Applied + Basic Sciences
25%of exam
Nutrition
8%of exam
MacrosHydrationScope LimitsWeight Management
Assessment + Intake
12%of exam
ScreeningPAR-QMovementBaseline Data
Program Design
25%of exam
FITTProgressionPeriodizationSpecial Populations
Exercise Technique
25%of exam
CueingSpottingRegressionSafety
Professional Practice
5%of exam
ScopeEthicsRecordsRisk Management
Quick Facts
- Exam
- NCCPT CPT
- Questions
- 140 scored
- Pretest
- 15 unscored
- Time
- 2 hours
- Delivery
- Prometric
- CPR
- Required current
- Pass rate
- 67% 2025
- Retakes
- 3 per year
Movement Planes
Sagittal frontal transverse
Sagittal: flex extendFrontal: side bendTransverse: rotate
Concentric vs Eccentric
Concentric
- Muscle shortens
- Lifting phase
- Overcome gravity
Eccentric
- Muscle lengthens
- Lowering phase
- Control descent
Shorten vs lengthen
Anatomy Basics
- Agonist
- Prime mover muscle
- Antagonist
- Opposes agonist
- Synergist
- Assists prime mover
- Stabilizer
- Fixes joint posture
- Sagittal plane
- Flexion extension
- Frontal plane
- Abduction adduction
- Transverse plane
- Rotation movement
- Concentric
- Muscle shortens
Energy Systems
PC fast glycolytic oxidative slow
PC: 0-10 secGlycolytic: 10-120 secOxidative: 2 min plus
Agonist vs Antagonist
Agonist
- Prime mover
- Creates motion
- Target muscle
Antagonist
- Opposes mover
- Relaxes reciprocal
- Opposite action
Mover vs opposer
Energy Systems
- ATP-PC
- Zero to ten seconds
- Glycolytic
- Ten to two minutes
- Oxidative
- Two minutes plus
- VO2 max
- Peak aerobic capacity
- Lactate threshold
- Anaerobic shift point
- EPOC
- Post exercise oxygen
- Type I fibers
- Slow oxidative endurance
- Type II fibers
- Fast glycolytic power
ATP-PC vs Oxidative
ATP-PC
- Zero to ten sec
- Max power sprint
- No oxygen needed
Oxidative
- Two min plus
- Endurance steady
- Aerobic pathway
Sprint vs endurance
Nutrition Scope
- Macronutrients
- Protein carb fat
- Micronutrients
- Vitamins minerals
- BMR
- Resting calorie burn
- TDEE
- Total daily energy
- Hydration
- Fluid balance guidance
- MyPlate
- General food model
- Refer RD
- Medical diet referral
- No prescribe
- Outside CPT scope
Screening Picker
- New client intake→PAR-Q+(First step)
- Yes on PAR-Q→Physician clearance(Before exercise)
- Chest pain history→Medical referral(Do not train)
- Controlled hypertension→Modified program(Monitor BP)
- Acute injury→Refer rehab pro(Not CPT treat)
- Pregnancy cleared→Modified FITT(OB approval)
- Diabetes stable→Glucose aware plan(Snack ready)
- Healthy adult cleared→Full assessment(Baseline data)
Screening + Intake
- PAR-Q+
- Readiness questionnaire
- Informed consent
- Risk acknowledgment
- Health history
- Conditions medications injuries
- Resting HR
- Baseline heart rate
- Blood pressure
- Cardiovascular risk flag
- BMI
- Height weight ratio
- Body comp
- Fat lean estimate
- Clearance
- Physician approval needed
FITT Principle
Frequency Intensity Time Type
F: sessions per weekI: effort loadT: durationType: mode
Strength vs Hypertrophy
Strength
- One to six reps
- Heavy load
- Long rest
Hypertrophy
- Six to twelve reps
- Moderate load
- Shorter rest
Heavy low vs moderate
Goal Program Picker
- Build muscle mass→Hypertrophy block(6-12 reps)
- Max strength goal→Strength block(1-6 reps)
- General fat loss→Cardio plus resistance(Deficit diet refer)
- Endurance event prep→Oxidative training(Long duration)
- Beginner deconditioned→Low intensity circuit(Form first)
- Senior balance focus→Stability progressions(Fall prevention)
- Plateau no progress→Overload change(FITT tweak)
- Overtraining signs→Deload week(Recovery priority)
FITT Variables
- Frequency
- Sessions per week
- Intensity
- Effort load level
- Time
- Duration per session
- Type
- Mode of exercise
- Volume
- Sets times reps
- Overload
- Progressive challenge
- Specificity
- Train goal movement
- Reversibility
- Use it lose it
Resistance Design
- 1 RM
- Max single rep
- Hypertrophy
- Six to twelve reps
- Strength
- One to six reps
- Endurance
- Twelve plus reps
- Superset
- Back to back sets
- Circuit
- Station rotation
- Deload
- Reduced volume week
Internal vs External Cue
Internal
- Feel the muscle
- Body focused
- Less effective novices
External
- Push the floor
- Environment focus
- Better motor learning
Body vs environment
Coaching + Cues
- Internal cue
- Feel muscle engage
- External cue
- Focus outside body
- Regression
- Easier movement option
- Progression
- Harder movement option
- Spotting
- Assist at failure
- Neutral spine
- Natural lumbar curve
- Knee tracking
- Align over toes
- Bracing
- Core tension before lift
Scope Reminder
Coach train refer never diagnose
Coach: exerciseTrain: safe progressionRefer: medical diet rehab
CPT Scope vs Diagnose
CPT scope
- Exercise coaching
- General nutrition tips
- Refer when needed
Out of scope
- Medical diagnosis
- Prescribe diet meds
- Treat injury rehab
Coach vs clinician
Exam Logistics
- NCCPT
- Accredited exam owner
- Prometric
- Test center vendor
- Remote proctor
- Live online option
- 155 items
- 140 scored 15 pilot
- 12 month auth
- Exam window length
- 14 day wait
- First retake interval
- 90 day wait
- Second retake interval
- CPR AED
- Required before testing
Scope + Ethics
- Scope of practice
- CPT role boundary
- Refer out
- Beyond skill refer
- HIPAA aware
- Protect client data
- Dual relationship
- Conflict of interest
- Documentation
- Written session records
- Emergency plan
- AED CPR protocol
- Liability waiver
- Assumption of risk
Common Traps
Concentric vs eccentric
Concentric shortens ≠ Eccentric lengthens
CPT vs dietitian
CPT general tips ≠ RD prescribes diet
Strength vs hypertrophy
Strength one six reps ≠ Hypertrophy six twelve
Internal vs external
Internal feel muscle ≠ External environment cue
Screen vs diagnose
PAR-Q screens risk ≠ CPT cannot diagnose
ATP vs oxidative
ATP-PC sprint power ≠ Oxidative long endurance
Last Minute
- 1.140 scored plus 15 pilot items
- 2.Science design technique 25 each
- 3.Nutrition 8 percent scope only
- 4.Assessment 12 percent PAR-Q first
- 5.Professional 5 percent ethics scope
- 6.CPR AED required before exam
- 7.Prometric center or remote proctor
- 8.Refer medical diet rehab out
- 9.FITT drives program decisions
- 10.14 then 90 day retake waits
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