Gym terms for dummies

Don't understand that gym jargon. Well, I got you covered. Here's a basic list of gym terms and phrases that will convince anybody you're a pro.

TRAINING

REPS: The No. of times you perform an exercise or movement.

SETS: How many times your repeat the exercise or movement for the set No. of repetitions e.g 3 SETS of 5 crunches.

COMPOUND: Any exercise that engages two or more different joints to fully stimulate entire multiple muscles or muscle groups e.g a squat, a clean and press.

FREESTYLE: Functional exercises beyond pushing a pulling; a type of three-dimensional training with dynamic movements.

CALESTHENICS: Body weight movements e.g press ups.

TO FAILURE: Performing an exercise until you can't possibly do anymore - till you 'reach failure.'

FORCED REPS: Carrying out extra reps of an exercise with the help of a partner when you can no longer do anymore on your own.

SUPERSET: A combination of exercises, normally two, done back to back with little to no rest.

ANAEROBIC:  Exercise in which oxygen is used up more quickly than the body is able to replenish inside the working muscles. For example, sprinting.

AEROBIC: Low/moderate intensity exercise which uses up oxygen at a rate in which the cardio respiratory system can replenish oxygen in working muscles. (The opposite to anaerobic). For instance, jogging is form of aerobic exercise. Or, you probably heard of aerobic classes...Aerobics became incredibly popular in the 80's along with tight spandex and big hair. Fabulous!

CIRCUIT: A series of different exercises performed in a sequence with little, or no rest. e.g 10 burpees, 5 squats, 5 lunges repeated 3x.

NEGATIVES: 'Negatives' are the eccentric part of a movement (the part where the muscle lengthens e.g while performing a chin up the negative is the downward part of the movement). Negatives are used to help strengthen muscles to perform an exercise in full and aid muscle development.

PLYOMETRICS: A form of exercise that involves rapid and repeated stretching and contracting of the muscles e.g jumping.

DROP SETS: Where you perform an exercise and then perform it again but dropping the weight and continuing till failure.

PYRAMID: Doing sets of upward or downward scaling of reps or weight e.g sets with  12 reps to 10... 8... 6.

ONE REP MAX: The maximum amount of weight which can be lifted in one single rep.

OVERLOAD: Training more than normal.

STACKING: Adding more weights.

FUNCTIONAL: Movements which train and strengthen your muscles to work together helping you perform daily activities. 

INTERVALS:  Training at a low intensity for a period of time followed by training high intensity or vice versa.

HIIT: High-Intensity Interval Training is a type of interval training where high and low intensity exercise is alternated for set periods of times.

TABATA: A type of interval training normally consisting of 20 seconds work followed by 10 seconds rest repeated.

ISOLATION: Working only one muscle or muscle group.

ABDUCTION: Moving a limb/limbs away from the center of the body.

ADDUCTION: Moving a limb/limbs towards the center of the body.

HYPERTROPHY: Muscle growth.

CARDIO: Cardiovascular exercise - exercise which works the heart and the lungs.

EQUIPMENT

FREE WEIGHTS: Weights which are not confined to stationary apparatus e.g a dumbell.

BARBELL: A long metal bar where weights are attached either end.

DUMBELL: A short bar with weights attached to both ends.

SMITH MACHINE:  A machine with a fixed barbell within steel rails only allowing vertical movement.

POWER RACK (SQUAT RACK, POWER CAGE...): A rack which holds a barbell to perform heavy weighted exercises.

PLATES: A round weight which can be attached to a bar.

FOAM ROLLER: A piece of equipment shaped like a tube to massage the muscles. 'Foam rolling' is a self-myofascial release technique to aid muscle recovery and release muscle tension.

KETTLE BELL: A cast-iron ball-shaped weight with a single handle.

BENCH: A bench used to lay/sit/rest on while resistance training.

BOSU: Stands for 'both sides up.'  A bosu ball is an exercise ball split in half often used for balance conditioning.

