51 Health and Fitness Terms for Beginners

  • Resistance training: Resistance training is also known as strength training, and depends on the contraction of muscles when using an item such as a hand weight in order to build strength.
  • Sets: A round of reps. For example, performing the recommended amount of reps for an exercise is called a set. If the recommended amount of bicep curls is 12 reps, and you perform those 12 reps, you have completed a set. If you performed 12 reps, rested for 30 seconds, and then performed another 12 reps, you have just completed a set.
  • Tempo: Just like in music, tempo refers to a rhythm. In the fitness world, it refers to the rhythm at which you lower and raise a weight.
  • Resting heart rate: Your resting heart rate is the rate at which your heart beats when the body is at rest, and has not performed any physical activity for at least 5 minutes.
  • Resting metabolic rate: Resting metabolic rate refers to the amount of calories and energy your body utilizes to maintain all of its vital functions while the body is at rest. Those with a low resting metabolic rate are often said to have a slow metabolism.
  • Training Volume: Training volume refers to the amount of reps and sets you can perform during a workout session. If your training volume is low and you are not experiencing weight loss or muscle gains, you may need to increase your training to perform more reps, sets or increase your weights.
  • Body mass index: Your body mass index (BMI) takes your overall weight and height into account to determine the percentage of muscle to fat on your body.
  • HIIT: An abbreviation for high intensity interval training, HIIT refers to short bursts of intense cardiovascular exercise paired with short periods of lower intensity exercise.
  • Repetition: This is the same as ‘reps’. It is the number of times you perform a specific move, such as chest presses. Pressing the weight up and then lowering the weight back down equals 1 repetition.
  • Load: Load refers to the amount of weight or muscle stimulus required in order to achieve gains. For example, once your muscles adapt to a certain amount of weight utilized during a workout, you must increase the weight being used to stimulate muscle growth.
  • Rest period: The amount of time you rest between exercises or workout days.
  • Sequence: A sequence is the order in which you perform exercises. For example, a chest training sequence would include chest presses, pec flyes and push-ups.
  • Anabolic: Anabolic refers to an increase in muscle mass. For example, anabolic steroids help to increase muscle mass.
  • Catabolic: A catabolic process refers to the breaking down of a large substance into a smaller one, such as when the body must expend energy in order to break down food into usable components.
  • Static Stretching: A static stretch is performed when the muscles are at rest. For example, standing straight and then bending over to touch your toes in order to stretch the back of your legs.
  • Dynamic stretching: This is the opposite of static stretching, meaning that you are moving while stretching. For example, standing straight and then raising each leg out in front of you, one at a time.
  • Functional Exercises: Exercises designed to help the body perform everyday activities on a higher level. These exercises work to develop balance and strength, reducing the risk of injury.
  • Fat Loss: The term used to describe the process of burning more calories through exercise than you consume in order to reduce body weight.
  • CrossFit WOD: This term actually stands for CrossFit workout of the day. It refers to a daily workout utilized by cross-fitters.
  • Insulin resistance: Insulin resistance occurs when the body produces insulin, but cannot utilize it as needed. If left untreated, insulin resistance can lead to type II diabetes.
  • Insulin sensitivity: This refers to how sensitive your body is to insulin. If your insulin sensitivity is poor, your body will have difficulty digesting carbohydrates properly.
  • Strength: Strength refers to the ability of your body to perform load-bearing exercise, or ability to move an object.
  • EPOC: EPOC stands for excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, and refers to the increased intake of oxygen after a strenuous workout to help rebuild the body’s oxygen level used during exercise.
  • Fasting: Depriving your body of a particular food for a pre-determined period. Many people refrain from consuming any solid foods and drink only fruit juices during a fast.
  • Metabolic Typing Diet: This diet is based on the theory that everyone has a specific metabolism that can fall into one of three categories. The types of food you crave, such as salty or sweet, determine your metabolic type.
  • Complex Carbohydrates: Complex carbohydrates are carbohydrates that provide the body with sustained energy, such as those that come from whole grains. These carbohydrates are nutrient dense and provide the body with important vitamins and minerals.
  • Simple Carbohydrates: Simple carbohydrates refer foods such as refined white sugar, white bread and cake. They have little to no nutritional value, and often provide you with a burst of energy followed by an intense sensation of tiredness a few hours afterward.
  • Stability: This is often referred to as core stability, and refers to the actual strength of your stomach and back muscles in order to keep your body in an upright position during various exercises.
  • Intermittent Fasting: Unlike a true fast, which can last for days, weeks or even months, intermittent fasting usually refers to consuming your standard diet several days per week, followed by 1 to 2 days of consuming nothing but fruit juices or another substance of choice in an attempt to reduce overall calorie consumption.
  • Organic Foods: Foods that have been grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
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