Challenge Your Exam Readiness With Our Free NASM CPT Practice Questions

NASM emphasizes that Certified Personal Trainers (CPTs) must operate strictly within their professional scope of practice. While trainers are experts in fitness programming, they are not licensed to diagnose, treat, or prescribe. Referring a client with chronic back pain to a licensed healthcare provider is the correct course of action because it ensures client safety and compliance with professional boundaries. Designing rehabilitation programs, prescribing supplements, or creating therapeutic diets fall outside the CPT’s responsibilities and can create liability issues. Instead, CPTs should collaborate with allied health professionals when medical or dietary concerns arise. By focusing on evidence-based training, promoting safe exercise habits, and making referrals when necessary, CPTs demonstrate professionalism, maintain client trust, and uphold NASM’s standards of ethical practice. This aligns with NASM’s guidelines in the CPT Candidate Handbook and CPT-7 curriculum, reinforcing that CPTs provide fitness assessments, exercise instruction, and behavior change support, while referring clients for nutrition or medical concerns.