Just finished the NASM exam

by Hello World
(CA)

I just finished taking the NASM exam this morning.

The sample questions were helpful such as protein for endurance athlete, diastolic blood pressure, female heart rate, etc., so I thank the other posters to this site.

Other questions/concepts I remember.

-what concept defines how your body stores fat in terms of energy balance. possible answers: law of thermodynamics, davies test, etc.

-there were a couple questions on essential amino acids. how many essential amino acids are there? You don't need to memorize them, but know what the difference between essential and non-essential amino acids.

-which one of the following is a monosaccharide? know your monosaccharides and dissacharides.

-what is the agonist during hip extension? hamstrings, glutues maximus, etc.

-what muscles are part of the core movement system? internal obliques, external obliques, etc.

-know what autogenic inhibition and altered reciprocal inhibition is.

-there was a question on % of communication using words? 15%, 4%, 9%, etc. i think this was a research question.

-there were two questions on beta blockers.

-what happens when you are dehydrated? increased blood volume, increased heart rate, etc.

-how much water does a person need a day? the answers are in quarts, so know that 1 quart=32 ounces.

-minimum protein for endurance athlete

-minimum amount of rest internal in maximal strength training.

-what does READ stand for?

-what part of the heart pumps blood to the rest of the body?

-the overhead squat is done in what plane?

-there was also a question on defining assessment that i thought was a bit confusing. know your definition of assessment.

-also know the difference between directive and non-directive questions.

-there was also a question on heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output.

-i would memorize the fitness assessment parameters like the back of your hand, both overactive and underactive muscles. they ask 8-10 questions on this.

-acute parameters are also very important. how many repetitions for single leg balance reach is recommended? during the pulling assessment, what rep. tempo is necessary. etc.

-for a senior level client, what type of starting position is recommended? standing, sitting, lying down, etc.

-for youth level client, what is the most important aspect? postural control, etc.

-what % of max HR is zone 3.

-what % of 1 rep max for power training.

Overall, I thought the test was a fair assessment of the knowledge that I have gained. Know your stuff, and you will be fine. I studied for the past 4 months, and don't have much background in personal fitness.

Many of the questions, you can eliminate down to 2 choices, and then take an educated guess.

I thought I would need to know more information on what the muscles actually do (concentrically accelerates dorsiflexion, etc.) since questions were like that on the practice exam, but there weren't any questions like that.

Also, I would recommend memorizing all the exercises in the different categories (flexibility, balance, core, etc.). It will also help you be a better fitness professional.