NASM FNS cheat sheet

Scope of practice: a nutrition coach educates and supports behavior change; diagnosing disease, prescribing therapeutic diets, and ordering labs are outside the role and require referral to a licensed professional.

NASM FNS is a foundational credential; it does not confer a dietitian license, so state licensure laws determine whether terms like "medical nutrition therapy" may be used.

Continuing education units (CEUs) must be completed within the credential's renewal cycle; lapse without renewal means the credential can no longer be represented as current.

Evidence hierarchy from strongest to weakest: systematic reviews and meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, cross-sectional studies, case reports, expert opinion.

Informed consent requires disclosing purpose, procedures, risks, benefits, alternatives, confidentiality limits, and the client's right to withdraw at any time.

Confidentiality: personal health information is shared only with written client authorization or when required by law (e.g., imminent harm, abuse reporting, court order).

Conflict of interest and referral ethics: disclose any financial interest in a product or supplement before recommending it, and refer out when a client's needs exceed competence.

Documentation standards: record date, assessment data, goals, plan, and progress objectively; subjective labels and speculation are avoided in client records.

Professional boundaries: dual relationships (friend, employer, family) with clients should be avoided or managed with explicit disclosure because they impair objectivity.

Transtheoretical Model stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance (relapse cycles back); the coaching strategy must match the client's current stage.

Self-determination theory: intrinsic motivation rises when autonomy, competence, and relatedness are supported; controlling language ("you must") undermines it.

SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound; outcome goals describe results while behavior goals describe actions the client controls.

Motivational interviewing core skills (OARS): open-ended questions, affirmations, reflective listening, and summaries; the client, not the coach, voices the reasons for change.

Change talk (desire, ability, reasons, need) predicts behavior change; sustain talk predicts maintenance of the status quo, so the coach evokes and reinforces change talk.

Social cognitive theory: self-efficacy is built through mastery experiences, vicarious modeling, verbal persuasion, and interpretation of physiological states.

Self-monitoring (food logs, steps, weigh-ins) increases awareness and adherence; frequency and method should be chosen with the client to protect autonomy.

Relapse is a normal part of behavior change; the coach frames lapses as learning data and helps the client re-enter the action stage rather than labeling failure.

Effective feedback is specific, timely, and behavioral rather than personal; praise effort and process (e.g., meals logged) rather than only outcomes.

Energy density: carbohydrate and protein each yield about 4 kcal/g, alcohol about 7 kcal/g, and fat about 9 kcal/g.

Protein needs for generally healthy exercising adults commonly fall around 1.2-2.0 g/kg body weight per day; higher intakes are not automatically required for all clients.

Essential amino acids (9): histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine; leucine is a key trigger of muscle protein synthesis.

Fiber guidance is roughly 25-38 g/day for adults, with adequate fluid; soluble fiber (oats, legumes, psyllium) affects cholesterol and glycemic response more than insoluble fiber.

Glycemic index ranks a carbohydrate food's blood glucose response relative to a reference (glucose or white bread); glycemic load = GI x grams of available carbohydrate / 100.

Fatty acid classes: saturated (no double bonds), monounsaturated (one), polyunsaturated (two or more); omega-3 and omega-6 are essential and must come from the diet.

Water needs vary with body size, climate, and activity; urine color and body-mass change across a session are practical hydration indicators.

Micronutrient roles: vitamin D and calcium for bone; iron for oxygen transport (higher needs in menstruating clients); B vitamins as coenzymes in energy metabolism.

Thermodynamics still applies: sustained weight change requires an energy deficit or surplus, though rate and composition are modified by adherence, training, and physiology.

Assessment sequence: pre-participation health screening, then physiological (body composition, cardiorespiratory, posture/movement), then performance and nutrition/behavioral data.

Body mass index = weight (kg) / height (m)^2; it screens populations but misclassifies muscular clients because it does not measure body fat.

Waist circumference risk thresholds commonly cited: >102 cm (40 in) for men and >88 cm (35 in) for women indicate elevated cardiometabolic risk.

Body fat via skinfolds uses a 3- or 7-site protocol with the same technician, caliper, and equation each time; track trends, not single readings.

Resting heart rate and blood pressure should be measured after 5 minutes of quiet seated rest; repeat abnormal readings before acting on them.

24-hour dietary recall is quick but relies on memory; a multi-day food record improves accuracy but can alter eating behavior (reactivity).

Readiness-to-change and self-efficacy questionnaires identify the behavioral starting point before a nutrition plan is written.

Movement screening (e.g., overhead squat, single-leg squat) identifies mobility and stability limitations that shape exercise selection and referral decisions.

Baseline data must be recorded before programming so progress can be measured against objective, client-specific reference points.

Five kinetic chain checkpoints during any exercise: feet/ankles, knees, lumbo-pelvic-hip complex, shoulders, and head.

Overhead squat compensation - feet flatten or turn out: probable ankle dorsiflexion limitation or hip external-rotator tightness; cue and mobilize rather than load heavier.

Knee valgus (knees move inward) during a squat: activate gluteus medius and adductors and cue "knees track over the second and third toes."

Excessive forward lean in the overhead squat: limited ankle dorsiflexion or hip flexion, or overactive hip flexors and gastrocnemius; address mobility before adding load.

Arms fall forward in the overhead squat: tight latissimus dorsi and teres major or weak scapular stabilizers; cue thoracic extension and scapular retraction.

Asymmetric weight shift: probable ankle mobility asymmetry or hip stability deficit; reduce load and cue symmetrical weight distribution.

Acute variables for instruction: intensity, repetitions, sets, tempo, rest interval, and exercise selection are set by the phase of the OPT model, not by preference alone.

Tempo notation is a three- or four-digit sequence (e.g., 4/2/1) giving eccentric, isometric-hold, and concentric seconds; slower eccentrics are used in stabilization phases.

Breathing: exhale on the concentric effort and inhale on the eccentric; clients should avoid breath-holding (Valsalva) unless specifically coached for heavy loads.

OPT model phases: 1 Stabilization Endurance; 2 Strength Endurance; 3 Muscular Development; 4 Maximal Strength; 5 Power; phases 2-5 repeat at higher intensity in later cycles.

Phase 1 acute variables: 12-20 reps, 1-3 sets, 4/2/1 tempo, 0-90 s rest, low-to-moderate intensity (about 50-70% 1RM), stabilization-focused.

Phase 2 pairs a strength exercise with a stabilization exercise for the same muscle group (e.g., bench press then stability ball push-up).

Phase 3 uses 6-12 reps, 3-5 sets, moderate-to-high loads (about 75-85% 1RM), and shorter rest to build hypertrophy.

Phase 4 uses 1-5 reps, 4-6 sets, 85-100% 1RM, and long rest (3-5 min) for maximal strength.

Phase 5 uses 1-10 reps at 30-45% 1RM or body weight with explosive tempo and 3-5 min rest to develop power after a strength base.

Progressive overload must be applied in small increments; the general adaptation syndrome predicts that excessive load without recovery leads to the exhaustion stage.

Nutrition programming aligns with training phase: energy and carbohydrate availability rise with volume and intensity, and protein is distributed across 3-5 feedings per day.

Periodization schedules planned variation across macrocycles (months to a year), mesocycles (weeks to months), and microcycles (about a week) to manage fatigue and adaptation.