NASM Exam Study Guide: Important Concepts

Question 1

Acute disease

Answer 1

Suddenly occurring medical condition that can be treated and healed in a short period of time.

Question 2

Chronic disease

Answer 2

Medical condition that persists without going away quickly or being cured altogether.

Question 3

Obesity

Answer 3

Can significantly increase risk of serious health conditions.

Question 4

Hypertension

Answer 4

One of the primary risks for heart disease or stroke, which are the global leading causes of death. Hypertension is having a blood pressure of 140/90 or higher.

Question 5

Insulin

Answer 5

Hormone produced by the pancreas that helps glucose get into cells to provide the energy for work.

Question 6

What are the two most common issues at the foot and ankle?

Answer 6

Sprains and plantar fasciitis.

Question 7

What does the LPHC consist of?

Answer 7

Lumbar spine, pelvis, abdomen, and hip musculoskeletal structures.

Question 8

What must a NASM-CPT always adhere to?

Answer 8

NASM Code of Professional Conduct

Question 9

Normal blood pressure

Answer 9

120/80

Question 10

Elevated blood pressure

Answer 10

Between 120 and 129 and a diastolic less than 80 mm Hg

Question 11

LDL Cholesterol

Answer 11

Sometimes referred to as “bad cholesterol” tends to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Question 12

HDL Cholesterol

Answer 12

Sometimes referred to ask “good cholesterol”, it does not have the tendency to clog arteries like LDL cholesterol does.

Question 13

Type 1 diabetes

Answer 13

The pancreas does not make enough insulin, or none at all.

Question 14

Type 2 diabetes

Answer 14

The body still produces insulin, however it is not used properly by the cells.

Question 15

Selling personal training services is about…

Answer 15

Asking a client to make a commitment to an exercise program to improve his or her own health, wellness, and overall fitness.

Question 16

What are the four P’s of marketing?

Answer 16

Product, price, promotion, and place.

Question 17

SWOT Analysis

Answer 17

Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats

Question 18

Continuing Education as a NASM-CPT

Answer 18

2.0 CEU’s are required to renew the NASM-CPT credential every two years. 1.9 CEUs from continuing education and 0.1 CEU from renewing a CPR/AED certification

Question 19

Extrinsic motivation for exercise

Answer 19

Social recognition, rewards from competitions, improvement of physical appearance

Question 20

Intrinsic motivation for exercise

Answer 20

Stress relief, increasing energy, finding new ways to be challenged physically

Question 21

Examples of Outcome goals

Answer 21

Place top ten in a 10k race, achieving a certain level of body fat, achieving a certain level of strength improvement

Question 22

Examples of process goals

Answer 22

Jog for 45mins starting at 6:30am Monday-Friday, Eating 1600 calories per day of whole unprocessed foods to assist with weight loss efforts, strength training 5 days per week, targeting each muscle group to increase gains in muscle mass.

Question 23

Self efficacy

Answer 23

One’s belief that they can complete a task, goal, or performance; also known as self confidence.

Question 24

Self-monitoring

Answer 24

Observing, measuring, and evaluating one’s own behavior, often in the form of a dairy or log.

Question 25

Precotemplation

Answer 25

Client does not exercise and is not planning to start exercising in the next six months.

Question 26

Contemplation

Answer 26

When a person is thinking about implementing change but has not yet taken any steps to get started.

Question 27

Preparation

Answer 27

The client intends to act in the near future, usually within the next month.

Question 28

Action

Answer 28

The client has made specific modifications in their exercise routine within the last 6 months.

Question 29

Maintenance

Answer 29

The client has been exercising for more than 6 months and is working to prevent relapse.

Question 30

Decisional balence

Answer 30

Reflects the clients weighing of the pros and cons of changing

Question 31

Examples of closed ended questions

Answer 31

Are you motivated to exercise? Can you commit to exercising three days per week? Do you enjoy exercise?

Question 32

Examples of open ended questions

Answer 32

How might you go about making this change? What challenges do you see, and how can you overcome them?

Question 33

HMS: Human movement system

Answer 33

The collective components and structures that work together to move the body: muscular, skeletal, and nervous system.

Question 34

Neuron

Answer 34

Specialized cell that is the functional unit of the nervous system.

Question 35

Three components of a neuron

Answer 35

Neurons are composed of three main parts: cell body, axon, and dendrites.

Question 36

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Answer 36

A division of the nervous system that includes the brain and spinal cord.

Question 37

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Answer 37

Nerves that connect the rest of the body to the central nervous system.

Question 38

Afferent pathway

Answer 38

Sensory pathway that relays information to the central nervous system.

Question 39

Efferent Pathway

Answer 39

A motor pathway that relays information from the central nervous system to the rest of the body.

Question 40

Mechanoreceptors

Answer 40

Specialized structures that respond to the mechanical forces within tissues and then transmit signals through sensory nerves.

Question 41

Somatic nervous system

Answer 41

Nerves that serve the outer areas of the body and skeletal muscle and are largely responsible for the voluntary control of movement.

Question 42

autonomic nervous system

Answer 42

A division of the peripheral nervous system that supplies neural input to organs that run the involuntary processes of the body (e.g., circulating blood, digesting food, producing hormones).

Question 43

Sympathetic nervous system

Answer 43

Subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that works to increase neural activity and put the body in a heightened state.

Question 44

Parasympathetic nervous system