100 Gym Terms You Need To Know
Welcome to our comprehensive guide to gym terminology! Whether you're a seasoned gym-goer or a beginner just stepping into the world of fitness, understanding the language of the gym can sometimes feel like deciphering a foreign code. But fear not, because we've compiled a definitive list of 100 essential gym terms to demystify the jargon and empower you on your fitness journey.
From reps and sets to HIIT and DOMS, we've got you covered with explanations that will make navigating the gym floor a breeze. Whether you're looking to brush up on your fitness knowledge or simply want to feel more confident during your workouts, our guide is here to help.
So, whether you're hitting the weights, pounding the treadmill, or trying out a new group fitness class, arm yourself with the knowledge you need to succeed. Let's dive in and decode the language of fitness together!
100 Gym Terms
Active Recovery: Low-intensity exercise performed during rest periods or on active recovery days to facilitate recovery and promote blood flow without causing fatigue.
Aerobic Exercise: Exercise that primarily relies on oxygen to meet energy demands, often performed at a moderate intensity for an extended duration.
All You: Your spotter will usually say “All you” when you performed the movement without any assistance.
AMRAP: "As Many Reps (or Rounds) As Possible" - A workout format where the goal is to complete as many repetitions or rounds of a specific exercise or series of exercises within a set time frame.
Anaerobic Exercise: High-intensity exercise performed without the use of oxygen as the primary energy source, typically lasting for short durations (e.g., < 12 seconds).
Anabolic: Pertaining to metabolic processes that build complex molecules from simpler ones, often associated with muscle growth and tissue repair.
Ass To Grass (ATG): Performing a squat exercise where the hips descend below the level of the knees.
BFR: Blood Flow Restriction - A training technique involving the use of bands or cuffs to restrict blood flow to muscles during exercise, purported to enhance muscle hypertrophy and strength gains utilizing light resistance.
Beast Mode: A state of intense focus, determination, and effort during a workout.
Block: A period of focused training with specific goals and methods.
BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate - The amount of energy expended by the body at rest to maintain basic physiological functions.
BMI: Body Mass Index - A measure of body fat based on height and weight.
Brace: Engaging core muscles to stabilize the spine during exercises to produce more force and reduce injury.
Bro: Slang for a friend or fellow gym-goer, often used in a supportive or camaraderie context.
Broscience: Anecdotal or non-scientifically supported fitness advice or beliefs.
Bulking: A phase of training and nutrition aimed at increasing muscle mass and size.
Calisthenics: Bodyweight exercises performed without the use of additional equipment, focusing on strength, flexibility, and body control.
Cardio: Aerobic exercises designed to improve cardiovascular health and endurance.
Chalk: Magnesium carbonate used to improve grip during lifting exercises by absorbing moisture and reducing slippage.
Cheating: Using improper form or momentum to complete a repetition.
Cheat Rep: A repetition performed with compromised form or momentum to get additional lifting benefits.
Circuit: A series of exercises performed in succession with little to no rest in between.
Compound Exercise: An exercise that engages multiple muscle groups and joints simultaneously., e.g., deadlift, squat, overhead press.
Conditioning: Improving cardiovascular fitness, endurance, and overall physical conditioning.
Concentric: The phase of a muscle contraction where the muscle shortens. E.g., lifting portion of the bench press or bicep curl.
Core: The muscles of the abdomen, lower back, and pelvis that stabilize and support the spine.
CrossFit: A high-intensity fitness program incorporating varied functional movements performed at high intensity, often in a time-constrained environment, with an emphasis on improving cardiovascular endurance, strength, and overall fitness.
Cutting: A phase of training and nutrition aimed at reducing body fat while preserving muscle mass.
Cycle: A periodized training plan divided into specific phases or cycles.
DB: Dumbbell - A type of free weight used in strength training.
Deload: A planned reduction in training volume or intensity to facilitate recovery and prevent overtraining. usually performed for one week.
DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness - Muscle soreness that develops 24-48 hours after intense exercise.
