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NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training, 6th Edition
Pursue. Transform. Inspire.
Gain the information, insight, and inspiration you need to change the world as a fitness professional. You'll also learn the foundations of exercise science, fitness assessments, nutrition, and how to grow a personal training business.
Since 1987, the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) has been a global leader in providing evidence-based certification and specializations. NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training, Sixth Edition, continues to lead the way by providing the most comprehensive resource for aspiring personal trainers, health and fitness professionals and enthusiasts.
Through NASM's proprietary Optimum Performance Training (OPTTM) model, this text will teach you a systematic approach for designing exercise programs that can help anyone reach their fitness goals.
Reader-friendly content includes:
- NEW NASM-CPT Exam Prep Content provides Quick Check Concepts, test taking best practices, as well as updated science relevant to the personal trainer
- Protocols for building stabilization, strength, and power program
- Exercise techniques, purpose, and safety tips
- Key definitions bolded and defined
- Stretch Your Knowledge boxes emphasizing major concepts and current research
- Memory Joggers highlighting concepts and program design instructions
- Chapter Summaries with key point reminders
- Extensive full-color images and charts
- Plus you'll get over 100 additional exercises; OPT workout programs; one repetition maximum conversion chart; and a muscle origin, insertion, and function guide
Gain the information, insight, and inspiration you need to change the world as a fitness professional. You'll also learn the foundations of exercise science, fitness assessments, nutrition, and how to grow a personal training business.
Since 1987, the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) has been a global leader in providing evidence-based certification and specializations. NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training, Sixth Edition, continues to lead the way by providing the most comprehensive resource for aspiring personal trainers, health and fitness professionals and enthusiasts.
Through NASM's proprietary Optimum Performance Training (OPTTM) model, this text will teach you a systematic approach for designing exercise programs that can help anyone reach their fitness goals.
Reader-friendly content includes:
- NEW NASM-CPT Exam Prep Content provides Quick Check Concepts, test taking best practices, as well as updated science relevant to the personal trainer
- Protocols for building stabilization, strength, and power program
- Exercise techniques, purpose, and safety tips
- Key definitions bolded and defined
- Stretch Your Knowledge boxes emphasizing major concepts and current research
- Memory Joggers highlighting concepts and program design instructions
- Chapter Summaries with key point reminders
- Extensive full-color images and charts
- Plus you'll get over 100 additional exercises; OPT workout programs; one repetition maximum conversion chart; and a muscle origin, insertion, and function guide
720 pages, Hardcover
Published May 28, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 4, 2019
The first text book I've ever read cover to cover. I learned a lot, as I hoped and expected. A great resource that I will continue to refer to often.
February 10, 2026
This is a textbook so I’m not entirely sure it belongs on here, but it was progress and accomplishment, so I’m putting it on here. Now I just need to take the exam. But this book was trash so many definitions and not a lot of explanation of why things are the way they are so honestly the worst way to learn anything.
July 3, 2024
2,5 out of 5
Read 7th edition but isn’t on goodreads (yet)
922 pages were painful, but I learned something here and there
Much of it is written too simplistically, and the ‘evidence based’ articles could’ve been better, for example they often referred to mcgill :(
Far too much attention given to posture and other things like technique that don’t matter as much in real physiotherapy as they make it seem in this book
A glassback mentality, the body is portrayed as something frail in this book
Exercises are often portrayed as a one-size-fits-all approach, which i don’t like
But hopefully i’ll be able to pass my exam now
Read 7th edition but isn’t on goodreads (yet)
922 pages were painful, but I learned something here and there
Much of it is written too simplistically, and the ‘evidence based’ articles could’ve been better, for example they often referred to mcgill :(
Far too much attention given to posture and other things like technique that don’t matter as much in real physiotherapy as they make it seem in this book
A glassback mentality, the body is portrayed as something frail in this book
Exercises are often portrayed as a one-size-fits-all approach, which i don’t like
But hopefully i’ll be able to pass my exam now
March 21, 2020
This is the first step towards achieving my CPT certification. (Wish me luck in the exam) I have really enjoyed reading this book. I have learned how to assess clients, how the OPT model works, and a little bit about nutrition, making a business and more. I highly recommend this book, even if you are not going for the certification, as the information represented in this book is coming from reliable sources! “Stay home, stay safe”
February 7, 2019
This book was obviously required for the NASM Personal Training course I took 2 years ago and I still refer back to it. It is a very reliable source and lays out training modules very clearly.
January 10, 2025
Great book for someone in the beginning/intermediate stages of their fitness journey. It offers foundational knowledge, but more advanced lifters and eager 20-somethings might find this rudimentary.
The book provides some nice templates and guidelines, but the more experienced trainer and athlete will need to make adjustments to the foundational material.
The book provides some nice templates and guidelines, but the more experienced trainer and athlete will need to make adjustments to the foundational material.
October 2, 2025
It is my bible for training, covers everything needed to be known from resume setup for jobs, behavior patterns, skeletal system, muscular system, nervous system, set up training sessions, and many more! I will definitely get back to this one over time!
January 17, 2025
Shit made me jacked. Made my clients jacked. Everyone jacked.
March 11, 2025
Well. I'm a Personal Trainer now ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Read
February 20, 2026FINALLY 😭😭😭
September 11, 2026
too expensive to fail. thots and prayers please
April 27, 2020
I’v read anaylsed this book aprox 2 years ago for my studies at NASM wich gave me a big perspective of the assessment you can put on the people, learned alot wich i use daily from it discovered the yanda’s approach of postural disbalances
Though will never use the opt model, too slow but safe for optimal result of hypertrophy.
Overall great book to read for any upcoming personal trainer
Though will never use the opt model, too slow but safe for optimal result of hypertrophy.
Overall great book to read for any upcoming personal trainer
June 21, 2020
Read front to back. Wouldn't be half as good at my job without it.
July 7, 2020
this a professional book to learn how to train
November 23, 2020
Really solid, it reads well. Just wish the chapter concepts had been in a better order.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews













