National Academy of Sports MedicineReviews of nasm.org

I purchased the NASM CPT course. Navigating the course was easy, but I felt like there was a quite a bit of info that was beyond what a trainer needs to know. Trying to read and memorize or understand hundreds of pages of info is no small feat. I wish some of that information was swapped out for more real life instruction on things like working directly with clients, coaching form, choosing specific exercises, etc. I was very surprised that wasn’t hit harder in the course. Knowing the way I study and learn, I bought the book as well as a study app to prepare, so I think the study materials could be a bit better. But overall it was worth it and I’m glad I went through NASM.

I could go at my own pace. Scheduling was easy. I did end up using an extra paid for app, Pocket Prep, to help study for the exam. The questions on pocket prep were more in depth than on practice exams provided by NASM.

The material is thorough and engaging. There are resources through the NASM portal to learn each course. The exam is has an increased level of difficulty when compared to all of the practice materials (chapter quizzes, sections quizzes and practice exams), but consistently studying the material does prove that you will be prepared for the final exam!

The CPT information is presented in ways that can be confusing. I had to watch Axiom videos & even take an Axiom 2 week course in order to understand the NASM cpt information better. I did other research on my own in many of the confusing & hard to understand areas of your program. I felt for the price & amount of material it should be presented better.

Online study materials were great. I don’t know if I missed the directions for the online proctored test prep, but that was a bit of stress right before taking the test. Perhaps an email that’s very specific about setting up the proctor browser a few days before testing.

Overall, I found the NASM CPT education program easy to follow, well-paced, consistent, and clear. The course did a good job of taking a large amount of information and presenting it in a structured way that built on previous concepts. Most importantly, I came away with a practical understanding of the material that I feel prepared to apply successfully as a fitness professional. The biggest opportunity for improvement is engagement. The content could be repetitive at times, and I think more varied or interactive methods of presenting the material would make the self-guided learning experience more compelling. I also noticed several typos in the course content that caused text-to-speech/audio tools to read portions incorrectly. While relatively minor for someone reading the material visually, this could create a meaningful accessibility issue for learners who rely on these tools as an accommodation. I would encourage NASM to prioritize reviewing and correcting these errors to ensure the self-guided course is equally clear and accessible for all learners. I detract a full star because of how relentless the marketing emails are from NASM. While I'm mid-learning, Im getting anywhere from 2-6 emails PER DAY asking me to purchase other courses or products. Overall, I felt well prepared by the program and finished with both the knowledge needed to pass the CPT exam and, more importantly, a foundation I can actually use with future clients.

My experience was pretty good, only I think that having optional live class instruction may be helpful for the sort of learner like me that benefits from reading the material and then asking questions of an expert.

Great content. Wish there were more exercises for specific muscles and good technique. Very hard to reach out with questions.