Drop Set: A technique where weight is reduced between sets to extend the duration of a working set and increase muscle fatigue.
Dynamic Stretching: Stretching exercises that involve moving through a range of motion to improve flexibility, mobility, and warm-up before workouts.
Eccentric: The phase of a muscle contraction where the muscle lengthens. This is the “lowering phase”. For example, the lowering phase of the bench press or bicep curl.
EMOM: "Every Minute on the Minute" - A workout format where a specific exercise or set of exercises is performed at the start of every minute.
Failure: Inability to complete a repetition or set with proper form due to muscle fatigue.
Fasted Cardio: Cardiovascular exercise performed in a fasted state, typically in the morning before consuming any food, often used for fat loss purposes.
Flexibility: The ability of a joint or group of joints to move through a full range of motion, influenced by factors such as muscle elasticity, joint structure, and connective tissue.
Free Weight: Equipment used in strength training that is not attached to a machine, such as dumbbells or barbells.
Functional Training: Exercises that mimic real-life movements to improve overall function and performance.
Gains: Increases in muscle size, strength, or overall fitness.
Gear: Slang for performance-enhancing drugs or supplements.
GPP: General Physical Preparedness - Training aimed at improving overall fitness and athleticism, including strength, endurance, flexibility, and coordination.
Guns: Slang for well-developed arm muscles.
Gym Rat: Someone who spends a lot of time at the gym.
Half Rep: A repetition performed with incomplete range of motion.
HIIT: High-Intensity Interval Training - A training method alternating between short bursts of intense exercise and brief rest periods.
HRV: Heart Rate Variability - Variations in the time interval between heartbeats, often used as a measure of recovery and stress.
Hypertrophy: Increase in muscle size due to resistance training.
Intra-Workout: Nutrition or supplements consumed during a workout.
Intensity: The level of effort or difficulty of an exercise or workout.
Isolation Exercise: An exercise that targets a specific muscle or muscle group. E.g., Dumbbell curls for biceps, or leg extensions for quadriceps.
Isometric: Muscle contraction without joint movement, such as holding a plank, or holding a squat position.
Jacked: Slang for being muscular or well-built.
KB: Kettlebell - A type of free weight resembling a cannonball with a handle.
KG: Kilogram - A unit of measurement for weight. Can usually divide pounds by 2.2 to get kilograms. E.g., 100lbs / 2.2 = 45.5kg
Lactic Acid: A byproduct of anaerobic metabolism that accumulates in muscles during intense exercise, often associated with muscle fatigue and soreness.
LISS: Low-Intensity Steady State - Cardiovascular exercise performed at a low intensity for an extended period.
Load: The amount of resistance or weight used during an exercise.
Macros: Macronutrients - Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, the three primary components of food that provide energy.
Negatives: The lowering phase of the lift, known as the “eccentric” phase.
Olympic Weightlifting: A competitive sport involving two lifts—the snatch and the clean and jerk—aimed at lifting maximal weights with technical precision for a single repetition in each lift.
One-Rep Max (1RM): The maximum amount of weight that can be lifted for a single repetition with proper form.
Parasympathetic Nervous System: The branch of the autonomic nervous system responsible for rest and digestion.
Plates: Slang for weight plates used on barbells or machines.
Plateau: A period of stagnation or lack of progress in training or results.
PEDs: Performance-Enhancing Drugs - Substances used to improve athletic performance.
Plyometrics: Explosive movements that utilize rapid muscle contractions to improve power, speed, and athletic performance E.g., box jumps.
Powerlifting: A strength sport focused on three main lifts—squat, bench press, and deadlift—aimed at lifting as much weight as possible for a single repetition in each exercise
Pump: Temporary swelling or engorgement of muscles with blood during or after a workout, resulting in a feeling of fullness and tightness, often associated with increased muscle size and vascularity.
Recovery: The process of rest, nutrition, and other strategies used to allow the body to repair and adapt to the stress of exercise, essential for optimizing performance and preventing overtraining.
