Gym Lingo

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Here’s a comprehensive list of gym lingo, including terms and phrases commonly used in the fitness world. This list covers a wide range of slang, techniques, and references that gym-goers often use.

A

  • Abs: Abdominal muscles.
    • Example: “My abs are sore after that ab circuit.”
  • AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible): Performing as many reps as possible in a set period or until failure.
    • Example: “We’re doing an AMRAP for 10 minutes on the rower.”
  • Activation: Engaging muscles before a workout to improve performance and prevent injury.
    • Example: “Do some activation drills for your glutes before squats.”
  • Ass to Grass (ATG): Refers to a very deep squat, where the hips drop well below the knees.
    • Example: “That’s a perfect ATG squat!”

B

  • Barbie Weight: Light weights, typically used by beginners or for higher rep exercises.
    • Example: “I’m just warming up with some Barbie weights.”
  • Beast Mode: Pushing yourself to the max, performing at your highest intensity.
    • Example: “He was in beast mode during his deadlifts today.”
  • Bro Split: A workout schedule that targets different muscle groups on different days (e.g., chest day, leg day).
    • Example: “I’m doing a bro split this week—legs today, chest tomorrow.”
  • Bulk: A phase in which you eat more calories to gain muscle mass, typically with strength training.
    • Example: “I’m in a bulk, so I’m eating lots of protein.”
  • Broke: Referring to a period of time where you are out of money or resources (also used in the context of someone’s energy being depleted in the gym).
    • Example: “I’m totally broke after that leg day!”

C

  • Cut: A phase where you aim to lose fat while maintaining muscle mass, typically with a calorie deficit.
    • Example: “I’m on a cut right now, trying to get lean for summer.”
  • Cardio: Cardiovascular exercise aimed at improving endurance and burning fat.
    • Example: “I’ll finish my workout with 30 minutes of cardio.”
  • Chalking Up: Applying chalk to your hands to improve grip when lifting heavy weights.
    • Example: “I need to chalk up before my deadlift set.”
  • Crushing It: Performing exceptionally well or going beyond expectations.
    • Example: “You’re crushing it today with those squats!”

D

  • DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness): Muscle soreness that occurs 24-48 hours after a hard workout.
    • Example: “I’m definitely feeling DOMS from yesterday’s leg workout.”
  • Drop Set: A technique where you perform an exercise to failure, reduce the weight, and continue performing until failure again.
    • Example: “I did a drop set on my chest press and really felt the burn.”
  • Dude: Casual term for a fellow gym-goer, typically a male.
    • Example: “Yo, dude, need a spot?”

E

  • Ego Lift: Lifting more weight than you can handle in order to impress others.
    • Example: “Stop ego lifting and focus on your form.”
  • Eat Big, Lift Big: A phrase suggesting that eating enough food (especially protein) is necessary to gain strength and muscle.
    • Example: “If you want to make those gains, remember—eat big, lift big!”
  • Endurance: The ability to sustain exercise over long periods of time.
    • Example: “My endurance is improving with these cardio sessions.”

F

  • Failure: The point at which you cannot complete another repetition with proper form.
    • Example: “I reached failure on my last set of squats.”
  • Foam Rolling: A self-myofascial release technique to reduce muscle tightness and improve flexibility.
    • Example: “I’m foam rolling before my workout to loosen up my legs.”
  • Full Body Workout: A workout routine that targets all major muscle groups in one session.
    • Example: “I’m doing a full-body workout today to work everything.”

G

  • Gains: Progress in muscle growth, strength, or overall fitness.
    • Example: “I can see some serious gains after a few months of consistent lifting.”
  • Gassed: Feeling exhausted after a workout, often due to intense physical exertion.
    • Example: “I’m completely gassed after that HIIT session.”
  • Glutes: The gluteal muscles (buttocks), often targeted during lower-body workouts.
    • Example: “I’m doing hip thrusts today to target my glutes.”

H

  • HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training): A training method that alternates short bursts of intense exercise with periods of rest or lower-intensity exercise.
    • Example: “I’m doing HIIT for 20 minutes after my strength training.”
  • Hustle: To put in maximum effort during a workout.
    • Example: “You’ve got to hustle if you want to see results.”

