Fitness Glossary
This glossary contains some of the more common words used in the fitness industry. Something missing? Contact us and we will add it.
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- Abdominals or "abs" [back to top]
- The collective name for the muscles on the front of the torso, below the
chest. Swimming, rowing and Nordic skiing work these muscles.
- Abduction [back to top]
- Movement of a limb away from middle of body, such as bringing arms to shoulder
height from hanging down position.
- Absolute strength [back to top]
- The maximum force that an individual's muscle can produce is a single voluntary
effort, regardless of the rate of force production.
- Acceptable daily intake (ADI) [back to top]
- The amount of chemical that, if ingested daily over a lifetime, appears
to be without appreciable effect.
- Acclimatization [back to top]
- The process of becoming accustomed (physiologically adapting) to an unfamiliar
environment, for example, the body can adjust to a high altitude or a hot
climate and increase its capacity to work in those conditions.
- Active (dynamic) stretching [back to top]
- A technique in stretching muscle and tissue that requires muscle contraction
through a range of motion; no outside force is involved.
- Active recovery [back to top]
- Performing light aerobic exercise, stretching exercises, or working other
body parts to facilitate recovery after intense exercise to allow for more
productive use of exercise time and to encourage blood flow to the muscles.
- Acute [back to top]
- Having a rapid onset; sharp, severe; opposite of chronic.
Adaptation The ability of the body to adjust; Example, the body’s ability
to adjust to hot or cold climates.
- Adduction [back to top]
- Movement of a limb toward middle of body, such as bringing arms to side
from extended position at shoulder.
- Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) [back to top]
- A high-energy chemical compound that the body uses for immediate energy.
- Adipose tissue [back to top]
- Fat cells in the body.
- Adenosine Diphospahate (ADP) [back to top]
- ADP is formed when ATP is broken down within the bodies cell furnace, (the
mitochondria). This provides energy for muscular contraction.
- Aerobic exercise [back to top]
- Activity in which the body is able to supply adequate oxygen to the working
muscles, for a period of time. Running, cross-country skiing and cycling are
examples of aerobic activities.
- Agonist [back to top]
- Muscles directly engaged in contraction as related to muscles that relax
at the same time.
- Amenorrhea [back to top]
- Cessation of regular menstrual flow.
- Amino acids [back to top]
- Chemical compounds that contain nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen;
the basic building blocks the body uses to build different types of protein.
- Anabolic steroid [back to top]
- Synthetic chemical that mimics the muscle building characteristics of the
male hormone testosterone.
- Anaerobic exercise [back to top]
- Without oxygen. Activities in which oxygen demands of muscles are so high
that they rely upon an internal metabolic process for oxygen, resulting in
lactic acid build up. Short bursts of “all-out” activities such as sprinting
or weightlifting are anaerobic.
- Anaerobic threshold [back to top]
- The point at which you begin working your muscles without oxygen, from an
aerobic level, believed to be at about 87% of your Maximum Heart Rate.
- Androgen [back to top]
- Any substance that aids the development and controls the appearance of male
characteristics.
- Antagonist [back to top]
- Muscles that counteract the action of the agonist muscles.
- Antioxidants [back to top]
- Vitamins A, C and E, along with various minerals, which are useful to protect
the body from “free radicals”. Free radicals are unstable cells, which react
with each, naturally created in the body, and also caused by factors such
as smoking and radiation. Free radicals may cause cell damage, which leads
to disease.
- Balance [back to top]
- A state of equilibrium; a state in which the body has the ability to move
in space in a controlled movement.
- Ballistic [back to top]
- Fast, dynamic movement.
- Biomechanics [back to top]
- Branch of study that applies the laws of mechanics to living organisms and
biological tissues.
- BMR [back to top]
- Basal metabolic rate.
- Body composition [back to top]
- The proportion of body fat to fat free mass.
Body fat the percentage of your body mass that is not composed of lean muscle,
water, bones or vital organs.
- Borg’s scale (of perceived exertion) [back
to top]
- A scale using perceived exertion with a numerical code to determine the
level of exertion; The scale helps participants tune into their bodies since
metabolism and functions can vary from day to day. There are two versions
of the Borg scale, classical, based upon a scale of zero to 20 and the modified
Borg scale, which is more common, based upon a scale of zero to 10.
- Calorie [back to top]
- The standard unit for energy measurement in nutrition. Equal to one kilocalorie
or 1,000 calories.
- Cardiovascular [back to top]
- Relating to or involving the heart and blood vessels.
- Catabolism [back to top]
- The breakdown of lean muscles mass, normally as a result of injury, immobilization
and poor dieting techniques.
- Clean and jerk [back to top]
- An olympic lift where weight is raised from floor to overhead in two movements.
- Clean and snatch [back to top]
- An olympic lift where weight is raised from floor to overhead in one motion.
- Compound movements [back to top]
- Consists of movement in 2 or more joints using 2 or more muscles to raise
the weight.
- Complete proteins [back to top]
- Proteins that contain all the essential amino acids.
- Concentric contraction [back to top]
- A contraction in which the muscle shortens and works against gravity.
