Exercise Terms and Jargon
Bodybuilding Terms
Burn:
The burning sensation in a muscle that comes from the lactic acid and pH buildup resulting from exercising the muscle to failure.
Cramping:
Exercising a muscle using shortened movements that causes a muscle to cramp, contracting painfully perhaps to the point of temporary fatigue to achieve a greater pump.
Definition:
Extremely low bodyfat coupled with superior muscle separation and vascularity; the physical manifestation of 'dialing it in'. Adjectives that are used to describe this desired state include ripped, shredded, sliced, cut, striated.
Flat:
Describes muscles that have lost their fullness, commonly caused by overtraining, undertraining or a lack of nutrients and water.
Flush:
To increase the blood supply to a muscle, thereby bringing in more nutrients.
Forced Reps:
Additional repetitions of an exercise performed with the help of a partner when you're unable to do anymore reps on your own.
Free Hand Movement:
Any exercise that can be performed without exercise equipment, using only your bodyweight, such as a push-up or squat without weight.
Isolation:
A technique that focuses work on an individual muscle without secondary or assisting muscle groups being involved, which provides maximal muscle shape. A good example is the seated dumbbell concentration curl.
Lats:
A term which is abbreviated jargon for the latissimus dorsi. This Latin term translates roughly into 'lateral muscles of the back'. When viewed from the rear, and relaxed, the lats form large. inverted cones.
Plates:
The weights that you put on an Olympic dumbell, specifically a 45 pound weight. Smaller weights are called quarters (25 pounds), dimes (10 pounds), and nickels (5 pounds).
Rep:
Moving a weight through a range of motion and then back again one time, short for repetition.
Six Pack:
Ab muscles so well developed that you can see the separate muscle under the skin where your stomach is.
Multi Gym Terms
Bands:
Flexible rods that create resistance when pulled. They’re used instead of weights on some machines.
Free Weights:
Non-machine weights, such as dumbells, or barbells.
Lat Bar:
Handlebar at the top of a home gym, connected by a cable.
Leg Extension:
The roller-padded T shape at the foot end of a home gym.
Pec Deck:
The low grips at the side of a home gym.
Press Arms:
The large U-shaped grips at the side of a home gym.
Station:
Where you sit, lie, or stand while exercising. Some home gyms have more than one station, but this doesn't necessarily mean two people can use it at the same time. The different stations can be used by the same person as he or she does the different exercises in sequence.
Weight Stack:
A pile of heavy blocks that provide resistance as you exercise. You adjust the resistance by moving a metal pin that connects or disconnects weights from the stack.
Weights:
The heavy blocks in the weight stack, usually metal.
Exercise Bike Terms
Console:
The controls on the front panel of the exercise bike.
Crank:
The ‘stick’ connecting the pedal to the machine’s frame.
Display:
The digital readout on the front panel of the exercise bike.
Frame:
The structure, usually metal tubes, that all the moving parts of the bike attach to.
Programmes:
The various choices of workout on an exercise bike, such as Alpine Pass, Forest Trail, or 1 hour Time Trial.
Recumbent:
An exercise bike with a lean-back riding position, where you sit low with your legs in front.
Saddle:
Where you sit on an exercise bike
Self Presenting Pedals:
Means the pedals are weighted to always be the right way up to accept your foot.
Upright:
An exercise bike where your riding position is the same as a normal bicycle, sitting high with your legs pointing down as you lean forward over the handlebars.
Cross Trainer Terms
Belt:
The part that 'pushes back' as you build up speed. Part of the transmission.
Console:
The controls on the front panel of the cross trainer.
Display:
The digital readout on the front panel of the cross trainer.
Frame:
The structure, usually metal tubes, that all the moving parts of the cross trainer attach to.
Functions:
Various ways of using the cross trainer, such as: levers only, pedals only, or reverse pedalling.
Heart Monitor:
A sensor that takes your pulse (usually through the grips) and displays it for you.
Programmes:
The various choices of workout on a cross trainer, such as cross-country ski-ing, point-to-point, or downhill.
Self Generating Power:
Where the action of pedalling keeps a battery charged, meaning you don’t need to plug your cross trainer into the mains or find new batteries.
Transmission:
The assembly inside the machine that creates resistance.
Treadmill Terms
Belt:
The ‘track’ of the treadmill.
