Glossary

A resistance-training format using five sets of five repetitions on selected exercises, commonly compound lifts.

Active recovery is deliberately easy movement used between harder efforts or on a lighter day, with the aim of adding little fatigue.

Active stretching uses your own muscle effort to move into or maintain a stretch, without a partner or external device supplying the stretching force.

Aerobic endurance is the ability to sustain activity over time with most of the energy supplied through aerobic metabolism.

Anaerobic capacity describes the total amount of energy that can be supplied through pathways that do not directly require oxygen during a specified exercise effort.

Balance is the ability to maintain or recover stability while holding a position, moving, or responding to a disturbance.

Basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is the energy expenditure required to support essential body functions under standardized resting, fasting conditions.

An introductory approach to resistance exercise for adults over 40, adapted to training experience, current ability, goals and individual restrictions.

Bilateral training uses both arms or both legs together in an exercise. Examples include a two leg squat and a press performed with both arms at the same time.

Body composition describes what the body is made of, often summarized as fat mass and fat free mass rather than total weight alone.

Body recomposition means changing the body’s proportions of fat and lean tissue, commonly by losing fat while gaining muscle over time.

Bone mineral density, or BMD, measures the mineral content of bone in a specified area or volume. It helps clinicians evaluate bone health and fracture risk.

Bracing is coordinated trunk muscle tension used to help control the torso during a movement or load. It does not automatically require holding your breath.

A calorie deficit occurs when energy intake is lower than energy expenditure over time. Caloric deficit is another name for the same concept.

Chondroitin is a component of cartilage that helps it resist compression. Supplements usually contain chondroitin sulfate, sometimes combined with glucosamine.

Cold water immersion means putting part or most of the body into cold water, often as a post-exercise recovery practice.

Collagen peptides are small pieces of collagen protein made by breaking collagen down so it can be used in foods and supplements.

A complete protein supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate proportions relative to human requirements.

A compound exercise uses movement at multiple joints and involves several muscle groups within one exercise.

A muscle action in which the active muscle shortens while producing force.

Core stability describes the ability to control the trunk and pelvis while producing, transferring or resisting forces during a task.

Creatine monohydrate is a widely studied supplement form of creatine, a substance that helps muscles quickly replace energy during short, hard efforts.

Daily undulating periodization varies repetition targets, loads or volume between training sessions within the week.

Deconditioning is a reduction in physical capacity associated with reduced activity, prolonged inactivity or illness.

Delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, is muscle tenderness and discomfort that develops after exercise rather than during the exercise itself.

A temporary reduction in training demands intended to manage fatigue and prepare for subsequent training.

DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, is a steroid hormone made mainly by the adrenal glands. The body can convert it into testosterone and estrogen.

Dietary fiber includes carbohydrate components of plant foods that resist digestion by human digestive enzymes in the small intestine.

A progression method that increases repetitions within a planned range before increasing resistance and rebuilding repetitions.

Dynamic stretching uses repeated movement into and out of a stretch, without holding the end position for a prolonged period.

A muscle action in which the active muscle lengthens while producing force.

Energy balance is the relationship between energy taken in through food and drink and energy used by the body over time.

Energy density is the amount of energy in a given weight of food, commonly expressed as calories per gram. Calorie density is another name for it.

Extra calories burned after intense exercise while the body returns to baseline.

Essential amino acids are the nine amino acids the body cannot make in sufficient amounts and must obtain through the diet.

Exercise economy describes the oxygen or energy cost of performing a defined task at a given submaximal workload. Better economy means a lower cost for the same task.

A nine-week powerlifting peaking routine covering squat, bench press and deadlift, distinct from the six-week squat cycle.

Fall prevention means reducing the likelihood of falling and the injuries that can follow. It includes physical training, health assessment and changes to the surrounding environment.

A farmer’s carry is walking while holding a weight in each hand at your sides. It combines carrying a load with grip and trunk control.

Flexibility describes the available movement range around a joint, influenced by muscles and other tissues as well as tolerance to stretch. It is specific to the joint and movement being assessed.

