Glossary of fitness terms
Learn the jargon of the gym
Aerobic. This involves movements of big muscles, this gets your heart rate pumping and the blood flowing. Oxygen consumption is used greatly.
Anaroebic. This involves movements of big muscle groups as well but is very quick and short therefore using very little oxygen
Balance. Your bodys ability to keep you from falling over, balance is very important to train so you can avoid injury in daily life.
Balance training. There are different ways you can incorporate balance training in your work outs, single leg balancing while lifting weights is good, bosu balls are great for balance training as well.
Baseline activity. There are things you do every day like standing or walking around
Body composition. This is a comparison of your body fat versus vital body components such as bone, water, muscle, etc etc
Bone-strengthening activity. These are different movements which stimulate bone growth and strength. They may include jumping, running, weight training, and plyometrics
Cardio-respiratory endurance. The capability to deliver oxygen to your cardiovascular system over a sustained time period
Duration. This is the amount of time you perform a movement. For example if you do a plank for a minute.
Exercise. In order to maintain fitness and health you must constantly move. Exercise is a planned series of movements to help keep you in shape.
Flexibility. This is the bodys ability to use the muscles to move the bones around a joint.
Flexibility exercise. Different movements you can work on to improve your bodys ability to move a joint through its full range of motion. .
Intensity. This is the amount of effort you are exerting to complete a meovement.
Interval training. Is when you alternate exercies with great intensity followed by exercises with a low (recovery) intensity. Interval training is great for fat loss, as it burns the most amount of calories in a session.
Isometric exercise. This is usually the middle phase of a movement, it is shortening of the muscle without movement. For example if you do a pushup and you pause at the lowering phase and do not move this is an isometric movement.
Lifestyle activities. These are activities you do every day, for example walking to the kitchen, picking up the children, walking the dog, etc etc
MET. Metabolic equivalent is how much energry you burn during a certain activity. For example if you are doing nothing but sitting in a chair and it measures how much energy you are using.
Moderate-intensity physical activity. This is a level of intensity during exercise where you have an elevated heart rate but you can still carry on a conversation.
Muscle-strengthening activity. Any activity where you either isolate a movement like a dumbbell curl or you use multiple body groups like a squat.
Muscular endurance. Constant repetitive movements your muscles are able to withstand.
Muscular strength. How much force can your muscle produce is defined as muscular strength
Physical activity. An activity which increases your heart rate and burns calories.
Physical fitness. Your bodys overall condition to perform repetitive movements without exhausting yourself.
Progression. The ability to increase your endurance and strength over time.
Repetitions. This is how many time you perform a movement. For example one set may have 10 repetitions of dumbbell curls.
Resistance training. When you add weights, bands, or any other force to a movement during a work out session.
Strength. Your muscles ability to produce force.
Type 1 slow twitch. These are muscle groups used during endurance, for example a marathon runner, or the muscles in your spine to keep you upright
Type 2 fast twitch. Muscle groups used during explosive quick movements like a 50 yard dash sprinter, or the muscles used to curl a dumbbell
Vigorous-intensity physical activity. This is a high intensity form of exercise where you are barely able to speak one word before taking a breath.