Rep: Short for repetition - One complete movement of an exercise.
Rest-Pause: A classic bodybuilding technique where you push a set to failure, take a short break, and then do a few more reps.
Ripped: Slang for having low body fat and well-defined muscles.
ROM: Range of Motion - The distance and direction a joint can move between the flexed and extended positions.
RPE/RIR: Rate of Perceived Exertion/Reps in Reserve - Scales used to gauge exercise intensity or proximity to failure.
Rx: Prescribed or as prescribed - Performing a workout or exercise exactly as written or directed.
Scale: To adjust the difficulty of an exercise or workout to match one's ability level.
Set: A group of repetitions performed consecutively without rest.
Spot/Spotter: A person who assists with lifting weights and ensures safety during exercises.
Static Stretching: Stretching exercises that involve holding a position to elongate muscles and improve flexibility, often performed after workouts or during cool-downs.
Superset: Alternating between two different exercises with little to no rest in between.
Supplementation: The use of dietary supplements such as protein powders, vitamins, and minerals to complement nutrition and support fitness goals.
Swole: Slang for being muscular or heavily built.
Sympathetic Nervous System: The branch of the autonomic nervous system responsible for the "fight or flight" response.
Tabata: a form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) consisting of short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief periods of rest, typically lasting four minutes in total. usually prescribed as 8 Rounds of 20 Seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest.
Tempo: The speed at which each phase of an exercise is performed, often denoted by numerical values representing the duration of the eccentric, isometric, and concentric phases.
E.g., 3010, where 3 is a three second descent (eccentric), 0 means no pause (isometric) at the bottom, 1 means one second ascent (concentric), and the last 0 means no pause at the top. It helps to remember the acronym “EPCP” (Eccentric, Pause, Concentric, Pause
Time Under Tension: The total amount of time a muscle is under strain during an exercise repetition or set, often manipulated to increase muscle growth and strength.
Top Set: The heaviest set performed during a strength training session, typically done for low repetitions and high intensity.
Tri-Set: A series of three exercises performed consecutively with little to no rest in between, typically targeting the same muscle group or related muscle groups.
Vascularity: The visibility of veins and blood vessels under the skin, often associated with low body fat levels and muscularity.
Volume: The total amount of work performed in a workout session, often calculated by multiplying the number of sets, reps, and weight lifted.
WOD: "Workout of the Day" - A daily workout routine or challenge often used in CrossFit training.
Working Set: Sets performed with a challenging weight that contributes to muscle fatigue and adaptation, excluding warm-up sets.
Zone 1 Heart Rate Training: Training performed at a low intensity, typically below 50-60% of maximum heart rate, aimed at improving aerobic base and recovery.
Zone 2 Heart Rate Training: Training performed at a moderate intensity, typically between 60-70% of maximum heart rate, targeting aerobic endurance and fat metabolism.
Zone 3 Heart Rate Training: Training performed at a moderately high intensity, typically between 70-80% of maximum heart rate, focusing on aerobic and anaerobic threshold improvement.
Zone 4 Heart Rate Training: Training performed at a high intensity, typically between 80-90% of maximum heart rate, aimed at improving anaerobic capacity and speed.
Zone 5 Heart Rate Training: Training performed at maximum intensity, typically above 90% of maximum heart rate, focusing on peak performance and speed development.
Thanks for using this article as your gym terminology resource! Armed with these 100 essential terms, may you stride confidently into the gym, empowered to tackle any workout with clarity and confidence.
Remember, your fitness journey is as unique as you are, and I'm thrilled to have played a part in equipping you for success. Should you ever have further questions or seek personalized training guidance, don't hesitate to reach out. You can email me directly at dave@obeystrength.com, or explore our training programs available on the "Programs" tab at the top of the page.
Wishing you the best of luck and boundless gains on your fitness adventure!
Dr. Dave Lauzurique, PT, DPT, CSCS | Founder of Obey Strength Training