SWISS BALL: Or 'exercise ball'. A ball pumped with air used to perform exercises on.

MEDICINE BALL: A weighted ball - similar looking to a basketball - sometimes with handles.

ViPR: Stands for Vitality, Performance, Reconditioning. A ViPR is a weighted pipe shape piece of equipment use for freestyle training; it can be dragged, swung, pressed...

NUTRITION

PROTEIN: Proteins are made up of amino acids which combine in different forms to create different proteins. Amino acids are the building blocks for new tissues and repair the body's cells. They make hormones, enzymes, antibodies and protein can also provide a small amount of energy but only if energy resources are extremely low. There are 20 amino acids; your body can make some these itself (non-essential) but, there are 9 which your body can't - these are 'essential' and are taken in through diet.

CUTTING: Stripping the body of fat through training and restricted calories/macros.

BULKING: The process of adding mass through strength training and nutrition.

PREPPING: The process of dieting and training for a bodybuilding competition. Also 'foodprep': making food in bulk for the week.

SUPPS: Nutritional supplementation in the form of tablets, powders, drinks etc. where by intake is not met through diet alone. For instance bodybuilders drink protein shakes as they cannot consume all their protein requirement through meat alone. 

BMR: Basic Metabolic Rate is the amount of calories you burn at rest.

MACROS: Short for 'macronutrients.' Macros are a type of food required in large amounts in your diet i.e carbs, fats, protein and fibre.

IIFYM: Stands for 'If It Fits Your Macros.' Eating a meal/food (regardless whether 'healthy' or 'bad') which maintains your daily macronutrient limitations. 

HIGH GLYCEMIC: The glycemic index rates the effects which specific foods have on blood sugar levels compared with the same amount of pure glucose and also how quickly you digest the food into glucose.  A high glycemic food raises the blood sugar levels quickly and is converted into glucose quickly.

SAYINGS

"CAN I WORK IN?": When somebody wants to use the same equipment as you by stepping in during your rest breaks, taking it in turns using the equipment.

CARDIO BUNNY: A female gym-goer who spends all her time on cardio equipment.

YOGI: A person who practices yoga and has achieved a high level of spiritual insight.

"IT'S ALL YOU": Translates to - it's definitely not all you, it's me.

PUMPED: When your muscles are filled with glycogen and water making you feel tight and swollen.

SWOLDIER: Someone who is physically and mentally strong.

GAINS: Making positive progress e.g growing muscles.

BEASTMODE: Intense training both physically and mentally.

HENCH: Used to describe someone strong with well-developed muscles.

"SHE  SQUATS BRO": When a female has a toned and shaped bum from weightlifting.

"DO YOU EVEN LIFT": A condescending expression used when somebody looks small or untoned.

EAT CLEAN TRAIN DIRTY: Eating 'good' healthy foods while training hard.

NO PAIN NO GAIN: Motivation - to push through pain or soreness resulting from training to make positive progress. 

SKIPPED LEG DAY: Said referring to a male who only trains their upper body and is left with legs which look skinny.

MISC

FLEX: To bend or contract your muscles and show them at their biggest.

PB: Short for 'Personal Best'; a top score you have achieved during training like the heaviest weight you can squat or the quickest you can run a mile.

SPOT: Assisting another person with an exercise, usually to help somebody lift a heavy weight or to support them in returning the weight back to safe position after exhausting their muscles.

BRO SCIENCE: Word of mouth knowledge passed on as factual.

AESTHETICS: To look good and pleasing to the eye.

DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is the pain or stiffness felt several hours in muscles after exercise because of unaccustomed or strenuous use.

GUNS: Flexed big biceps.

MIRING: Admiring or watching yourself in a mirror.

VASCULAR: High visibility of veins due to exercise and low body fat.

LEAN: Having low body fat.

RIPPED: Muscular with low body fat.

JACKED: The same as hench.

GEAR: Slang for steriods.