Personal Training is a second career choice for me. I didn’t go to the gym or constantly work out until I was an adult. Starting out can be scary in itself, but then all the jargon that goes along with it can be so overwhelming. Here is a breakdown of Confusing Gym Lingo.
lbs. or pounds: How much something weighs. For example: I weight a 150 pounds. It could also be the weight of the dumbbell/barbell.
Sets: usually #x# (3×10). It’s how many rounds do it an exercise. The first number is the example is the sets followed by the reps. For example, if the workout said 3×10 pushups. It would be 3 rounds of 10 pushups.
Reps or Repetitions: #x#. (3×10) It’s how many times to do an exercise. The second number in the example is the repetition or reps. You’ll do 10 reps of pushups.
Barbell (BB): Weights on either side of a long steel bar. Sometimes the weights are already on the bar and sometimes you can add the weights to the bar.
Freeweights: Barbell, Dumbbell, Plates. Anything not connected to a machine. All of these terms can be used interchangeably.
AMRAP: As Many Rounds As Possible. A typical AMRAP workout will say set the timer for X amount of minutes. Typically 30 minutes followed by the exercises. The workout might say: 5 Squats, 7 pushups, 10 Burpees for 5 minutes AMRAP. You’ll do the exercises in order as many rounds as possible in the time frame.
Plyo or Plyometrics: Explosive movements. Examples would be: Jump squats, long jumps
HIIT or High Intense Interval Training: It’s a short burst of usually cardio work with a recovery to follow. I personally love doing 45 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of rest. You should be working so hard that you’ll need that 15 seconds of rest. You shouldn’t be able to do any active recovery.
Tabata: Tabata is 20 seconds of work with 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds, but some might use HIIT, Tabata, and Interval Training Interchangeably. The biggest difference between Tabata and HIIT is that Tabata is specific to 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work with 10 recovery.
Interval Training: Is similar to the HIIT and Tabata, but there is a mixture of low and high intensity.
DOMS or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: Usually occurs 2 days after the workout. For me, I usually feel it in my quads after a leg day.
Endurance: How long you can do something. An example of an endurance-style workout is 5×20 of an exercise with light weight. Light weight varies for everyone so I cue it as a weight you could do all day if you had to. Another endurance example, would be how long you can run.
Strength: How heavy you can lift. Heavy is a relative term so I recommend a weight you could do less than 6 times. Strength is also very subjective, so personally speaking when I talk about strength is how much you can personally lift. It’s about testing and pushing yourself.
Circuit Training: A group of exercises done in order based on a set time or rounds.
The workout would say: 5 squats, 7 pushups, 10 burpess for 3 rounds. You would do each exercise in order for a total of 3 rounds. Planet Fitness has a great circuit training in the 30-minute circuit. There are 10 machines and 10 cardio spots. You work 60 seconds on a machine then rest for 30 seconds. Then move to the next spot. Then after 30 minutes you would have finished a totally body workout.
Supersets: 2 exercises back to back with no rest. Rest happens at the end of the 2nd exercise. I like it when supersets are working opposing muscle groups like the workout example below.
Example: pushup followed by bent over row. Chest exercises followed by back.
Compound Set: 2 or more exercises done together with no break or rest.
Example: Squat to curl to press.
Macros: aka Macronutrients which is a combination of proteins, fats, and carbs. Depending on your fitness and lifestyle goals your macros will change.
PR/PB: Personal Record or Personal Best. This is used when you do something better than you have ever done it before. For example, I deadlift 150lbs. I have never done that before.
Confusing gym lingo can be ever-changing and ever growing but more terms are always coming out. For me, CrossFit lingo is so confusing because I don’t crossfit constantly. What are other terms that are confusing gym lingo?
