It’s official…
After almost 6 months of drudgery (not really) and whining (sorry), I’m an NASM certified personal trainer.
I’m still sort of in shock that it’s all over. Case in point: I took the day off for the test and have a few hours to kill before I have to pick up Mason to take him to an appointment, and my knee-jerk reaction to the free time was: “I guess I could get a little studying done.”
NO! No more studying!
The timing couldn’t be better—I’m getting that feeling I used to get going into winter break during college, when you wrap up your finals and beeline it out the door to spend the holidays recovering.
Which reminds me: I have so much Christmas shopping to do, that I’ve been putting off for the past few weeks while NASM was front and center in my brain. NO MORE!
As for the test itself: I plan to write up a full postmortem post (sorry for the lame/unfittingly depressing corporate term), but for now I’ll say: it was much harder than I thought, and not in the ways I expected.
The complicated stuff in the book? Metabolic pathways, over/underactive muscles in postural distortions, force-couples, sliding filament theory…no problem. Wake me up when you need my brain.
But the simple, random stuff? Like how long should a CPT keep receipts or which balance tool is the next least stable after the half foam roll? Ermm….beats me.
So I walked out of the test feeling like there was all this information in my brain that I’d worked so hard to cram in there—only to have it totally untouched. Forget how much I know about how Z lines work in the sarcomere…how many days after a client buys a personal training package should you schedule the first session: 1-2 or 3-5?
Well, I guess that’s the nature of test-taking. You naturally zero in on the stuff you think is most important, so that anything you didn’t study very well is, by extension, not important.
(But seriously, 120 questions and they chose to waste one on that session scheduling question? What’s even funnier is that they probably thought it was a softball.)
The testing experience itself was pretty cool, if only because it took place at the local Aviation Institute and I could pretend I was there for flight school.
I also got to overhear a couple pilots discussing a flight plan while I was waiting for my test to start. I pretended to be looking at my phone, but GUESS WHAT GUYS: I know all about your planned groundspeed checkpoint in Alberta.
I also chatted with a girl who was there to take a nursing exam. She made me feel better (and then, later, very very angry) by saying, “Oh, I took the CPT. It’s pretty easy. I don’t think I even read the book.”
Ha! Ok, crazy genius girl.
During the test, they supplied earplugs, since we were testing in the room right next door to flight school. (Aka close enough that we used the same entrance and bathroom—all I’m saying is I COULD have been confused for a pilot in training.) I’d never actually used earplugs before but, WOW, the silence was deafening. I had to take them out eventually because I was sick of listening to my brain buzzing.
I used up every last second of the 120 minutes we had to test—only because I wasn’t going to willingly part with that thing until I was 100% happy with every answer (and that was never going to happen). Minutes 2-0 were spent frantically contemplating a last-minute answer switch, like I was in a movie with one shot to cut the right colored wire and deactivate the bomb.
You could say I was a little nervous waiting for my results after the test. My hands were literally shaking while I signed the post-test paperwork—my heart pounding embarrassingly hard (right in front of the flight school people, who had bigger problems than how long they should wait to schedule a session with a new personal training client.)
And then the proctor said, very anticlimactically, “Looks like you passed. So you should be receiving a formal certificate in the mail in a few weeks…”
Hey, I’ll take it.
So with that, I’m off to bask in a few hours of true, uncompromised free time. (Ok, more like one hour at this point.) Hands-down the best celebratory gift I could ever give myself!
Talk to ya soon.
{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
Well someone told me this post would make me feel better…ha! I’m off to read that chapter on scheduling clients and keeping receipts! (Those might have been “research questions” which are 20 questions they don’t count because they are testing to see how well students learned those areas…but who knows!)
Amanda @ Diary of a Semi-Health Nut recently posted…NASM Personal Training Certification Test Tomorrow!
I’m surprised someone said that! I was pretty frustrated by what ended up being on the test–not much of what I knew inside and out, and a LOT of random things I’d skimmed over. I haven’t even heard of research questions! That would definitely make sense, ha.
