The CPT Academy Podcast

Pronation Distortion Syndrome is one of the most important postural distortion patterns you'll study for the NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) exam. In this lesson, you'll learn what Postural Distortion Syndromes are, what Pronation Distortion Syndrome (Pes Planus) is, why it develops, how it affects movement throughout the kinetic chain, and how it connects to the Overhead Squat Asses...

Trying to memorize the NASM Overactive & Underactive Muscle Compensation Chart? Instead of memorizing dozens of muscles individually, learn how to recognize the patterns behind the chart so it becomes much easier to understand and remember. In this lesson, I'll show you how to use the compensation chart as a study tool for the NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) exam and explain how it c...

Why does the low back arch during a squat? An excessive low back arch is one of the most common movement compensations evaluated during the NASM Overhead Squat Assessment (OHSA). In this lesson, you'll learn why this compensation occurs, how it relates to anterior pelvic tilt, and what it tells you about the body's movement patterns. Instead of memorizing muscles, you'll begin understa...

Why do the knees cave in during a squat?"Knees Cave In"—also known as knee valgus—is one of the most common movement compensations evaluated during the NASM Overhead Squat Assessment (OHSA). In this video, you'll learn why this movement occurs, what it tells you about the body's movement patterns, and why understanding the compensation is far more valuable than simply memorizing...

Why do the feet turn out during the Overhead Squat Assessment? This is one of the most common movement compensations you'll encounter on the NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) exam. In this video, you'll learn why the feet turn out, what this movement pattern tells you about the body, and how it fits into the Overhead Squat Assessment. Rather than memorizing a list of muscles, you'l...

The Overhead Squat Assessment (OHSA) is one of the most important movement assessments on the NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) exam. In Part 2 of this series, you'll learn how to identify each major movement compensation by watching real examples and understanding why they occur. Rather than memorizing pictures from the textbook, you'll learn how to recognize movement patterns, unders...

The Overhead Squat Assessment (OHSA) is one of the most important movement assessments on the NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) exam. Understanding what to look for—and why these movement compensations occur—will make it much easier to identify overactive and underactive muscles and answer NASM exam questions with confidence. In this lesson, you'll learn the foundation of the Overhead Squa...

Osteoporosis is one of the most important special populations topics for personal trainers, fitness professionals, and anyone interested in long-term bone health. In this lesson, we explore the science behind osteoporosis, how it develops, why osteopenia is considered a precursor condition, and what trainers need to know when designing safe and effective exercise programs. We'll discuss:• Oste...

Ready to test your knowledge of NASM Section 5?In this video, we work through NASM CPT practice questions covering Resistance training, Plyometrics, Cardio training, Speed, Agility and Quickness (SAQ), exercise classification, sprint mechanics, warm-ups, and more. Rather than simply memorizing answers, you'll learn how to identify keywords, eliminate distractors, and think through questions th...

NASM CPT tempo questions can be some of the most confusing questions on the exam, but they don't have to be. In this lesson, I break down the NASM 4-beat tempo system step-by-step, explain how to read tempo correctly, and show you the easiest way to solve tempo questions using simple examples like the biceps curl. We'll cover:• How to read NASM's 4-beat tempo• Concentric, eccentric, an...

This is Part 4 (final) of the series on autogenic vs reciprocal inhibition. Now that you understand:Muscle imbalancesAdhesionsLength vs tensionWe apply it all to autogenic inhibition—one of the most important concepts for both corrective exercise and the NASM CPT exam. We cover:What autogenic inhibition isHow SMR and static stretching activate itWhat to do (and what to avoid)How this shows up in N...

This is Part 3 of our series on muscle imbalance and inhibition. So far:Part 1 → terminologyPart 2 → adhesions + Davis’s LawThis is Part 3 of a 4-part series on autogenic vs reciprocal inhibition. In this video, we break down the science of length vs tension—the key to understanding why stretching and corrective exercise actually work. We cover:Muscle spindles (length)Golgi tendon organs / GTOs (t...

