A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Numbers
A2G - also ATG, short for ‘ass to grass’, referring to squat depth. Ass to grass means squatting low, to the point where the back of the thighs hit the calves and the butt is very close to the floor. How low should I squat
Assistance exercises – exercises designed to improve performance in another exercise by targeting a particular weakness, e.g. overhead squat as assistance for the snatch.
Bumper plates – rubber or rubber-coated weight plates used in olympic weightlifting to prevent damage to equipment when loaded barbells are dropped.
Burgener warm-up – warm up for olympic weightlifting devised by coach Mike Burgener, who is associated with Crossfit.
BW – short for ‘bodyweight’.
Calisthenics (or callisthenics) – a type of strength training, related to gymnastics. It is usually performed without weights or equipment, using one’s own bodyweight as resistance. Sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups are all used in calisthenics. In Australia, calisthenics is a competitive sport.
Circuit training – a high intensity method of training where exercises are performed one after the other in rounds. There is little or no rest between exercises so the exercise stations are designed to work different muscle groups.
CJ – also C&J, short for clean & jerk.
Clean – olympic lift where the bar is pulled explosively from the ground to a racked position on the shoulders. In competition, usually performed with the jerk. (see also power clean and hang clean). The clean: common problems
Clean and jerk – an event in olympic weightlifting consisting of two parts: the clean, where the bar is lifted from the ground to a racked position on the shoulders; and the jerk, where the bar is lifted from the racked position on the shoulders to overhead, and is caught with the knees slightly bent.
Clubbell – a weighted club used as a training tool. Sometimes referred to as Indian clubbell.
CNS – short for ‘central nervous system’, which is heavily involved in strength movements.
Compound exercise – an exercise involving more than one joint, such as the squat (hip, knee, ankle), as opposed to an isolation or single joint exercise, such as the bicep curl (elbow). Multi-joint, or compound exercises are believed to be better than isolation exercises for strength building and performance. Compare isolation exercise.
Concentric -
Concept2 – a brand of indoor rowing machine.
Crossfit – a fitness system and community started in the US but now worldwide. See www.crossfit.com.
Eccentric -
Full squat - a squat in which the butt drops below parallel with the knees, as deep as the lifter can manage. Mostly seen in olympic weightlifting. How low should I squat?
Grease the groove -
GTG – short for ‘grease the groove’.
Hang clean -a clean in which the bar is not pulled from the floor but pulled from the hang position just above the knees. See also hang power clean.
Hang power clean – a clean performed from the hang which is caught with legs slightly bent rather than in the full squat position.
Hook grip -
HSPU – short for ‘handstand push-up’. How to handstand push-up
Hypertrophy -
Interval training – a type of conditioning which alternates periods (or intervals) of hard work with periods of recovery in order to build cardiovascular fitness. Intervals and recovery periods can be anything from a few seconds to a few minutes, according to the intensity desired. Interval training can be done with any cardio activity, such as running, cycling or rowing.
Isolation exercise – an exercise involving a single joint, such as the leg extension (knee), as opposed to a compound or multi-joint exercise such as the deadlift (shoulder, hip, knee, ankle). Isolation exercises are often used by bodybuilders to target specifc muscle groups for hypertrophy. Compare compound exercise.
Isometrics – a type of strength training or muscle contraction. Isometric exercises are those in which the joint angle and muscle length do not change during muscle contraction. This is usually because the joint and muscle are being worked against an immovable object (e.g. pushing against a wall) or are held in a static position against a resistance. Isometrics were popular in the days of oldtime strongmen but are much less used these days. Compare Isotonics.
Isotonics – a type of strength training or muscle contraction. Isotonic exercises are those in which the joint moves through a range of motion and the muscle length changes. Isotonics consist of concentric and eccentric muscle contractions (e.g. lifting and lowering a weight) and are what most people would recognise as strength training. Compare Isometrics.
Jerk – olympic lift where the bar is lifted from a racked position on the shoulders to a locked out position over the lifter’s head. The jerk differs from a press in that the lifter jumps and catches the bar on landing with the knees bent. In competition usually performed with the clean. See also split jerk.
Kettlebell – a traditional Russian cast iron weight, in the shape of a ball with a handle on top. It is held in a single hand by the handle, in a similar way to a dumbbell. Kettlebells come in different sizes, with the standard size being 16kg or 1 pood. Kettlebell training utilises exercises adapted from olympic weightlifting such as snatch, jerk and swing. Kettlebell training guide
Linear periodisation -
Loading -
Lockout -
Muscle-up – a gymnastic exercise performed on the rings. Muscle-up and ring training guide
OHS – short for ‘overhead squat’. Overhead squat
Olympic bar -
Olympic plates -
Olympic weightlifting – a sport consisting of two events, the snatch and the clean and jerk. In both events the bar is moved from the ground to over the lifters head in a fast, explosive movement.
Periodisation -
Physical culture – the precursor to bodybuilding, popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Pood – unit of weight in the old Imperial Russian system, still used for kettlebells. One pood is around 16kg.
Power – strength multiplied by speed.
Power clean – a clean in which the bar is caught with legs slightly bent rather than in a full squat position.
Powerlifting -
Proprioception -
Rack -
Ross Training – the works of Ross Enamait, a strength and conditioning coach who trains fighters and has published a number of books on training. See www.rosstraining.com.
Snatch - an event in olympic weightlifting. A bar is lifted from the floor to overhead in one swift movement. Technically demanding.
Speed -
Split jerk - a type of jerk where the feet are split on landing so one is in front and one behind.
Spotter -
Strength endurance -
TGU – stands for ‘turkish get-up’. See Turkish Get-up.
Torque – the force acting on an object which causes it to rotate around an axis. In strength training, torque can be produced on one area of the body when another area is loaded. For example, a heavy load on the upper part of the back (as in a back squat) produces torque on the lower back.
Turkish get-up -
Undulating periodisation -
Valsalver manoeuvre -
Volume -
Weightlifting - strictly speaking, refers to the sport of olympic weightlifting, but is also used as a generic term for any strength training involving weights, such as bodybuilding or powerlifting. Types of weight training
Windmill – a strength exercise. Can be performed with a barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell. The windmill is performed by bending over to one side and pressing the bell straight upwards.
WOD – stands for ‘workout of the day’. Crossfit acronym. Crossfit publishes a WOD on its website which is the backbone of the Crossfit training system. See also Crossfit.
1RM – short for ‘one repetition max’, the maximum weight you can lift for one rep. Used to calculate workout intensity as percentage of 1 rep max.
5×5 – shorthand for 5 sets of 5 repetitions (pronounced: five by five). A strength training protocol used in maximal strength training. Popular with powerlifters or those wanting to gain mass.
5/5 – shorthand for 5 seconds up, 5 seconds down (pronounced: five five). A protocol for rep speed favoured by followers of High Intensity Training (HIT). 5/5 is a slow rep speed.
had a little rant there.
