Fitness Jargon: Understanding Your Workout

Posted February 1, 2008 at 12:30 PM by Chris Illuminati

Section: His Fitness, Cardio Training, Strength Training, His Health, Physical Health

Almost every field of expertise has its own jargon—including fitness. Attempting to discern “reps” from “sets” and “VO2 max” from “target heart rate” and “interval training,” could cause any newcomer to go into fitness jargon overload.

When I first began training, I always made the mistake of assuming the client knew almost everything I did about working out. I would hope they at least knew some of the common phrases used in the gym. Then, I met a client who didn’t even know the difference between a ‘set’ and ‘rep.’ I realized that I would have to start at square one with every client, just to make sure we covered the basics before I set them out on their own on the days they exercised without my assistance.

I feel it’s safe to assume that the readers of He’s Fit are well past the textbook definitions of sets and reps, so I am going to talk about the different types of exercise routines you will find mentioned frequently in magazines, fitness websites, and by the people in the gym who like to bore others with the details of their workouts. (Can these people be stopped? No one ever asks them anyway). People like to throw these phrases around like ‘total body workout’ and ‘interval training’ when describing their workout but they don’t always know exactly what they mean. Here are some of the more popular routines and some examples of each. 

The first workout routine is the total body workout. The total body workout targets each of the major muscle groups in one complete workout. Each muscle group gets one exercise (number of sets and reps depends on the individual) and you can take as much—or as little—rest time in between each set.

For example, you begin with a chest exercise, move to a back exercise, then on to a bicep exercise and so on, until you have finished each group. If you are pressed for time, a good way to condense this workout is to alternate two muscle groups using the same weight or machines in close proximity to one another. For example, you can group biceps and triceps together by doing a set of bicep curls with dumbbells and then a set of dumbbell kickbacks. 

Many fitness experts believe that working opposing muscle groups at the same time will increase strength gains (for instance, if you’re doing bicep curls, you would want to alternate with tricep push downs, and if you’re doing leg extensions, you would want to alternate with leg curls). Overall, a total body workout will give you a great plan and will probably make you pretty tired by the end of the session.

Circuit training is another popular option. This is also a total body workout that allows several exercises—one for each body part—to be completed in succession with little rest time in between sets.

These are popular workouts in places like Curves (for women) and Cuts (for guys), and it is usually the first routine a trainer will perform with a new client because easier to remember and are usually machine orientated (avoiding new injuries). The only drawback to the circuit method is that the routine can get boring very quickly because the same machines are always involved in the workout.

A split routine is a popular option for beginners. It involves splitting body parts into sections for different days.  One day is chest and biceps, the next is back and triceps, and so on until all body parts are covered for the week. I try to break it down into opposite body parts, so I am not exhausting one area of the body and not getting the full effect.

An example would be to try and split chest and triceps into different days. Chest exercises involve a fair amount of pushing and the triceps are forced to work. If you then attempt to do triceps, you won’t get as good a workout because they are already exhausted.  This is an easier routine to follow for those who can dedicate several days a week to the gym because you have to remember what body parts you’ve done and what is left to complete.

Resistance routines are a personal favorite. It’s a total body workout, only you’re using your body weight as the only resistance. This involves push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and any exercise using just pure body weight.  If you’re doing this for the first time, try utilizing a pull-up assist machine and/or a dip assist machine (which will take some of the weight off) just to concentrate on form.

This workout is a real killer, especially the first few times, so try and keep it to once a week in the beginning. You can also incorporate resistance bands to work the shoulders, biceps and even chest and back. This is a great workout when you are away on vacation or just can’t make it to the gym.

Interval routines are a popular cardio workout. It’s a variation of speeds and intensity levels in the span of one workout. For example, a light jog on a treadmill, followed by a fast four minute sprint, then back to a light jog is a type of interval training.  This can also be done with weights, by using both heavy and light weights, and alternating between each.

There are countless other routines and several variations of these routines that are just as effective. These are the routines that I find work best for me, my schedule, and have garnered the best results. I encourage everyone to try each and decide what routine works best for them.

Research sources and for more information: [Google], [Wikipedia]; [picture1]; [picture2]