- Contralateral [back to top]
- "The opposite side". For example, "the right latissimus dorsi
works in conjunction with the "contralateral" - or left - gluteus
maximus."
- Cool-down [back to top]
- Slowing down at the end of a workout to allow your body temperature and
heart rate to decrease gradually.
- Core training [back to top]
- The progressive training of the musculature of the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex.
- Dehydration [back to top]
- The abnormal depletion of body fluids, easily detected by dark, concentrated
urine. Prevented by drinking water or sports drinks before, during and after
exercise. When you are fully hydrated, urine is plentiful, pale and odorless.
- Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) [back
to top]
- Muscle soreness that occurs 24 to 48 hours after intense exercise; typically
associated with eccentric muscle contractions, and thought to be the result
of microscopic tears in muscle or connective tissue.
- Dorsal [back to top]
- Pertaining to the back.
- Duration [back to top]
- The length of time one works or exercises; Duration is one way of increasing
resistance to a muscle or system to improve its function.
- Dynamic exercise [back to top]
- Joint movement resulting from muscular exertion (concentric or eccentric).
- Eccentric contraction (action) [back to top]
- A controlled lengthening of the muscle during its contraction; the resistance
overcomes the muscular force and the muscle lengthens.
- Electrolytes [back to top]
- Minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium that act to keep
your nerves firing and muscles moving, especially during exercise. They are
lost through sweating and can be replaced by drinking sports/energy drinks.
- Empty calories [back to top]
- Calories obtained from foods high in sugar and fat without significant nutritional
value (vitamins and minerals).
- Endorphins [back to top]
- Any of a group of proteins with potent analgesic properties that occur naturally
in the brain. These are the brain chemicals that contribute to the "runner's
high" or good feelings during and after exercise.
- Energy balance [back to top]
- The balance between energy taken in and energy used.
- Energy balance theory [back to top]
- The theory that body weight will stay the same when caloric intake equals
caloric expenditure, and that a positive or negative energy balance will cause
weight gain or weight loss.
- Extension [back to top]
- Dorsal exercises or trunk movements performed in the sagittal plane around
a transverse axis.
- External rotation [back to top]
- Rotation occurring away from midline; outward rotation.
- Flexibility [back to top]
- The ability to flex and extend the body's joints through their full range
of motion.
- Flexion [back to top]
- Anterior exercises or trunk movements performed in the sagittal plane around
a transverse axis.
- Free radicals [back to top]
- Highly reactive molecules that are known to damage muscle fibers, inflammation,
fatigue, and suppression of the immune system.
- Frequency [back to top]
- How often a person exercises.
- Glucose [back to top]
- A sugar, the usual form in which carbohydrates are assimilated by the body.
- Glycemic #index [back to top]
- Rating system that denotes how quickly a food is converted into glucose
in the blood stream. A lower glycemic #index means a slower rate of absorption.
- Glycogen [back to top]
- The form carbohydrates take when stored in the muscles.
- Heart rate (HR) [back to top]
- The number of times the heart beats in one minute.
- Homeostasis [back to top]
- Maintenance of the body's internal environment.
- Hyperlordosis [back to top]
- Excessive curvature of the lumbar (lower) spine and/or cervical spine.
- Hypertrophy [back to top]
- The increase in size or mass of a cell, tissue, or organ, such as the increase
in muscle fiber size resulting from strength training.
- Inertia [back to top]
- The tendency of a body at rest to remain at rest or a body in motion to
remain in motion unless disturbed by an external force.
- Intervals [back to top]
- Speed workouts, usually run on a track, with distances and target paces
decided before you run. They typically consist of relatively short sprints
of 220 yards to 1 mile interspersed with rest periods of slower running.
- Isometrics [back to top]
- Exercise or a system of exercises in which opposing muscles are so contracted
that there is little shortening but great increase in tone of muscle fibers
involved. A good example would be pushing against a wall.
- Isotonic [back to top]
- A type of muscle contraction in which the muscle generates force against
a constant resistance resulting in movement, such as curling a 40-pound barbell.
- Joint capsule [back to top]
- The thin, cartilaginous, fatty, fibrous, membranous structure that envelopes
a joint. Fluid inside the joint capsule lubricates the area, allowing bones
to glide smoothly against each other.
- Kinematics [back to top]
- Area of study that examines the spatial and temporal components of motion
(position, velocity, acceleration).
- Kinesiology [back to top]
- The scientific study of human movement.
- Kinetic system [back to top]
- Any system where each part of it is in some way influenced when changes
occur in other parts of the system.
- Kyphosis [back to top]
- A condition characterized by an abnormally increased convexity in the curvature
of the thoracic spine as viewed from the side.
- Lipid [back to top]
- Another name for dietary fats or triglycerides.
- Lumbar [back to top]
- The lower five vertebrates of the spine, that are used for bending and extending
the body forward and backward, with the assistance of the abdominal and erector
spinae muscles.
- Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) [back
to top]
- The highest volume of oxygen a person can consume during exercise; maximum-aerobic
capacity; VO2max is a measure of maximal cardiovascular performance.
