NASM GPTS study guide
NASM GPTS · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The NASM Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT) is a personal training credential offered by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, a provider that has been certifying fitness professionals for more than 35 years. The self-study CPT program is described by NASM as NCCA-accredited, and NASM states the program can be completed 100% online, in as few as 4 to 6 weeks depending on your schedule and pace. The NASM GPTS study guide has 6 sections and about 1,879 words.
01Basic and Applied Sciences
Basic and Applied Sciences underpins every coaching decision a group personal training specialist makes: anatomy, kinesiology, biomechanics, exercise physiology, and the principles explaining why a body adapts. The exam tests whether you can use those principles to justify a choice made for several people at once, not isolated facts.
332 words, about 2 min02Assessment
Assessment in group personal training is a filtering process: gather just enough data to train safely and individualize within one session, then re-test to prove progress. PAR-Q+ is the entry gate.
301 words, about 2 min03Program Design
Program design converts assessment data into a written plan with measurable acute variables. In group training the plan must be one template with layered options, not six different workouts running at once.
307 words, about 2 min04Exercise Technique and Training Instruction
Exercise technique is where group coaching is won or lost: you cannot manually cue ten people simultaneously, so instruction must be built into the setup and the demonstration. Demonstrate the whole movement, break it into two or three checkpoints, then let clients perform while you scan.
323 words, about 2 min05Client Relations and Behavioral Coaching
Clients stay when they feel seen inside a group. Behavioral coaching covers rapport, motivation, goal setting, adherence and group dynamics.
290 words, about 1 min06Professional Development and Responsibility
Professional development and responsibility is the boundary domain: what you may do, what you must document, and when you must refer. In group training, exposure multiplies because you supervise several people with less individual scrutiny.
326 words, about 2 min