Foam rolling is a form of self-massage that uses a roller to apply pressure to muscles and nearby soft tissue.

A front rack carry is walking with one or two weights supported near the front of the shoulders rather than hanging at the sides.

Functional strength training develops strength for the activities and physical tasks that matter to an individual.

A high-volume resistance-training method commonly associated with ten sets of ten repetitions on selected main exercises.

Glucosamine is a substance used to build molecules in cartilage. Supplemental forms include glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride.

Glutamine is an amino acid made by the body and supplied by foods containing protein. Cells use it for energy and other functions.

Grip strength is the force produced by the hand and forearm when grasping, squeezing or holding an object.

Healthspan refers to the portion of life spent in good health, commonly considered alongside freedom from major disease or disability.

Heart rate variability, or HRV, is the small change in the time between one heartbeat and the next.

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, alternates periods of hard exercise with periods of easier activity or rest.

A hip hinge is a movement pattern in which most of the bending occurs at the hips as the hips move backward and the torso inclines forward.

A muscle action that produces force while the relevant joint position remains essentially unchanged.

Joint stability is the capacity to maintain or control a joint’s position and movement under the demands placed on it.

Lactate threshold describes an exercise intensity identified from changes in blood lactate as workload increases. Different methods identify different thresholds.

A lat pulldown is a pulling exercise that brings a bar or handles down from overhead toward the upper torso, usually using a cable or resistance machine.

Linear periodization organizes training into phases that generally move from higher repetition work toward heavier loads and fewer repetitions.

Low impact exercise limits the repeated landing or collision forces associated with activities such as running and jumping.

A lunge is a lower body exercise that moves into a staggered stance and bends the hips and knees before returning or continuing into another step.

A macrocycle is the broad training plan that connects multiple training blocks to an overall goal, often across several months or a season.

In everyday nutrition planning, macronutrients are carbohydrate, protein and fat, the major nutrients usually tracked in grams and used to supply energy.

Magnesium is a mineral the body needs for normal muscle and nerve function, energy production and bone health.

Maintenance calories are the average energy intake that supports a broadly stable body weight over time at a person’s current activity level and circumstances.

A mesocycle is a training block lasting several weeks, made up of shorter microcycles and organized around a particular training emphasis.

A microcycle is a short training cycle, often one week, that organizes individual workouts and recovery within a larger training block.

In exercise coaching, mobility is the ability to move through a usable range of motion with control for a particular task.

Moderate intensity activity is aerobic activity performed at a demand above light effort, described by either a person's relative effort or an absolute energy cost.

Motor control is how the nervous system organizes and regulates muscle activity and body movement to accomplish a task.

A movement assessment is a structured observation of how a person performs selected tasks to help guide exercise selection and coaching.

Movement patterns are broad categories of coordinated actions used to organize exercises, such as squatting, hinging, pushing, pulling and carrying.

Muscle atrophy is a reduction in muscle tissue size. It can occur with prolonged disuse, illness, inadequate nutrition or conditions affecting the nerves that supply a muscle.

An increase in muscle size over time, distinct from a temporary workout pump or an increase in strength.

The point in a set when another repetition cannot be completed through the intended range with the required technique despite attempting it.

Muscular imbalances describe differences in strength, size, endurance, or movement capacity between body sides or muscle groups.

Non exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, is energy used for everyday physical movement outside planned exercise, such as household tasks, standing and walking around at work.

Omega-3 fatty acids are a family of fats that help form cell membranes and support normal body functions.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that reduces bone strength and increases the likelihood of fractures. Changes in bone density and internal structure both matter.

An ostomy is surgery that creates an opening called a stoma. An ileostomy is a specific type involving the last part of the small intestine.

An overhead press moves resistance upward from around shoulder level by raising the arms and extending the elbows. It can use dumbbells, a barbell, or a machine.

Overtraining syndrome is a long-lasting drop in exercise performance that can develop when training and other stress exceed a person's ability to recover.

Passive stretching uses an outside force, such as a strap, a support surface or a partner, to help position a body part in a stretch.

PNF stretching combines stretching with deliberate muscle contractions. PNF stands for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation.

