read every tip I could find, I being a fitness nut and working out 2 hours a day 6 days a week applied NASM in every workout I did and developed a real understanding of the text. I talked to the head NASM instructor multiple times on the phone and probably bugged him to death...

Lame. Study as much as you need to pass, then pass it and forget about the dumb thing.

I studied the night before for the ACSM and passed on the first attempt.

Jesus. You're way too excited about this. I have 3 certificates and it doesn't mean a thing, except to gullible clients.

So, Mr. NASM expert, what's the best exercise to target the pectoralis major? And what type of training is ideal for bodybuilding?

[Bradster101190]

Lame. Study as much as you need to pass, then pass it and forget about the dumb thing.

I studied the night before for the ACSM and passed on the first attempt.

Jesus. You're way too excited about this. I have 3 certificates and it doesn't mean a thing, except to gullible clients.

So, Mr. NASM expert, what's the best exercise to target the pectoralis major? And what type of training is ideal for bodybuilding?

Well thanks for calling me lame.

And just so you don't think I am just saying it to one up you , look at my posts in the past , I have 4 certifications and don't care about " gullible clients". I get results from everyone I train or give them a refund( This almost always means they arent truthful about there diet or always miss sessions) and it doesn't matter to me what there mindset is as long as they are willing to learn.

Also maybe you should have took a harder certification if you can read it the night before and "forget it" and still be a good trainer.


And thank you for bringing up bodybuilding , I have trained with many many bodybuilders and have 1 as a major client.( 6 days a week)

In terms of bodybuilding training , the question you asked is so general I will try to anwser it but if you gave me a specific client and body type I would be much more detailed.. Different physiques need different types of training and there is no clear cut way to do it for everyone. In general you should always use a split type program design in bodybuilding though , that's a given.

For a beggining bodybuilder( 3months + standard training) you can do each bodypart 2 times a week, using a 3 day split.

For advanced clients you can do a double split program if they are recovering fast enough.( Watch this to avoid over training , this will depend on their genetics and general lifestyle)

Also include other various advanced methods as you see the client progress such as forced repetitions and supersets.

If they stay along with you enough to start entering shows , to get the definition they will need you will need to move further on to things such as tri sets, also heavily incorporating Isotension Principles and Pre exhaust Principles in your everyday training to get the separation and focus on lagging bodyparts.


Instead of addressing the Pectoralis major itself as a whole, I will address the general chest and specific parts of it. In bodybuilding specifically judges look for separation between the upper and lower pectorals and also a great rib cage( more on this later).

If your clients upper chest(Pectorals) is lacking you will need to resort to incline presses or incline flys , but incline flys or flys in general I find places too much stress on the rotator cuff especially if done incorrectly so I normally use presses unless the client wants a change of pace or is advanced.

For the lower chest (Pectorals) and what most people need to work on when starting off, use decline presses and dips.

Another thing to consider when bodybuilding competitively you need to "develop" the rib cage. This started off when oldschool bodybuilders like Arnold would do dumbbell and barbell pullovers to expand the rib cage. Which must have worked because when Arnold hit a chest pose you could place a glass of water on it.

This is mainly done with younger clients though (20s)since the new cartilage binding to the rib cage stretchs more easily in younger lifters. But its not a waste in older bodybuilders by any stretch it will just take longer.

Example: dumbbell Pullover 5 sets of 12( This is more of a stretch then a actual lift so 5 sets of 12 is fine)

But also if you do 5 sets of 8 (slightly increasing the weight)you can more effectively train the Serratus Anterior muscle to show as well which is a huge advantage for competing bodybuilders, since the average joe doesn't give these enough detail to even be visible.

Now if you want to know more such as the 13 advanced training principles I can name off the top of my head or more advanced exercises, I can train you for bodybuilding at my average athlete cost of 55.99 a session lol


P.S shades, maybe we stepped off on the wrong foot but I do not consider myself a NASM expert by any means, I still read it every few days and am still going for the CES (More advanced step up from the CPT). But I do love helping people and hated failing the test myself so I had a special drive to learn it as well as I could.

Also I take my career as a trainer very seriously as I plan on opening my own facility in a few months. I myself plan on entering Mr Panama City in 2012. But due to sickness my entire life I just started being able to lift seriously, which is another reason I have always tried to help people by learning every aspect I can of fitness.

Also considering th poll results , this information has helped 3 people pass the exam , so that alone is enough of a reward.

[Al Shades]

Also maybe you should have took a harder certification if you can read it the night before and "forget it" and still be a good trainer.

ACSM is/was considered the best in the industry. That's why I took it.