This is Part 2 of a 4-part series on autogenic vs reciprocal inhibition. In this video, we break down what people call muscle "knots”—and what they actually are in NASM terms: adhesions. We cover:What muscle knots (adhesions) actually areThe science behind themDavis’s Law and how tissue adaptsHow adhesions contribute to overactive (tight) musclesHow to correct imbalances (inhibit, lengthen, a...

This is Part 1 of a 4-part series on autogenic and reciprocal inhibition—one of the most confusing (and most tested) concepts in the NASM CPT.In this video, we start with the foundational terminology you need to understand before anything else will make sense. We break down:- Muscle imbalances- Altered reciprocal inhibition- Synergistic dominance- Arthrokinetic dysfunction👉 You’ll learn what each...

If you’re confused by NASM’s science-based program design, especially periodization, you’re not alone! This is one of the commonly tested—and most misunderstood—topics on the NASM CPT exam. In this video, we break down:- Linear vs undulating periodization- How each applies to body fat reduction, muscle gain, and performance- How NASM actually expects you to think about program design (if you'r...

If you’re struggling to remember overactive and underactive muscles for the NASM CPT, you’re not alone. This is one of the most confusing (and most tested) topics on the exam — especially when you’re trying to apply it to movement compensations. In this video, we break it down using practice test questions, so you can:- Identify overactive vs underactive muscles- Recognize patterns in movement com...

Preparing for the NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) exam? In this video, we review the NASM exercise library and assessment concepts most commonly tested on the certification exam. This walkthrough highlights the most important exercises, assessments, and movement compensations you need to understand before taking the NASM CPT exam. Instead of reviewing every detail from the textbook, this vid...

Future personal trainers - this video is a must in setting up a successful NASM prep plan! We walk you through the basic science of the heart, covering anatomy and circulation pathways, while demystifying terminology and sharing tips and tricks to master the content and pass the NASM CPT 7th edition with flying colors! Be sure to check out our other test prep videos in the NASM Study Guide playlis...

Future personal trainers - this video is a must in setting up a successful NASM prep plan! We walk you through the basic science of overactive/underactive muscles (shortened/lengthened), demystifying terminology and sharing tips and tricks to master the content and pass the NASM CPT 7th edition with flying colors! Be sure to check out our other test prep videos in the NASM Study Guide playlist and...

Future personal trainers - this video is a must in setting up a successful NASM prep plan! We walk you through the structure of the Resistance Chapter Exercise Library, sharing tips and tricks to master the content and pass the NASM CPT 7th edition with flying colors! Be sure to check out our other test prep videos in the NASM Study Guide playlist and of course our NASM Test Prep Tip of the Day pl...

Preparing for the NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) exam? In this video we walk through a series of NASM practice questions covering biomechanics, muscle function, and movement patterns. These practice questions focus on concepts that frequently appear on the NASM CPT exam, including muscle actions, concentric vs eccentric contractions, integrated vs isolated function, and the five primary mov...

Future personal trainers - this video is a must in setting up a successful NASM prep plan! We walk you each step of the OPT Model so that you can pass the NASM CPT 7th edition certification exam with flying colors! Be sure to check out our other test prep videos in the NASM Study Guide playlist and of course our NASM Test Prep Tip of the Day playlist! Interested in learning more about our NASM CPT...

If you're preparing for the NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) exam, this video walks through realistic NASM practice test questions and explains exactly how to think through them. These questions come from a full NASM CPT practice exam, and in this video we break down several examples step-by-step so you can understand the concepts behind the correct answers. Many NASM exam questions are d...

Preparing for the NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) exam? In this video, we walk through a full practice final exam strategy designed to help you determine if you're truly ready for the NASM test. ***Be sure to check out our next episode where we walk through Practice Questions.*** This session explains how to approach a NASM CPT practice final, how to evaluate your performance by section,...

Future personal trainers - this video is a must in setting up a successful NASM prep plan! We walk you through the test structure and how to build your passing score, section by section, so that you can pass the NASM CPT 7th edition with flying colors! Be sure to check out our other test prep videos in the NASM Study Guide playlist and of course our NASM Test Prep Tip of the Day playlist! Interest...