9.3 Cueing: Kinesthetic, Auditory, and Visual
Key Takeaways
- The CPT7 blueprint names kinesthetic, auditory, and visual cueing as required knowledge in Exercise Technique and Training Instruction.
- Effective cueing is concise, timed to the movement, and matched to how the client learns under load.
- Kinesthetic cueing can be useful but requires permission, professionalism, and clear purpose.
- Exam scenarios usually reward the cue that corrects the observed compensation without adding confusion or unsafe load.
Choosing the Cue That Works
Cueing is not a speech. It is the smallest useful message that helps the client move better on the next repetition. NASM names three major cueing types for the CPT exam: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Skilled trainers combine them, but the exam often asks which type is being used or which cue best fixes a compensation.
Visual cueing gives the client something to see. The trainer may demonstrate a lunge, show the start and finish position, use a mirror, point to knee tracking, or use a video when appropriate. Visual cues are strong when the client is learning a new exercise or cannot picture the pattern from words alone.
Auditory cueing uses words, rhythm, counting, tempo, or sound. It should be brief and connected to the current task. Examples include ribs down, knees track over the second toe, exhale as you press, or three seconds down. Long technical explanations are better saved for rest periods.
Kinesthetic cueing uses touch or physical guidance to help the client feel a position or muscle action. This might include tapping the glutes before a bridge or placing a hand near the upper back while cueing scapular retraction. The trainer should always ask permission, explain the purpose, and avoid unnecessary contact.
| Cue type | Best use | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Visual | Teaching a new pattern or showing range | Demonstration must match the client's safe version |
| Auditory | Tempo, alignment, breathing, quick correction | Too many words can overload the client |
| Kinesthetic | Helping the client feel position or target muscle | Requires consent and professional touch |
| Combined | Complex skill acquisition | Use one primary correction at a time |
Cueing must match the observed error. If a client's knees cave inward during a squat, drive the knees out gently or keep knees in line with toes fits better than chest up unless trunk position is also the limiting issue. If a client's shoulders elevate during a row, a scapular cue fits better than a biceps cue.
Do not confuse motivation with cueing. Telling a client push harder may increase effort, but it does not teach movement. On the exam, the correct cue usually names a body position, target action, tempo, breathing pattern, or specific correction.
Timing matters. Cue before the rep if setup is wrong. Cue during the rep if the client can safely correct in motion. Stop and reset if the error creates risk or if the client cannot process the cue while moving. A trainer should not keep adding cues while the client is stuck under heavy load.
External cues can help many clients. Instead of saying extend the hips, a trainer may say push the floor away or stand tall through your heels. Internal anatomical cues can still be useful, especially when the client understands them. The best cue is the one that changes the movement safely.
Cueing also includes listening. Ask what the client feels, where the exercise is challenging, and whether a cue made sense. Active listening helps separate a comprehension issue from a strength, mobility, confidence, or fatigue issue.
For hands-on cueing, professionalism is testable. Ask permission first, use the least contact needed, cue over clothing, avoid sensitive areas, and offer an alternative such as a dowel, mirror, wall, or self-touch cue. If the client declines touch, respect that choice and use visual or auditory cueing.
A common exam trap is overcorrection. A beginner performing a squat may need only stance, knee tracking, and controlled depth at first. If the trainer gives ten cues about pelvis, foot arches, gaze, wrists, breathing, tempo, and bar path, performance can worsen. Prioritize the one issue most tied to safety and exercise purpose.
Remember the cueing chain: show it, say it, let the client try it, then adjust only what matters most. That keeps instruction clear and client-centered.
A trainer demonstrates a hinge pattern before the client tries a Romanian deadlift. Which cueing type is this?
A trainer taps a client's glutes after asking permission and says, activate here during the bridge. Which cueing combination is being used?
A beginner is squatting with knees moving inward. Which cue is most specific?