Decoding Your Workout: Speak the Language of Fitness and Achieve Your Peak

From AMRAP to Eccentric, Your Guide to Exercise Lingo.

Welcome future Peak Performers! Here at Path II Peak, we believe that understanding your exercise plan is just as important as performing the movements correctly. It empowers you to take ownership of your fitness journey and communicate effectively with your coach. Sometimes, the world of exercise can feel like it has its own language, filled with terms that might sound confusing at first. That's why we've put together this handy guide to demystify some common exercise terminology. Let's dive in!

Here are some key terms you'll often encounter:

1 RM (One Repetition Maximum): The maximum weight you can lift for a single repetition of a given exercise. This is often used to gauge your strength and determine appropriate training loads.

AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible): Performing as many repetitions of an exercise as you can within a specified time frame. This is a fantastic way to push your boundaries and build endurance. Some days, for that extra bit of oomph, you might even hear us (or yourself!) mentally adding an "F" in front of the "P"... feel free to fill in that blank for yourself! 😉

Burn and/or Burn Exercises: These are often high-intensity exercises that can cause your lactate levels to spike, leading to a burning sensation in the working muscles that might feel unbearable. This "burn" is your body's way of dealing with the accumulation of hydrogen ions. Sometimes, a workout plan might specify a "burn" for a set duration (e.g., a 5-minute "burn"), in which case you perform the exercise continuously for that time, disregarding the number of repetitions.

Circuit Training: Performing a series of different exercises with minimal rest in between, completing one round (or circuit) of all the exercises and then repeating for a specified number of circuits or time.

Compound Exercise: These are movements that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Think of exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. Because they engage several joints and muscles, they're highly efficient for building overall strength and muscle mass.

Concentric Movement: A concentric movement occurs when a muscle shortens while generating force, overcoming resistance. For example, the lifting phase of a bicep curl is a concentric movement.

Drop Set: Performing a set of an exercise to failure, then immediately reducing the weight and continuing to perform more repetitions1 until you reach failure again. This technique allows you to push your muscles beyond their usual limits.

Eccentric Movement: An eccentric movement occurs when a muscle lengthens while still generating force, typically while controlling the resistance. For example, the lowering phase of a bicep curl is an eccentric movement.

Failure (Muscular Failure): The point during a set of an exercise where you can no longer perform another repetition with proper form despite maximal effort.

Isometric Contraction: A type of muscle contraction in which the muscle actively generates force but the length of the muscle does not change, and there is no visible movement at the joint. Think of holding a plank or pushing against an immovable object.

Neutral Grip (Hammer Grip): Palms facing each other, like you're holding a hammer. Showing my “geek side,” think of yourself as Thor or Jane Foster holding Mjölnir or Beta Ray Bill wielding the Stormbreaker.

Progressive Overload: Gradually and systematically increasing the demands placed on your muscles over time. This can be done by increasing the weight, repetitions, sets, frequency of workouts, or decreasing rest periods.

Pronated Grip (Overhand Grip): Palms facing away from you, knuckles facing up.

Repetitions (“reps”): Reps are the number of times you complete an exercise before taking a break. For example, "12 reps of bench press" means performing the bench press movement twelve times.

Rest Period: The amount of time you take to recover between sets of an exercise. The duration of your rest period can significantly impact your workout's effectiveness depending on your goals.

RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion): This is a subjective scale (usually 1-10) used to measure the intensity of your workout. 1 being very easy and 10 being maximal effort. It helps you gauge how hard you're working based on how it feels.

Set: A set is a collection of repetitions performed consecutively without rest. For instance, performing 10 squats in a row would be one set of 10 repetitions.

Supinated Grip (Underhand Grip): Palms facing towards you, knuckles facing down. An easy way to remember this is thinking about how you'd hold a bowl of soup (yes, it would be hot this way, but you get the idea).

Superset: Performing two different exercises back-to-back with little to no rest in between. This is a great way to increase workout intensity and efficiency.

Time Under Tension (TUT): This refers to the total amount of time a muscle is actively engaged and under load during a set of an exercise. It's often measured in seconds and considers both the concentric (lifting), isometric (holding), and eccentric (lowering) phases of each repetition. TUT can be a powerful tool for influencing muscle growth, strength, and endurance.

Volume: In the context of exercise, volume typically refers to the total amount of work performed during a training session or over a period of time. It is often calculated by multiplying the number of sets by the number of repetitions and sometimes by the weight lifted (Sets x Reps x Weight). Volume is a key factor in determining the overall training load

We hope this expanded glossary further clarifies the language of exercise! Remember, clear communication is key to a successful fitness journey. If you ever encounter a term you don't understand, whether it's from us at Path II Peak or another trainer, don't hesitate to ask! We're all here to help you reach your peak.

What other exercise terms have you found confusing? Let us know in the comments below!