Key Fitness Terms to Know

Whether you’re just beginning your fitness journey, getting back into training after a break, or aiming to push your limits, you’ll likely come across gym jargon or workout acronyms that might seem unfamiliar.

No need to stress—this guide breaks down key fitness terms you’ll hear in the gym, in workout programs, and from trainers, helping you navigate your sessions with confidence. Soon, you’ll easily differentiate between aerobic and anaerobic training and understand how to maximize your workouts.

Let’s dive into some common fitness terminology to help you better understand your training and make the most of every session.

Active Recovery

Active recovery involves low-intensity movement that promotes blood flow and muscle recovery without excessive strain. Examples include walking, swimming, yoga, or mobility work. This helps prevent stiffness and aids in muscle repair.

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic means “with oxygen.” These exercises, such as running, cycling, and swimming, rely on continuous movement and help improve cardiovascular endurance by increasing oxygen uptake and heart efficiency.

AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible)

AMRAP workouts challenge you to complete as many reps as possible within a set time. This type of high-intensity training pushes endurance, muscular stamina, and cardiovascular fitness.

Anaerobic Exercise

Anaerobic means “without oxygen.” These exercises, such as sprinting, HIIT, and weightlifting, involve short bursts of high-intensity effort where the body relies on stored energy rather than oxygen.

Bilateral Training

Using both sides of the body simultaneously in an exercise, such as barbell squats or deadlifts. This is the opposite of unilateral training, which works one side at a time.

Burnout Set

A burnout set is a high-rep finisher designed to completely fatigue a muscle group at the end of a workout. It’s often done with lighter weights to push muscles to failure and encourage hypertrophy (muscle growth).

Concentric & Eccentric Movements

• Concentric: The lifting phase of an exercise when the muscle shortens (e.g., pushing up in a bench press).

• Eccentric: The lowering phase when the muscle lengthens (e.g., lowering the bar in a bench press).

Compound Exercises

These multi-joint movements, like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses, engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, making them incredibly effective for building strength and improving overall functionality.

Cool-Down

The cool-down phase of a workout allows your body to gradually return to a resting state. It typically includes light movement and static stretching to aid recovery and prevent injury.

Circuit Training

A circuit consists of a series of exercises performed back-to-back with minimal rest in between. It can be structured based on time (e.g., complete as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes) or reps (e.g., complete three full rounds).

DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)

This refers to the muscle stiffness and soreness that sets in 24-72 hours after an intense workout. It’s a natural response to new or challenging movements and usually subsides as the muscles recover.

Drop Set

A technique where you perform an exercise to failure, then immediately reduce the weight and continue until failure again.

EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute)

In an EMOM workout, you complete a specific number of reps within one minute, using the remaining time to rest before starting the next round. It’s great for building endurance and intensity.

Failure (Training to Failure)

Performing an exercise until you can no longer complete a rep with proper form. This is often used to build muscle and increase strength.

Foam Rolling (Self-Myofascial Release)

A form of self-massage, foam rolling helps release muscle tightness, improve flexibility, and reduce post-workout soreness by breaking down adhesions in the fascia (connective tissue).

Functional Training

This training style focuses on movements that mimic real-life activities, such as squatting, lifting, pulling, and pushing, to improve overall strength and mobility.

Heart Rate Zones

These zones categorize exercise intensity based on percentage of maximum heart rate:

• Zone 1 (50-60%): Recovery/Easy Effort

• Zone 2 (60-70%): Endurance Training

• Zone 3 (70-80%): Aerobic Conditioning

• Zone 4 (80-90%): High-Intensity Performance

• Zone 5 (90-100%): Maximal Effort

Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

HRV measures the variation in time between heartbeats, often used as an indicator of recovery, stress levels, and overall cardiovascular health. A higher HRV is generally a sign of better fitness and adaptability.

HICT (High-Intensity Circuit Training)

A combination of strength and cardio, HICT involves fast-paced circuits to maximize calorie burn and muscle endurance in a short period.

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)

A structured workout alternating between intense work periods and short recovery phases. HIIT boosts metabolism, improves cardiovascular fitness, and is effective for fat loss.

HIRT (High-Intensity Resistance Training)

A blend of strength training and HIIT, where resistance exercises are performed at a high intensity with minimal rest to keep heart rate elevated while building muscle.

Hypertrophy Training

A training style designed for muscle growth, typically involving moderate-to-heavy weights with 8-15 reps per set to maximize muscle tension and metabolic stress.

Isolation Exercises

Unlike compound movements, isolation exercises target a single muscle group. Examples include bicep curls, leg extensions, and tricep pushdowns.

Isometric Hold

Holding a position under tension without movement. Examples: a plank or wall sit.

Lactic Acid Build-Up

The burning sensation you feel in muscles during intense exercise due to an accumulation of lactic acid.

Mind-Muscle Connection

The ability to consciously focus on the muscle being worked during an exercise, improving engagement and results.

LISS (Low-Intensity Steady-State Cardio)

This form of cardio is performed at a steady pace (e.g., walking, cycling, or rowing) to build endurance and promote fat burning without excessive strain on the body.

Negative Reps

Focusing on the eccentric (lowering) phase of an exercise to build strength. For example, slowly lowering yourself in a pull-up.

Megaset

A megaset consists of several exercises performed consecutively without rest, typically focusing on the same muscle group to push it to exhaustion.

Metcon (Metabolic Conditioning)

A high-intensity workout combining strength and cardio to maximize energy output and boost metabolism.

Plyometrics

Explosive movements like jump squats, box jumps, and burpees that develop power, speed, and agility.

Progressive Overload

A key strength training principle where you gradually increase weight, reps, or intensity over time to continually challenge muscles and promote growth.

Pyramid Training

A method where weights increase as reps decrease (or vice versa) across sets, creating a structured approach to strength progression.

Reps (Repetitions)

The number of times you repeat an exercise movement before resting.

Rest Day

A scheduled day for muscle recovery, crucial for avoiding overtraining and allowing muscles to rebuild stronger.

RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion)

A subjective intensity scale (1-10) used to gauge effort level, with 1 being light activity and 10 being maximal effort.

Resistance Training

Any workout involving external resistance (weights, bands, or body weight) to build muscle and strength.

Static Stretching

Stretching a muscle and holding the position for a period of time, usually after a workout to improve flexibility and reduce stiffness.

Superset

A workout technique where two exercises are performed back-to-back with little or no rest.

Sets

A group of repetitions performed in succession. For example, three sets of 10 reps would mean completing 10 reps three separate times.

Tri-Set

A workout structure where three exercises are performed consecutively with little to no rest in between, often targeting the same muscle group.

Tabata Training

A specific HIIT protocol consisting of 20 seconds of intense work followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for 4 minutes.

TUT (Time Under Tension)

The total amount of time a muscle is under strain during a set. Slowing down reps can increase TUT for better muscle growth.

Unilateral Training

Exercises that work one side of the body at a time, such as lunges or single-arm rows, to improve balance and correct muscle imbalances.

Warm-Up

Prepares your body for exercise by increasing heart rate, improving mobility, and reducing injury risk through dynamic movements and light cardio.