Posterior chain is a coaching term for muscles along the back of the body that contribute to coordinated movement, including the glutes, hamstrings, spinal extensors and other back muscles.

Posture is how you position and organize your body while still or moving, considered in relation to the task and your capacity.

Power training develops the ability to produce force while moving quickly. Mechanical power combines force and movement velocity; strength and power are related but distinct qualities.

Gradually increasing training demands as your capacity improves, using changes in repetitions, resistance, or training volume.

Proprioception is the sense of body and limb position, movement, and force that helps you guide movement without relying entirely on vision.

Protein is a nutrient made from amino acids that the body uses to build and maintain tissues and produce many functional molecules, including enzymes.

Protein timing describes when you eat protein during the day and in relation to exercise.

A push up is a body weight pressing exercise in which you lower your body toward a support surface and press away while controlling your trunk.

The extent of movement available at a joint or used during an exercise.

A subjective rating of how hard exercise feels, interpreted using a specified effort scale.

Recovery capacity is a coaching term for a person's ability to recover from training demands sufficiently to continue the intended program.

The timing of the movement and pause phases within an exercise repetition.

An estimate of how many more repetitions you could complete before reaching failure in a set.

Resistance training uses muscular effort against resistance to develop physical capacities such as strength, muscle size and muscular endurance.

The time between exercise sets or efforts, used to recover before the next planned effort.

A row is a resistance exercise that pulls a load toward the torso, generally moving the elbows backward. Variations include cable, machine, dumbbell, and supported rows.

Rucking is walking while carrying weight in a backpack or rucksack.

Sarcopenia is a muscle disorder involving loss of strength and muscle mass, commonly associated with aging and sometimes accompanied by reduced physical performance.

Satiety is the feeling of satisfaction or reduced hunger that persists after eating and helps influence when you want to eat again.

Sauna use is exposure to heat in a heated room or cabin, often for relaxation or as part of a recovery routine.

Sleep hygiene is the set of habits and environmental conditions that support regular, restorative sleep.

Small group personal training is coached exercise shared by a limited number of participants, with the level of individual programming depending on the provider.

The principle that training adaptations reflect the tasks and demands practiced, with transfer to other tasks varying.

A squat pattern is a coordinated movement that lowers and raises the body through bending and straightening at the hips and knees, with ankle movement helping control the task.

Static stretching holds a joint position for a period of time to create a sustained stretch, with little or no movement during the hold.

A step up raises the body onto a stable elevated surface using the lead leg, then returns to the starting level under control.

A suitcase carry is walking with a weight held in one hand at your side while controlling your trunk and keeping your steps steady.

The talk test is a simple way to estimate aerobic exercise intensity by noticing how comfortably you can speak while moving.

Total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE, is all the energy your body uses over a day, including basic functions, food processing and physical activity.

Training adherence describes how consistently a person follows an agreed exercise plan over time, including its planned sessions and appropriate adjustments.

How often training occurs over a defined period, counted for the whole program, a muscle group, or an exercise.

The level of demand in training, which should be specified as relative load, effort, or another clearly defined measure.

A training plateau is a sustained period with little or no improvement in a defined training outcome despite continued practice.

The amount of training performed, commonly tracked through sets, repetitions, or volume load over a defined period.

Unilateral training emphasizes one arm or leg at a time. The opposite side may still provide support or stabilization, depending on the exercise.

Visceral fat is adipose tissue located inside the abdominal cavity around internal organs, distinct from the fat directly beneath the skin.

Vitamin D is a nutrient that helps the body absorb calcium and supports normal bone and muscle function.

VO₂ max is the greatest rate at which your body can take in and use oxygen during strenuous exercise. It is a measure of aerobic capacity.

Weight bearing exercise is activity in which your body supports its weight against gravity, typically through your feet and legs. Walking, stair climbing and dancing are examples.

Wendler’s 5/3/1 is a strength programming system built around the squat, bench press, deadlift and overhead press, with gradual progression based on a training max.

Zone 2 training commonly means steady aerobic exercise near but below the first lactate or ventilatory threshold. The label varies between training systems.