Embarking on a weightlifting journey can be both exhilarating and challenging, especially when you encounter a gym rat or even a personal trainer and all of a sudden comes a barrage of terms and jargon that might seem like a language of its own. Whether you’re a gym rat or a beginner to the iron game, understanding the vocabulary and terms of weightlifting is crucial for navigating the gym with confidence and reaching your fitness goals.
Whether you’re following a workout plan, engaging in gym conversations, or creating your own training regimen, a solid grasp of these weightlifting terms lays the foundation for a more informed and effective weightlifting journey. So, let’s dive into the world of iron, equipped with the language that will empower us to lift, grow, and achieve our fitness goals.
Remember that it’s not merely a workout; it’s the first step in reclaiming your body and health.
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AMRAP:
As many rounds (or reps) as possible.
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
Compound Exercises:
Compound movements hit numerous muscle groups as you perform multi-joint movements through a range of motion to increase endurance and power.
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Drop sets:
This is essentially a technique where you perform an exercise and then reduce the weight and continue for more reps until you reach failure.
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Per Bernal
Giant sets:
Giant sets are back-to-back-to-back-to-back exercises executed without rest.
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HIIT:
High intensity interval training. These are often all-out bursts of activity followed by a rest period so you can catch your breath.
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Hypertrophy:
Muscle hypertrophy is induced from strength training via mechanical tension, muscle damage and metabolic stress.
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Kettlebells:
Those strange-looking pieces of equipment in the corner of your gym can actually help you generate more power, build your strength, and boost your metabolism. You’ll even improve your balance and stability for better movement and fewer injuries.
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Overtraining:
But overtraining, where you’re chronically overstressing the body is actually pretty rare. Common symptoms of overtraining can include; increased resting heart rate, increased sensitivity to bright light, and the weights feeling ‘cold’ in your hands.
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Per Bernal
Negative reps:
Negatives are a great way to add more intensity into your workouts and overload the muscle groups engaged in the exercises you are performing. Negatives are performed by controlling the tempo of the repetition and slowing down the lowering phase of the lift to an approximate 3-5 seconds rep count.
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Erica Shultz
Periodization:
The basic idea of linear periodization is to start with high volume and low intensity, and gradually (as your competition approaches) move towards low volume and high intensity.
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Plyometrics:
Plyometrics (aka plyos) boost power, explosiveness and stamina. They teach you to stretch muscle before contracting them.
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Pyramid Training:
This highly effective training technique utilizes an upward, then downward sequence in weight, reps or sets to help you maximize your weightlifting goals.
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ROM:
Range of motion. Use a full range of motion when completing a rep.
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Lebedev Roman Olegovich
Static Training:
The term static means lack of movement. And as this term implies, with static training you take a weight and hold it in a fixed position for several seconds.
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Per Bernal
Straight Set:
Do listed number of reps/sets for a move, resting up to one minute between sets; move on to next exercise.
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Tabata:
Do each move for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds, alternating between moves for eight round (four minutes).
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
Triset:
Like a superset but with three moves, all working the same muscles.
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TRX:
The TRX Suspension training system can be used practically anywhere. It’s lightweight, making it the perfect piece of equipment for the frequent traveler or for anybody who wants a challenging at-home workout.
TRX Suspension involves suspending certain body parts above the ground and relying on your bodyweight and gravity for added resistance. All you need is a sturdy place to anchor the straps (think a door frame, weight machine, balcony etc.) and you’ll be set!