I

  • Isolation Exercise: An exercise that targets a single muscle group.
    • Example: “I’m doing some isolation exercises for my biceps today.”
  • Intensity: The level of effort exerted during a workout.
    • Example: “Increase the intensity if you want to break through plateaus.”
  • I’m Feeling It: A phrase used when you’re experiencing muscle engagement or fatigue from a workout.
    • Example: “I’m definitely feeling it after those leg curls.”

J

  • Juicing: The use of anabolic steroids to accelerate muscle growth and performance (typically illegal and unsafe).
    • Example: “He’s been juicing to get that massive size.”

K

  • Kettlebell Swing: A dynamic movement involving a kettlebell used to work the hips, glutes, hamstrings, and core.
    • Example: “Kettlebell swings are great for improving hip power.”
  • Kipping: A technique used in CrossFit where momentum is used to complete more reps, particularly in pull-ups.
    • Example: “She’s kipping during those pull-ups to get more reps.”

L

  • Lats: The latissimus dorsi muscles, which are located in the back.
    • Example: “Pull-ups are great for building your lats.”
  • Leg Day: A training session focused on working the legs.
    • Example: “It’s leg day, time to crush those squats.”
  • Lifting Heavy: Lifting at or near your maximum weight in a given exercise.
    • Example: “I’m lifting heavy today on my deadlifts.”

M

  • Macho Man: A term used to describe someone who is muscular and confident, often showing off strength.
    • Example: “Look at that macho man flexing in the mirror.”
  • Max Out: Lifting the maximum weight you can handle in a particular lift.
    • Example: “I’m going to max out on my deadlifts today.”
  • Mind-Muscle Connection: The focus on feeling the muscle being worked during an exercise.
    • Example: “Focus on your mind-muscle connection when doing bicep curls.”

N

  • No Rep: A repetition that is performed incorrectly or does not meet the required standards.
    • Example: “That was a no rep, you didn’t squat low enough.”
  • Noodling: Lifting with poor form or using weights that are too light to produce any significant result.
    • Example: “Stop noodling with those weights, add some more resistance!”

O

  • Offseason: A phase where the focus is on gaining muscle (usually in a calorie surplus), typically in bodybuilding.
    • Example: “I’m in my offseason, so I’m focusing on building mass.”
  • Overtraining: Excessive exercise without adequate recovery, leading to fatigue or injury.
    • Example: “You’re at risk of overtraining if you don’t take proper rest days.”

P

  • PR (Personal Record): Your best performance in a particular lift or workout.
    • Example: “I just hit a new PR on my deadlift!”
  • Pump: The feeling of increased blood flow to the muscles, making them feel tight and swollen.
    • Example: “I love the pump I get after bicep curls.”
  • Plyometrics: Explosive exercises that target fast-twitch muscle fibers, such as box jumps and jump squats.
    • Example: “I’m doing plyometrics for explosive power.”

Q

  • Quadzilla: A playful term used to describe someone with very large and muscular quadriceps.
    • Example: “Check out those quads—total quadzilla!”

R

  • Reps (Repetitions): The number of times you perform a specific exercise in one

set.

  • Example: “I’m doing 10 reps of squats today.”
  • RPE (Rate of Perceived Effort): A scale used to measure the intensity of an exercise, typically from 1 to 10.
    • Example: “I’d say I’m at an RPE of 8 on these squats.”
  • Recovery: Rest periods between workouts or exercises to allow muscles to heal and grow.
    • Example: “Make sure you prioritize recovery to avoid injury.”

S

  • Swole: A term used to describe someone with large, muscular muscles.
    • Example: “You’re looking swole after that chest workout!”
  • Spotter: A person who assists during exercises, particularly when lifting heavy weights, ensuring safety.
    • Example: “I need a spotter for my bench press.”
  • Superset: Doing two exercises back-to-back without resting in between.
    • Example: “I’m doing a superset of chest press and tricep dips today.”
  • Shredded: A term to describe someone with very low body fat and highly defined muscles, often referring to visible abs.
    • Example: “He’s looking shredded after that cut!”