A Glossary Of Gym And Fitness Terms

Every industry has its own language and terms. These words and phrases can be confusing to anyone who is not part of the daily operations of a specific industry, and the fitness industry is no exception.

To help you understand the terms, acronyms, and phrases regularly used when working out at the gym, CG Training has created this handy reference guide. Here you’ll find valuable information allowing you to comprehend and communicate your fitness needs effectively.

Cardio
This applies to any machine or exercise (treadmill and jacks) done in the gym that increases your heart rate.

Warm-up
This is something you do before you start to exercise to safely get your heart rate up and your body ready for exercise (bike, stepper).

Cooldown
This is done at the end of your exercise to safely bring your heart rate back down. This can be either slower cardio or stretching for five minutes. This should always be done.

Frequency
This describes the length of each workout session and the number of times a week you will exercise.

Intensity
This describes how hard you will work or are working while exercising. If you are a beginner, your intensity will be low. If you are advanced, it will be very high. You can use a scale of one to ten to gauge how you are feeling during your exercise. A beginner will be closer to the range from one to five, and the advanced intensity will be closer to the range from six to ten.

Target heart rate
This describes the heart rate (or beats per minute) you should be at for your age. The target heart rate range would be the highest and lowest that your heart rate should be during exercise for an optimal workout. For example, hundred and twenty to hundred and seventy beats per minute.

Flexibility
This describes your overall ability to stretch a joint or joints to move with a good range of motion (for example, forward bend, reach up, seated twist).

Plyometrics
These are exercises where muscles exert maximum force in a short period of time with the goal of increasing power. They also help you burn a lot of body fat and calories due to the intensity.

Strength training
This describes any workout that involves light or heavy weights or objects that you lift or move around (kettlebell, free weights, ball).

Resistance training
This describes any exercise that includes bands or levers that continuously pull on the muscles and joints on the way up and down.

Supersets
This means you do either two exercises for the same body part (two triceps) or two opposing muscles (triceps and biceps) in a row, and you do it multiple times to build strength.

Engage
This expression is usually referred to when you are working your core muscles. If you are doing a plank, you would engage (contract) all of the abdominal muscles so that you are strong and you do not hurt your back.

Names of muscle groups:

a. Quads or quadriceps refer to the muscles of the front upper leg

b. Hams or hamstrings refer to the muscles of the back upper leg

c. Glutes or glutes refer to the muscles of the butt that you sit on

d. Pecs or pectorals refer to the muscles of the front chest area

e. Abs or abdominals refer to the stomach area muscles

Core
The core includes muscles of the abdomen, glutes, and lower back which work together to contract and keep the back stable and help you move easily and without pain.

Muscle fatigue
This is a symptom of exercise that decreases your muscle’s ability to perform making you weaker and tired as you exercise.

Muscle failure
This is when the muscle stops working, and you can’t continue at all.

Now that you know what these basic terms mean, you can take the next step towards fitness. If you’re looking for a personal fitness trainer in Windsor, Ontario, reach out to the experts at CG Training. As an experienced fitness trainer with over seventeen years of experience, I offer clients quality fitness training and work with each client to establish fitness goals and create a plan to reach those goals. My fitness services are available to clients across Windsor, Essex, Tecumseh, LaSalle, McGregor, Belle River, St. Clair Beach, and Amherstburg, Ontario.

View my full list of services and pricing here, read customer reviews here, or get in touch with me here.