- MET [back to top]
- The expression of the rate of work (power output) for the human body at
rest, or a metabolic equivalent. One MET is approximately equal to a person's
metabolism when seated and relaxed.
- One rep maximum (1RM) [back to top]
- The maximum amount of weight that you can lift in good form, one time.
- Perceived exertion [back to top]
- The subjective perception of exercise effort; see Borg’s scale (of perceived
exertion).
- Plantar fasciitis [back to top]
- Inflammation of the plantar fascia (fasciitis), the "bowstring-like"
tissue in the sole of the foot stretching from the heel to the front of the
foot.
- Plyometrics [back to top]
- Exercises designed to generate the greatest amount of force in the shortest
amount of time.
- Post exercise energy consumption [back to
top]
- The continued elevated (above resting) amounts of calories being burned
due to recovery from exercise. During recovery, calories are burned during
muscle and tissue repair and oxygen replacement in muscles.
- Pronator foot type [back to top]
- A type of foot that rolls far inward during the weight-bearing phase of
the stride. This type of foot is characterized by a very low or flat arch.
Heavier people often have feet of this type.
- Q-Angle [back to top]
- The angle formed by the longitudinal axis of the femur and the line of pull
of the patellar ligament.
- Range of motion [back to top]
- The range, measured in degrees of a circle, through which a joint can be
flexed and extended. Active range of motion: Voluntarily moving a joint through
a controlled range of motion; active movement of a joint. Passive range of
motion: Having an external force move a joint through its range of motion.
- Reciprocal inhibition [back to top]
- The concept of muscle inhibition caused by a tight agonist, which inhibits
its functional antagonist.
- Resting heart rate [back to top]
- A measure of heat beats per minute when the body is completely at rest,
such as in the morning right out of bed.
- RICE [back to top]
- An acronym for treatment of exercise injuries, such as sprains and strains;
Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.
- Saggital [back to top]
- An imaginary line,otherwise known as the anterior/posterior plane, that
divides the body into right and left halves. Sagittal plane exercises lie
on the frontal axis.
- Sets [back to top]
- A group of repititions, as in one set of 12 repititions.
- Spinning® [back to top]
- The Spinning program utilizes a revolutionary stationary bike, the Johnny
G. Spinner by Schwinn, which is designed to simulate a real outdoor biking
experience. There are no computers attached to the Spinner, and the bike has
a fixed gear, racing handlebars, pedals with clips or cages, and a seat that
can adjust up and down, fore and aft. Each Spinner also has a resistance knob
that you can use to adjust the intensity of each workout.
- Stability [back to top]
- Remaining consistent and steady. Joint stability: Integrity of the entire
joint.
- Stabilization [back to top]
- The ability to control the body both statically and dynamically.
- Stabilizer muscle [back to top]
- A muscle responsible for stabilizing an adjacent segment.
- Static posture [back to top]
- The position of the body at rest, sitting, standing or lying.
- Static stretch [back to top]
- Stretching/elongating a muscle and holding a steady point without bouncing
for a period of 20 seconds.
- Supinator foot type [back to top]
- A type of foot that restricts the impact of the stride largely to the outer
edges of the foot. This type of foot often has a very high, rigid arch.
- Target heart rate [back to top]
- The heart rate at which most people do their exercise. Usually 60-80 percent
of maximum heart rate for moderate activity.
- Tempo [back to top]
- The rate of speed of a repetition.
- Tendons [back to top]
- A cord of dense, tough tissue connecting a muscle with a bone or part.
- Training to failure [back to top]
- Continuing a set until it is impossible to complete another rep without
assistance.
- Triceps [back to top]
- The muscles on the back of the upper arms that straighten your elbows and
allow you to push your arms forward. You use them when you're fly-fishing
or pushing a running stroller.
- Underpronation [back to top]
- Another term for supination, or the excessive outward-rolling motion of
your feet. The opposite of pronation, or inward movement. Learn how to choose
running shoes.
- Vastus intermedius, lateralis and medialis [back
to top]
- 3 of the 4 muscles of the thigh that make up the quadriceps. Strong quads
help protect your knees. The 4th muscle is the rectus femoris. Cycling, skiing,
running and hiking downhill work these muscles.
- Volume [back to top]
- The total work load done within the context of a training session and/or
particular time frame (i.e. total sets, reps, load, etc.)
- Warm-up [back to top]
- A pre-workout routine that prepares the body for more vigorous exercise.
It usually consists of light, progressive movements that stimulate the muscles,
heart and lungs.
- Weight-bearing exercise [back to top]
- Exercise in which you support your weight or lift weight. Lifting weights
or doing weight-bearing exercise (such as running, skiing or walking) can
help slow down the rate of bone loss and osteoporosis, and therefore reduce
fractures.
- Wicking [back to top]
- Moisture movement by capillary action. It usually refers to technical fabrics
that move sweat away from the skin to the outer surface of the fabric, where
it evaporates. Learn how to choose fitness clothing.
- Yoga [back to top]
- A system of exercises for attaining bodily or mental control and well-being.
Various forms of yoga include poses (or asanas) for building strength and
flexibility, breathing exercises for cleansing, and/or meditation for relaxation
and stress reduction.
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