training.nutrition.mindset

Prolonged (usually per formed for at least 20 minutes continu ously), moderate-intensity exercise that uses up oxygen at or below the level at which the cardiorespiratory system can replenish oxygen in the working muscles. Common aerobic exercise activities are walking, jog ging, running, cycling, stair climbing, work ing out on elliptical exercise machines, rowing, swimming, dancing, and aerobic

An anatomical term referring to the front of the body.

Anaerobic Exercise

Exercise that is higher in intensity than aerobic work. Anaerobic exer cise uses up oxygen more quickly than the body can replenish it in the working muscles. Anaerobic exercise uses stored-muscle ATP, phosphocreatine, and glycogen to supply its energy needs. Common anaerobic activities are weightlifting and sprinting,

Antagonist Muscle

The muscle responsible for actively opposing the concentric muscle action of the agonist muscle. Although this seems counterintuitive, the opposing force is necessary for joint stability during the movement. For example, during the biceps curl exercise, the triceps muscle is the antagonist muscle.

Assistance Exercise

Typically single-joint exer cises such as the biceps curl, triceps extension, and deltoid lateral raise. These exercises involve only a single muscle group.

ATP

Adenosine Triphosphate Atrophy – Wasting away of any part, organ, tissue, or cell, such as the atrophy of muscle fibers caused by inactivity.

Belt

See “weight belt”

Bis

A slang term for the biceps muscles

Bodybuilding

A type of strength training applied in conjunction with nutritional practices to alter the shape of the body’s

Basal Metabolic Rate

The rate at which the body burns calories while awake but at rest (usually measured in calories per day).

Ballistic Stretch

This type of muscle stretch involves dynamic muscle action in which the muscles are stretched suddenly in a bouncing movement. A ballistic stretch for the hamstrings might involve touching your toes repeatedly in rapid succession.

BMR

See Basal Metabolic Rate

Beginning Weightlifter

A person with less than six months of strength training experience.

Burn

A slang term for the intense and painful sensation felt in a muscle that has been fatigued by high-rep sets.

Body Fat Percentage

The amount of fat in your body, generally expressed as a percentage.

Bulking Up

To gain body size and mass, preferably muscle tissue

Cardio

See aerobic exercise.

Chalk

Also known as magnesium carbonate, it is often used by powerlifters and Olympic lifters to keep the hands dry for a more secure grip on the weights.

Cheating

The condition in which strict form is ignored in order to get a few additional reps out of a set. Cheating is not generally recom mended because it can lead to injury. However, it can sometimes help a lifter push the muscles beyond muscle failure. An example of cheating would be forcibly swinging the upper body to help complete a standing biceps curl.

Compound Exercise

An exercise that involves more than one muscle group to perform the exercise. Therefore, movement occurs at more than one joint. For this reason, com pound exercises are often called multijoint exercise. These types of exercises are the best choices for developing strength. Examples are the squat, bench press, and barbell row.

Cool-down

Low-intensity exercise performed at the end of a high-intensity workout. The pur pose of the cool-down is to allow the body’s systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, meta bolic, and so on) that were used during the workout to gradually return to resting levels. core-The superficial and deep muscles of the abdominals and low back that stabilize the spine and help to prevent back injuries as well as enhance greater overall strength.

Cross-training

Participation in two or more sports or activities that can improve perfor mance in each and help an athlete achieve a higher level of fitness, Examples are strength training and football.

Cutting

Participation in two or more sports or activities that can improve perfor mance in each and help an athlete achieve a higher level of fitness, Examples are strength training and football.

Delayed

Onset muscle soreness (DOMS) Muscle soreness that develops a day or two after a heavy bout of exercise

Delts

A slang term referring to the deltoid muscles.

DOMS

See delayed-onset muscle soreness.

Dorsiflexion

Moving the top of the foot upward and toward the shin.

EPOC

See excess post-exercise oxygen consumption excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC)-Elevated oxygen consumption above that of resting levels after exercise.

Extension

The act of straightening a joint. For example, during the triceps press-down exercise, the elbow extends. The opposite of extension is flexion.

Failure

See muscle failure.

False grip

A type of grip in which the thumb remains against the side of the palm rather than wrapped around the bar as in a normal grip. This type of grip is not recommended because the bar can slip out of the hands.

Fast-twitch Muscle Fibers

Muscle fibers that with great endurance. Fast-twitch muscle fibers are best developed through strength training programs that employ heavyweight and low reps or lightweight and low reps contract quickly and powerfully but not that are performed in a quick and explosive manner.

Flexibility

The suppleness of joints, muscle fibers, and connective tissues. This suppleness allows a greater range of motion about the joints. Flexibility is an important component of overall fitness and is best developed through systematic stretching.

Flexion

The act of bending a joint. For example, during the biceps curl exercise the elbow flexes. The opposite of flexion is extension.

Form

Refers to the use of proper biomechan ics during an exercise. This means that all movements are performed in such a manner that only the required muscle groups are used during the exercise and all movements are performed in a safe manner to avoid the risk of injury.

GH

See growth hormone

Gloves

See weightlifting gloves.

Glutes

A slang term for the gluteal muscles.

Glycogen

The form of carbohydrate stored in the body, predominantly in the muscles.