Console:
The controls on the front panel of the treadmill.
Frame:
The structure, usually a metal tube that all the moving parts of the treadmill attach to.
Incline:
The tilt of the conveyor belt surface that simulates uphill running.
Manual:
A treadmill you operate by pushing the conveyor belt with your feet. Some manual treadmills contain magnets to make it move more smoothly.
Motorised:
A treadmill containing electric motors that move and tilt the track for you as you walk or run.
Surface:
The top side of the conveyor, i.e. the part you run or walk on.
Rowing Machine Terms
Bar:
The handle you pull while rowing.
Console:
The controls on the front panel of the rowing machine.
Cable:
The ‘string’ connecting the bar to the machine’s frame.
Display:
The digital readout on the front panel of the rowing machine.
Frame:
The structure, usually metal tubes, that all the moving parts of the rowing machine attach to.
Heart Monitor:
A sensor that takes your pulse (usually through the grips) and displays it for you.
Saddle/Seat:
Where you sit. On most rowing machines, it moves forwards and backwards as you row.
Stroke:
One complete pull and release of the rowing bar.
Tempo:
The 'beat' of your strokes, for example 20 strokes/minute. Some machines let you set the tempo you're aiming for and sound a regular 'beep' to keep pace with.
Heart Rate Monitor Terms
Cardiac Output :
The amount of blood ejected by the heart per beat .
Resting Heart Rate :
This is your heart rate whilst at rest. This is usually lower in fitter individuals and atheletes.
Stroke Volume :
The amount of blood the heart can pump out in one beat. Prolonged aerobic exercise can increase stroke volume, which frequently results in a slower heart rate.
Exercise Regime Terms
Circuit Training:
A total body workout that allows several exercises—one for each body part—to be completed in succession with little rest time in between sets.
Interval Routines:
A popular cardio workout. It’s a variation of speeds and intensity levels in the span of one workout.
Resistance Routines:
A total body workout, using only your body weight as the resistance. This involves push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and any exercise using just pure body weight.
Split Routine:
A popular option for beginners. It involves splitting body parts into sections for different days. One day is chest and biceps, the next is back and triceps, and so on until all body parts are covered for the week. Try to break it down into opposite body parts, so you are not exhausting one area of the body and thus not getting the full effect.
Total Body Workout:
Targets each of the major muscle groups in one complete workout. Each muscle group gets one exercise depending on the individual and you can take as much—or as little—rest time in between each set.
General Fitness Terms
BMI:
This is a measurement which is a comparsion between a persons weight and height. It is often used to identify obesity, but does not indicate body fat percent.
Body Fat Percentage:
This is the total weight of storage and essential fat of a human or animal. It is usually measured by using skinfold callipers and gives a clear indication of how much excess fat a person is storing..
BMR:
The amount of energy expended while at rest in a neutrally temperate environment, in the post-absorptive state.
Lactate Threshold:
This is the exercise intensity where lactic acid begins to accumulate in the blood. It starts to accumulate because it s being produced faster than it can be removed. Normally, latic acid is removed from the muscles before it accumulates, but at higher intensities it begins to build up and this is known as the Anaerobic Threshold (AT). The anaerobic threshold is when an individual is working at approximately 8.5-9.5 RPE.
Rate of Perceived Exertion:
This is the expenditure of energy by the muscles. The intensity of this action can be measured by the rate of which oxygen is expended, heat is produced and heart rate. It is a measured via the RPE scale and indicates a quantitive feeling of fatigue.
Stitch:
This pain is felt underneath the ribcage and is caused by the internal organs (like the liver and stomach) pulling downwards on the diaphragm with each step, and at the same time the diaphragm is moving upwards to exhale air. This constant up and down stress may cause a stitch. It is therefore more likely to occur in sports involving up and down actions - like running and jumping. Stitch occurs most often on the right hand side because of the liver being the heaviest organ, and therefore the one stressing the diaphragm the most.
The diaphragm is supplied by branches of the phrenic nerve that originates in the neck. This may explain the common association of stitch with shoulder tip pain.
To cure a stitch slow down the exercise and allow your breathing to become more regulated. If this doesn't work try to push (with your fingers) into the painful area and then lean forward (from the waist between 45 and 90 degrees) whilst still running if possible. Do this for 15 metres and the stitch should have gone.
|