Episode Details

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SUF NASM Guide: How to pass the NASM CPT exam in 2026 without reading 800 pages. In this Show Up Fitness podcast, we break down the 7 most important NASM CPT topics including the OPT model, overhead squat assessment, planes of motion, muscle imbalances, behavior change, programming, and nutrition. Show Up Fitness has helped 10,000+ trainers pass NASM, ACE, and ISSA faster with quizzes, study guides, weekly calls, and real coaching. KEEP SHOWING UP!

[Most NASM CPT prep advice pushes you toward the same mistake: read the whole textbook, take random quizzes, and hope your anxiety does not spike on test day. We take the opposite approach. We narrow your attention to the high-impact concepts the NASM personal trainer exam leans on again and again, then show you how to recognize the patterns behind the questions so you can answer faster with more confidence.

We start with the basics that buy you easy points: anatomy direction terms and planes of motion, plus simple exercise examples you can recall under pressure. From there we hit behavior change coaching and the stages of change, along with key terms like open kinetic chain versus closed kinetic chain and the roles of agonist, synergist, stabilizer, and antagonist. If you have ever felt like you “knew the material” but still missed questions, this is where the test language starts to make sense.

Then we get into the meat: assessments, subjective versus objective information, and how NASM loves to test compensations through overactive and underactive muscle groups, especially with the overhead squat assessment. We also break down the NASM OPT model and acute variables, including the numbers that matter for tempo, reps, rest, and intensity, so you can stop guessing which phase a movement belongs to and start selecting the best answer consistently.

If you want to pass the NASM CPT exam without wasting months on low-value studying, press play. Subscribe for more no-fluff coaching talk, share this with a friend who is cramming, and leave a review so more trainers can find it.]

Want to become a SUCCESSFUL personal trainer? SUF-CPT is the FASTEST growing personal training certification in the world!

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Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/
Become a Successful Personal Trainer Book Vol. 2 (Amazon): https://a.co/d/1aoRnqA
NASM / ACE / ISSA study guide: https://www.showupfitness.com