You gave good advice on BB training, but none of it was from NASM I reckon. I asked the question to see if you had an original thought in your head. Apparently you do.

You can avoid stress on the RC during flys by using a fly machine and setting it to a limited ROM. Do not make the arms travel to full horizontal abduction, it isn't necessary to stress the pecs. The same care should be taken during rear delt flys. Also, hold the arms high over the chest and set the seat low during flys in order to target the upper chest. Consider using a supine grip for better pec isolation.

With pullovers, just be careful with clients who have any hint of back or shoulder problems. It's extension all along the spine and tough on the shoulders too.

For SA training, consider doing "scapula" pushups and presses. The elbows stay completely locked out, with the only movement occuring at the scapula.

Good luck, don't take organizations too seriously.

[EdgarAllanPoe]

how much do you need to focus on special populations for the test? They have a table for each issue explaining many of the acute variables and special considerations...do u need to know the whole chart? Will they have questions about % of heart rate for exercise with an obese person

So far i've gotten the defitions down for each disease but haven't really done too much w/ related acute variables

^^^^^^^^^^

[VenusVegas]

how much do you need to focus on special populations for the test? They have a table for each issue explaining many of the acute variables and special considerations...do u need to know the whole chart? Will they have questions about % of heart rate for exercise with an obese person

So far i've gotten the defitions down for each disease but haven't really done too much w/ related acute variables

I freaked a little too reading that chapter because there was SO much information...I didn't feel like I would be able to get it all down before the test.

I took my exam on Saturday and ended up having one question on Special Populations. It had to do with training youth clients and the answer was very obvious. I would focus more on the assessments in Chapter 5, then all of the exercises (what kind they are, which level they are in and how to regress/progress each one).

[Bradster101190]

I asked the head NASM teacher before J took my exam ( If you call NASM you can leave him a message and he will call you back)

He said special populations is designed as a chapter for future rederance, on the actual exam there's a Max of 2 questions from the whole chapter. He said the main chapters are 5,6 and 12.

[Bradster101190]

ACSM is/was considered the best in the industry. That's why I took it.

You gave good advice on BB training, but none of it was from NASM I reckon. I asked the question to see if you had an original thought in your head. Apparently you do.

You can avoid stress on the RC during flys by using a fly machine and setting it to a limited ROM. Do not make the arms travel to full horizontal abduction, it isn't necessary to stress the pecs. The same care should be taken during rear delt flys. Also, hold the arms high over the chest and set the seat low during flys in order to target the upper chest. Consider using a supine grip for better pec isolation.

With pullovers, just be careful with clients who have any hint of back or shoulder problems. It's extension all along the spine and tough on the shoulders too.

For SA training, consider doing "scapula" pushups and presses. The elbows stay completely locked out, with the only movement occuring at the scapula.

Good luck, don't take organizations too seriously.

Haha true buddy ! I will be the first to admit NASM gave me a solid base but only actually 30% or so of my total knowledge is from the text.

People see me preaching certifications on here and get the wrong idea. I love certifications but gather my knowledge from as many sources as I can.


I can tell you are extremely knowledgeable and appreciate the tips. The serratus anterior technique ill try tonight myself during training and incorperate it on all clients with shoulder pain if pullovers aggrivates it.

On the flys , I have my own small facility now and do not have a good fly machine but will get one when I open my new facility and definitely remember your advice.


I appreciate you being polite and respectful, I don't mind disagreements on here as long as its done professionaly.


P.S sorry for the double post. I'm on my phone.

[EdgarAllanPoe]

I freaked a little too reading that chapter because there was SO much information...I didn't feel like I would be able to get it all down before the test.

I took my exam on Saturday and ended up having one question on Special Populations. It had to do with training youth clients and the answer was very obvious. I would focus more on the assessments in Chapter 5, then all of the exercises (what kind they are, which level they are in and how to regress/progress each one).

I asked the head NASM teacher before J took my exam ( If you call NASM you can leave him a message and he will call you back)

He said special populations is designed as a chapter for future rederance, on the actual exam there's a Max of 2 questions from the whole chapter. He said the main chapters are 5,6 and 12.

Thanks...

So far i've been studying all day ... monday is my main study day as i asked my main job (i have two) for mondays off for school and they obliged

I've reviewed Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 in the text, made some notecards, watched presentations for both, and completed the study guide for both.....just finished up Chapter 18 study guide....Kind've going out of order but its all review anyway.

Now I plan on writing down these isolated functions by groups as suggested after a little break.

[Sauce-head]

Thanks...

So far i've been studying all day ... monday is my main study day as i asked my main job (i have two) for mondays off for school and they obliged

I've reviewed Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 in the text, made some notecards, watched presentations for both, and completed the study guide for both.....just finished up Chapter 18 study guide....Kind've going out of order but its all review anyway.

