Cracked Up Glossary Of Common Gym Terms

If you've ever had occasion to visit a gym, you've no doubt heard people talking about "feeling the burn" and "pumping up." But did you ever wonder what people were really saying? Here are some common terms and phrases that will help you to learn what is really going on in the gym.

  • In The Zone - Tired and incoherent during a workout. Commonly described out of the gym as "spaced out."

  • Extended Warm-Up - 20 minutes at low tension on the stationary bike then 20 minutes of casual stretching then a shower.

  • "Just One More Rep" - Said to a spotter during a set. Really means: "Lift the weight for me."

  • Forced Reps - For the reluctant exerciser, every single rep of a workout is a forced rep. This is especially true when they have a mean trainer.

  • Hack Squat - The position a cat gets into when he's coughing up a hairball, commonly mistaken as a leg exercise.

  • "Can I work in with you?" - Translation: "Can I remove all your weights and sweat all over your bench?"

  • Drop Sets - What sometimes happens after doing a hard set of dumbell bench presses. A triple drop set occurs when you drop two dumbells and yourself to the floor.

  • Bulking Up - Name for the phase during which an otherwise healthy trainer will try to get bigger and fatter on purpose.

  • "I'm maxing out" - Translation: "I was going for 6 reps but I put too much weight on the bar and only got 1."

  • Cool-down - Sit on a bench and drink from a water bottle while talking about how much more you'll lift next time.

  • Olympic Bar - Athlete's nightclub.

  • E-Z Bar - "How dare you! I'm not that type of bar."

  • Squat rack - The lonliest piece of equipment in the gym.

  • "It's all you!" - Said by spotter during the last few reps of a set. Translatation: "It's mostly me."

  • Pro-hormones - Hormones that have lost their amateur status.

  • Meal Replacement Supplement - Cold pizza and warm beer.

  • Clean and Press - Surprisingly enough, it's a shoulder exercise, not laundry instructions. A variation of it is even known as the Hang Clean and Press.

  • High Intensity Interval Training - Occurs when there are two or more flights of stairs leading up to the gym.

  • Skullcrushers - An exercise where you make like you're going to bash your own head in with a barbell, a.k.a. lying tricep extensions.

  • "Hold the contraction at the top and squeeze for 10 seconds" - Said by a personal trainer when he or she wants to punish the client for missing a session.

    Now that you've got an idea of what is being said at the gym, you'll be able to converse comfortably with the natives. You will be completely understood in any gym in the world when you walk in and say "I just did two sets of high intensity intervals and now I'm ready for some forced reps" or "I'm taking a lot of meal replacement supplements because I'm bulking up."

    About The Author

    Nick Nilsson is Vice President of BetterU, Inc., an online exercise, fitness, and personal training company. Check out his latest eBook "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of" at http://www.thebestexercises.com or visit http://www.fitstep.com. You can contact him at betteru@fitstep.com or subscribe to BetterU News, his fitness newsletter at betterunews@fitstep.com.

    In The News:


    Children Tell Researchers: We'll Get Fit if It's Fun
    MarketWatch - 2 hours ago
    Fifty children aged 11 and 12 were asked to use exercise equipment combined with video games provided by a company called Gamercize. ...

    LifeSpan Rowing Machine Wins Award in Best Fitness Equipment Review
    MarketWatch - Nov 25, 2008
    In its annual review of fitness equipment, ShapeYou.com awarded the top rated LifeSpan Rowing Machine a Seal of Excellence in the best fitness equipment ...

    Push-Ups: 'It's Horizontal Jogging'
    MarketWatch - 6 hours ago
    Although the fitness industry may not want to hear it, but push-ups are free, require no equipment, are totally portable and there are no gimmicks. ...

    New fitness center opens
    The Times and Democrat, SC - 11 hours ago
    Garvin invites the public to come in to try out the equipment. Fitness Pros offers non-contractual agreements and flexible payment plans, Garvin said. ...

    PR Web (press release)

    Tempe & Scottsdale Fitness Equipment Dealer, Fitness 4 Home ...
    PR Web (press release), WA - Nov 26, 2008
    Fitness 4 Home Superstore, Arizona's premier supplier of home and commercial fitness equipment, is extending special financing options to consumers in a ...

    Standing up for fitness
    Honolulu Star-Bulletin, HI - 5 hours ago
    The latest fitness rage in Hawaii has slipped the bonds of the ball court and gymnasium. It requires no gears, pulleys, special shoes or fancy equipment. ...

    Precor Names New England, New York Metro Home Fitness Dealer
    MarketWatch - Nov 20, 2008
    HEST currently operates a successful chain of 14 fitness equipment stores throughout Texas. "We're looking forward to collaborating closely with this new ...
    Precor Selects Sport Chalet for California, Arizona and Nevada PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)
    Precor Selects Sport Chalet for California, Arizona and Nevada MarketWatch
    Sport Chalet Teams With TM Advertising MarketWatch
    all 28 news articles

    Rec center gets new exercise equipment
    Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Towers Online, KY - Nov 25, 2008
    Students should make an effort to work exercise into their weekly routine, he said, because physical fitness usually translates into increased mental energy ...

    Local districts push to pump up gym class
    Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY - 2 hours ago
    The Churchville-Chili district also plans to use a grant to buy exercise equipment that will help those with short- and long-term medical issues stay fit. ...

    IDEA Health & Fitness Association Reveals Top Tips for Selecting ...
    Emediawire (press release), WA - 51 minutes ago
    ... than 23000 members in over 80 countries, continuously polls its members, to identify the latest trends in fitness programs, equipment and facilities. ...
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