As an aspiring personal trainer, there is a good chance you’ve considered a NASM certification to add to your list of professional accolades. There’s good reason too, NASM is considered to be a global leader in credentialing fitness professionals, and their wealth of certifications will prepare you for a promising career in personal training or one of their other areas of specializations.
This presentation is a NASM certification review from an actual certified NASM CPT (me), and an overview of the NASM company, the NASM CPT and other certifications, some notes on the ever popular NASM OPT model, and lots of other important information on costs, reviews, salaries, and your next steps should you choose to pursue a career with NASM.
There are also some links for some free and premium NASM study guides to help you on your career path. For more detailed information on the NASM certifications I discuss here, check out: https://www.fitnessmentors.com/nasm-certification/
2. What is NASM?
NASM stands for the National Academy of
Sports Medicine, a 30-year old company best-
known for their Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)
program. Within the last 10 years, NASM has
certified and recertified more personal trainers
than any other personal training company,
helping nearly 200,000 obtain, or maintain, their
CPTs all across the globe.
NASM is also NCCA-certified, meaning they
have the National Commission for Certifying
Agencies credentials, the first standards ever
developed to ensure a fitness certification body
has the essential elements of a high-quality
program.
As a personal trainer, the global recognition and
the NCCA-certification are important factors in
choosing NASM as a potential candidate for
your fitness education.
4. NASM OPT Model
The program is made of five phases split into three levels -
- stabilization, strength, and power:
Phase 1: Stabilization Endurance
Phase 2: Strength Endurance
Phase 3: Hypertrophy
Phase 4: Maximal Strength
Phase 5: Power
NASM has pioneered what is
called the Optimum
Performance Training (OPT™)
model, a comprehensive
training system that is heavily
versed in scientific, evidence-
based research. According to
NASM, the emphasis on science
makes OPT ideal for program
design and delivering consistent
results.
5. NASM CPT
Certification Cost
NASM has multiple study options for
aspiring trainers and they really boil
down to choosing the one that is
right for you.
NASM has four study options to
choose from*:
Self-Study $699
Premium Self-Study $999
Guided-Study $1,299
All-Inclusive $1,999
*Prices subject to change
How the NASM CPT stacks up against other CPTs in terms of cost
(cost of test & study materials)
6. NASM CPT
Salary
We evaluated the average
income of NASM, ACE, ACSM,
NSCA, AFAA, and NCSF
personal trainers. This data was
pulled from reputable websites
where registered users self-
report their income.
7. How to Get a NASM Certification
To be eligible for a NASM CPT, you need to
meet the following criteria:
Be at least 18 years of age
Hold a current cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR) and an automated external
defibrillator (AED) certification
From there, you simply sign up for one the
aforementioned study programs on the NASM
website and begin studying, then schedule a
time to take the exam once you feel prepared.
How do you know if you’ll be prepared? The
Fitness Mentors Online Course for the NASM
CPT Exam comes with a pass guarantee, so that
is a good place to start.
8. Pass Your NASM CPT the First Time
Premium Study Materials with Pass Guarantee’s
available at Fitness Mentors:
Audio Lectures
Practice Tests
Premium Study Guide
Learn more
the NASM
Certification