Now I plan on writing down these isolated functions by groups as suggested after a little break.

Edgar,

Don't stress on special populations. As mentioned there was 2-3 questions on the entire exam about them.

Here's two of them I remember:

"When training youth clients, what special considerations should be taken into account?" Answer: Postural

Another:

"When training elderly clients, what is the best position to start them off in?"

Answer: Seated

And as I'm jogging my memory the last one was that pregnancy assessment question we already talked about.


As Brad and Venus mentioned before, focus on the acute variables table, the assessment chapter and def know all the main key terms. EPOC, definition of strength, strength endurance, muscular endurance etc.


Have you made index cards? I was hammering those index cards in every free minute I had outside of studying for an hour or so every night.

I remember you telling me you didn't know how much water per day was recommended, etc etc. Those are the gimmies that you should know and shouldn't miss.

Keep posting your questions, study hard and you'll do great bro!





SH

[Bradster101190]

I wish I could edit in my first post but this is a great post by Venusvegas.

Thanks everyone!

As far as studying goes, I spent a good solid 5 months studying every night for about an hour. I used the text book, my flashcards that I made along the way, and the study tools on the NASM website (i.e. the practice exam, domain specific quiz walk thru's). I was rather intimidated too, because I didn't know what exactly to focus on. I did memorize page 169 and knew it like the back of my hand, and that did help for the exam.

Here's my test experience:

• KNOW YOUR VOCABULARY! Especially from chapter 5 & 6.
• CHAPTER 5 IS VERY IMPORTANT! Lots of questions about the assessments. i.e. Tempo for pulling assessment, how much weight to add after the warm-up on the upper extremity assessment, where are the skin fold caliper measurements taken...
• KNOW THE EXERCISES! I had a lot of questions about the exercises shown in the book. You need to know what kind they are (core, balance, resistance, reactive), what level they are (Stabilization, Strength, etc.) and how to regress and progress them.
• Don't focus too much on Special Populations...I had maybe one question about youth clients, but the answer was obvious.
• The nutrition questions were pretty simple. Know the daily intake requirements for fat, carbs and protein, and how many calories per one gram they each yield. Know about amino acids...
• Know any acronyms: READ, SCAMPI, F.I.T.T.E, SAID Principle...
• Take your time to read the questions on the exam...they can be tricky! For example:

Rather than just asking what foam roll technique you would have someone do for their feet turning out during an overhead squat assessment, they put it more like this:

During an overhead squat assessment, the client shows the compensation of their feet turning out. What would you incorporate into their flexibility routine to correct this problem?

It then gives you various answer choices, which, you will need to know that foam rolling would be the flexibility technique and that you are foam rolling the overactive muscles, therefore; Soleus, Lateral Gastrocnemius & Biceps Femoris. Then, you would choose the answer listing one of those three being foam rolled.

All in all, I didn't kill myself studying...just a little every night, and the test ended up being a lot easier than I thought. If I absolutely did not know the answer on the exam, I tagged it and went to the next one. I checked at the half-way point, and had only tagged about 10, so I felt pretty good at that point. By the end, I had checked about 21, so I was pretty certain that I had passed. There were several questions that used terms that I didn't remember reading in the book, so I feel like those were some of the research questions.

What helped me, was talking about what I was learning during the course of my husband's or my own exercise routines. Getting family and friends to let you practice assessments and incorporate the different levels of the OPT model into their routines was also helpful. I'm a hands on person, so I learn things better if I'm actually DOING it, rather than just reading it.

Good luck to everyone taking the exam!! Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help!

[EdgarAllanPoe]

Edgar,

Don't stress on special populations. As mentioned there was 2-3 questions on the entire exam about them.

Here's two of them I remember:

"When training youth clients, what special considerations should be taken into account?" Answer: Postural

Another:

"When training elderly clients, what is the best position to start them off in?"

Answer: Seated

And as I'm jogging my memory the last one was that pregnancy assessment question we already talked about.


As Brad and Venus mentioned before, focus on the acute variables table, the assessment chapter and def know all the main key terms. EPOC, definition of strength, strength endurance, muscular endurance etc.


Have you made index cards? I was hammering those index cards in every free minute I had outside of studying for an hour or so every night.

I remember you telling me you didn't know how much water per day was recommended, etc etc. Those are the gimmies that you should know and shouldn't miss.

Keep posting your questions, study hard and you'll do great bro!





SH

Yes, have a large stack of notecards and still adding. Probably nearing 200 or more. I plan on going through them shortly and trimming them down, taking the ones out that i am positive of.