Growth hormone (GH)

An anabolic hormone that stimulates fat metabolism and promotes muscle growth and hypertrophy.

Hypertrophy

The scientific term denoting an increase in muscle size.

Insertion

The point of attachment of a muscle most distant from the body’s midline or center.

Intermediate Strength Trainer

A person with 6 to 12 months of bodybuilding experience.

Isolation Exercise

An exercise that involves: just one muscle group and the movement of the one joint that that muscle group crosses. These types of exercises are sometimes called single-joint exercises. Examples are the dumbbell fly, lateral raise, and leg. extension.

Knee Wrap

A band of elastic fabric that is, wound tightly around the knee to support. the joint during squats and other heavy leg exercises.

Knurling

A grooved or roughened area along the gripping portion of a barbell or dumb bell that lessens the tendency for the hand to slip.

Lean Body Mass

Total body mass minus fat mass; this includes muscle, bone, organs, and water.

Lifter

Slang term that refers to a person who regularly strength-trains.

Macrocycle

A phase in periodization that typically involves six months to one year but may be up to four years, such as with Olympic athletes.

Mass

A term used to refer to muscle size, as in muscle mass.

Mesocycle

A phase in periodization usually lasting several weeks to months.

Microcycle

A phase in periodization lasting week.

Multijoint Exercise

See compound exercise.

Muscle Atrophy

See atrophy.

Muscle Failure

The point during an exercise at which the muscles have fully fatigued and can no longer complete an additional rep of that exercise using strict form.

Muscle Hypertrophy

See hypertrophy.

Musculature

The sport of bodybuilding is a competitive sport in amateur and professional categories for males and females.

Negative Phase of Repetition

A term used to describe the eccentric portion of a muscle contraction. Emphasizing the eccentric, or negative, a portion of the rep induces greater muscle damage than that caused by the con-centric portion of the rep. An example of a negative phase is the lowering of the weight down to the chest during a bench press.

Olympic Weightlifting

The type of weightlifting contested at Olympic Games every four years as well as at national and international competitions each year. Olympic lifting involves two lifts: the snatch and the clean and jerk.

Origin

The point of attachment of a muscle closest to the body’s midline, or center.

Overhand grip

This type of grip, also known as a pronated grip, involves grabbing the bar with the palms down and the knuckles on the front or the top of the bar. An example is the grip used for the reverse barbell curl or shrug.

Overreaching

Scientific term used to describe exercise training that pushes the body beyond its limits to recover and adapt. This usually involves too much volume, too s training with too muc much intensity, too much frequency, or or all of these. Overreaching is the stage that occurs just before the athlete becomes overtrained. If an athlete stops overreaching in tim in time, the athlete can avoid the deleterious effects of overtraining and actually rebound with rapid advances in strength and muscle mass.

Overtraining

When an athlete overreaches for too long, he or she reaches the point of overtraining. Chronically exceeding the body’s ability to recover by overreaching causes the body to stop progressing and actually lose some of the gains that were made in strength and muscle mass. Besides impairing athletic performance, overtraining can increase the risk of injury or disease. The early signs of overtraining from too much. weight include increased resting heart rate, difficulty in sleeping, increased sweating, and altered emotions. The early signs of overtraining from lifting too much volume or too often include decreased resting heart rate, digestion problems, fatigue, and lower blood pressure.

Passive Stretching

This type of stretching involves having a partner assist in moving joints through their ranges of motion. This allows for a greater range of motion than what can be reached when stretching alone.

Peak

The absolute zenith of competitive condition achieved by an athlete.

Pecs

A slang term that refers to the pectoralis muscles.

Periodization

The systematic manipulation of the acute variables of training over a period that may range from days to years.

Phosphocreatine (PCR)

An energy-rich compound that plays a critical role in providing energy for muscle action by maintaining ATP concentration.

Plantar flexion

Moving the top of the foot away from the shin, such as when pointing the toes down for heel raises.

Positive Phase of Repetition

The concentric portion of the repetition. Examples of the positive phase include the pressing of the barbell off the chest during the bench press and the curling up of the weight during a barbell curl.

Powerlifting

A form of competitive weightlifting that features three lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Powerlifting is contested both nationally and internationally in a variety of weight and age classes for both men and women.

Preexhaust

The use of single-joint exercise before multijoint exercises in an effort to exhaust a particular muscle group so that it becomes the weak link in the multijoin exercise.

Primary exercise

An exercise that is most specific to the goals of the lifter. These exercises must involve the muscle groups in which the person is most interested in gaining strength.

Pronation

Rotating the wrist inward.

Pump

A term commonly used by bodybuilders to refer to the swelling that muscles undergo during a workout. The pump occurs because when muscles contract repeatedly they create metabolic waste products that draw water into the muscle. The greater water volume increases the overall size of the muscle cell This can lead to temporary increases in total muscle size of one to two inches. The pump typically lasts until the metabolic waste prod ucts have been cleared from the muscle.

Quads

A slang term referring to the quadriceps muscles on the front thigh.

Range of Motion (ROM)

The range through which a joint can be moved, usually its range of flexion and extension. Exercises also have a specific range of motion that involves the movement from start to finish.