Looks like you made it through anyway–congrats!!!! :)
Yay, way to go girl! Hard work pays off!!!
Yay, no more studying! I hated my testing experience. I had ear plugs in, but could totally hear everything around me! Congrats on your accomplishment!!
Cindy recently posted…Health Nut Holiday Gift Guide
Thanks Cindy! Wow, that’s weird your ear plugs didn’t work! Mine were a little too effective. :)
Congratulations!! So so happy for you!!! :) :) :)
Jessica @ Prayers and Apples recently posted…Cute Christmas Party Ideas (With a Healthy Twist!)
Thanks Jessica! I really appreciate your support throughout the process! :)
YAY CONGRATS!!!!!! Such a big accomplishment!!!! And I totally know about the brain overload – so much info in the books! And all the businessy receipt/scheduling/data entry stuff is like – WHUCK? Can’t ya just learn this ON THE JOB? Heh … Congrats again!!!!
Rachel B @ Busy Mama Fitness recently posted…How I ‘Fixed’ My Body Image
EXACTLY. Ask me in a year how many CPUs I’ll need to keep my certification going and I guar-an-TEE I’ll know. But who’s thinking about that stuff when they’re still getting the dang thing in the first place??
Anyway, thanks! :)
woo hoo!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations! Hope you enjoyed your few hours of free time too – those are precious! :)
Congratulations!!!
Yay!!!! So excited for you. Way to go.
Alex @ Alex Runs For Food recently posted…Friday Favorites II
Thanks Alex!
Congrats!!!
As someone who plans and creates training/assessments for a living, I am always fascinated by the questions chosen during a test! I’m guess there was an objective that had to be fulfilled. Gotta love it.
Michelle recently posted…Let’s Get Jolly, B*tches
I hate it when tests are easy-hard like that. Like the questions themselves are “easy,” but you either know the answer or you don’t. There’s no applying your deep understanding of the material to come to a smart answer. :)
Congrats Kim!! Now you can really enjoy your holidays!
Emily @ More Than Just Dessert recently posted…Tuesday Coffee Talk
Thanks Emily!
Woohoo!! Well done! enjoy no more study, and perfect time of year for celebrations! YEOW!
Rachel@curious runner girl recently posted…Breastfeeding and running…
Thanks! Yeah the timing is nice! :)
Yay!!! What a weight off your shoulders! So, what’s next?
Carrie @ Eight Crazy Soles recently posted…Cold & Snowy Weekend Recap
That’s a fabulous question! :) I have some ideas, but I might not be able to act on them right away. More just setting a foundation for the future–the idea was to get this done while I had “more time” on my hands. And yes, SUCH a weight off!
Wahooooooooo! Congratulations girlfriend! So exciting! Enjoy your extra leisure time!
Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries recently posted…My Christmas Wish List
Thanks Ashley! I’m sure my “extra time” will be gobbled right up by something else, but it feels nice for now!
YAY!! I knew you would pass! Must feel so nice to have it done before the holidays– congrats!
Katie @ Daily Cup of Kate recently posted…Gifts That Give Back
I’m glad you were confident, haha–it was much harder than expected! I’m so relieved! All made possible by your guest post, so thank you! :)
Congratulations!!! And, for the record – it is not an easy test!!
Funny about the pilots – my husband is a pilot!
Kim recently posted…Christmas Memories
Thanks for saying it’s not easy, haha–that girl was nuts right? She was comparing it to her nursing exam, which I’m sure was much more involved, but still, I can’t imagine walking into the CPT exam without reading the book…what??
Wow, your husband must be so dreamy! :) I’m fascinated by flying.
Congratulations!!
Emily @ Perfection Isn’t Happy recently posted…Ho Ho Holiday Tour {Day Two}
Thanks Emily!!
WHOO HOO!!! *interwebz high five* All that time paid off, you rock star, you. So very proud of you! Celebrate tonight :)
Thank youuu! I celebrated by not studying and it was perfect. :)
Well done you! That’s awesome news, all the hard work and study paid off in the end!
x
Em recently posted…Broken but not Defeated
Thank you!