I've continued to write down p.169 by memory everyday atleast once and I have that down. Even when doing the phone app when i have related questions i don't have to even think about it anymore i know that page forwards and backwards.

Went over the isolated functions by groups today and that made it a thousand times easier than the first go around, i feel like i already have that down. You physically perform a knee extension and u can obviously feel it in your quad so that made it easier for me.

Figured out the water, just kind've an oversight b/c it's not something that was bolded or stood out, and plus i don't really think in "quarts", but i'll have that question correct.

I have the resistance training acute variables down but i need to go back over the fitness assessment chapter once again for the acute variables, the two cardio assessments, how much weight to add on strength assessments, etc..

I didn't really start doing the notecard,writing down thing till i had already finished 8 or 9 chapters so I know the back of the book much better than the front.

Also going through the app 25 questions at a time, and making note of the answers that don't instantly come to me so i can review each subject. Not too far away from the test tho, it's all tying together.

Still would like to gain some hands on experience shadowing someone....need to get on that too, but my free time is very limited and usually spent studying the material

[Bradster101190]

Keep that up and you'll pass it easy, that's what it takes.

[VenusVegas]

Yes, have a large stack of notecards and still adding. Probably nearing 200 or more. I plan on going through them shortly and trimming them down, taking the ones out that i am positive of.

I've continued to write down p.169 by memory everyday atleast once and I have that down. Even when doing the phone app when i have related questions i don't have to even think about it anymore i know that page forwards and backwards.

Went over the isolated functions by groups today and that made it a thousand times easier than the first go around, i feel like i already have that down. You physically perform a knee extension and u can obviously feel it in your quad so that made it easier for me.

Figured out the water, just kind've an oversight b/c it's not something that was bolded or stood out, and plus i don't really think in "quarts", but i'll have that question correct.

I have the resistance training acute variables down but i need to go back over the fitness assessment chapter once again for the acute variables, the two cardio assessments, how much weight to add on strength assessments, etc..

I didn't really start doing the notecard,writing down thing till i had already finished 8 or 9 chapters so I know the back of the book much better than the front.

Also going through the app 25 questions at a time, and making note of the answers that don't instantly come to me so i can review each subject. Not too far away from the test tho, it's all tying together.

Still would like to gain some hands on experience shadowing someone....need to get on that too, but my free time is very limited and usually spent studying the material

Sounds like you are definitely on the right track! Knowing the isolated functions is half the battle, I think. Once you have the assessments down, you'll be good to go! With as much work as you're putting into it, I think you'll find that the actual exam isn't so scary.

[acslip]

Im preparing to take the NASM exam here in the next few weeks however, I do not understand double and triple extension/flexion.

I understand the principles of extension and flexion but i do not understand how to identify double or triple extension/flexion in a specific movement.

For example: A golfer swing is an example of double or triple extension/flexion? and how do you identify this?

[Bradster101190]

I replied in your thread. But don't sweat that stuff, its not on the test or 1 question Max. I'd copy what I said before but I am on my phone.

[Hardworker123]

http://quizlet.com/1939514/nasm-stud...e-flash-cards/

[EdgarAllanPoe]

took the nasm practice exam for the first time and got a 77.5...i swear a few of those questions seemed like research, they didn't ring a bell at all

[EdgarAllanPoe]

"ankle sprains have been shown to decrease neural control to which of the following muscles?" GLUTEUS MEDIUS (where in the text is this?)

"Which of the following muscles is primarily responsible for accelerating hip flexion and internal rotation?" TFL and i said biceps femoris but i should've sat and thought that TFL is in the HIP COMPLEX and the hammies extend the hip not flex (its 3am)

"During seated row exercise, motion occuring at shoulder joint during concentric phase is what?" SHOULDER EXTENSION (where in the text is this, i think of shoulder extension like preparing your arm to do tricep kickbacks)

"What is the recommended rest internal b/t pairs when power level training?" i said 3-5 mins and the answer is 1-2 mins.....Power level training u rest for up to 5 mins...b/t the supersetting i'd imagine there is 0 sec's b/t the strength/power exercises so i don't know what else they would mean by pairs

"individuals who engage in higher level visionary thinking as well as lower level strategic thinking are known as" FLExIBLE THINKERS (i've never heard of this and don't remember reading it at all)

"The scientific study of happy, successful, high achieving people is" POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY (never heard of this neither)

"Which of the following nutrients are responsible for transporting VITAMIN A,D,E,K?" FATS...i chose water, but would water even be a "nutrient"?

idk....a few other questions i missed just by not reading the question and it being 3am so i think fullly rested i may be in the low 80's at this point