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NASM Personal Trainer Certifications

A personal trainer is a professional who works hands-on with individuals to provide tailored exercise programs. The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), established in 1987, offers personal trainer certification, which covers areas such as nutrition, anatomy, physiology and kinesiology. NASM-certified personal training certification is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agency.

  1. Certified Personal Trainer Certification

    • The certified personal trainer certification concentrates on teaching individuals how to design specific programs intended to bring about the most favorable results for clients. The exam is meant for entry-level individuals as well as more advanced professional and teaches assessment, exercise technique, program design, nutrition, client relations and administration, and professional practice and responsibility.

      Assessment allows a person to diagnose a client's training history, goals and physiological information such as body composition and heart rate. In addition, assessment covers how to evaluate people with special risk factors, including diabetes and high blood pressure. Exercise technique demonstrates various applications, including flexibility training, core training, balance training, power training, strength training and cardio training. Program design covers how to make a detailed training and conditioning plan. The nutrition section educates about the importance of a balanced diet and how it improves athletic performance. The client relations and administration area covers how to sell the personal training profession, including services. The professional development and responsibility section details ethics and regulatory issues involved in professional training.

    Format and Specifics

    • A person who enrolls in the NASM program must be at least 18 years of age and must sit for the exam within six months of registering. An individual is required to take the exam at a specific testing center and has 120 minutes to finish the exam that includes 120 questions. A person must answer 25 questions each about assessment, exercise technique and program design. The test also includes 10 questions each concerning nutrition and client relations and administration. The test format also is made up of five questions concerning professional practice and responsibility and 20 research questions.

      Prior to taking the test, a person may take a practice exam to prepare for the certificate test. Before taking the test, a person is also required to have a CPR and automated external defibrillators (AED) certification. To earn a certificate, a scaled score of 70 or better is required. Certification lasts two years.

    Other Certificates

    • To help personal trainers, NASM also offers other certifications. The performance enhancement specialist advanced specialized certificate is geared to help professionals work with athletes of all levels, including professional athletes. Topics include nutrition, human movement science, and assessment. The corrective exercise specialist certificate offers credentials that focus on preventing injuries and designing programs to help someone overcome injuries.

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