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FITNESS DICTIONARY

Fitness Dictionary - Fitness Terms and Definitions

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These are the Fitness Terms, Definitions, Slang and other words currently stored in our Fitness Dictionary. If you know any fitness terms that are not mentioned in this list then go ahead and suggest a word for our dictionary.

There are 101 Fitness Terms in our Fitness Dictionary:
ABDUCTION (submitted by: LT Thomas)
to draw away from or deviate from the midline of the body; opposite of adduction; side movement away from the midline of the body; example a side leg raise moving the leg away from the body's center.

ABSOLUTE STRENGTH (submitted by: dals)
The maximum amount a person can lift in one repetition.

ACTIN (submitted by: LT Thomas)
one of the fibrous contractile proteins found in a myofibril

ACUTE (submitted by: LT Thomas)
having a rapid onset; sharp, severe; opposite of chronic

ADDUCTION (submitted by: LT Thomas)
to bring toward the midline of the body; oposite of abduction; example, bringing the elbows together in the font of the body like a chest press working the pectoralis muscle.

AEROBIC EXERCISES (submitted by: lenay)
any exercise that maintains an increased heart rate. Usually performed moderately for extended periods of time

AGILITY (submitted by: dals)
The power of moving the limbs quickly and easily; nimbleness;activity; quickness of motion; as, strength and agility of body.

AGONIST (submitted by: dals)
A muscle that causes the prime movement of a joint. The muscle that produces the opposite movement is the antagonist. For example, in the bicep curl, the biceps are the agonist and the triceps arw the antagonist.

ANAEOROBIC THRESHOLD (submitted by: pt_baller7)
The highest point at which lactic productiion exceeds lactic acid removal.

ANTAGONIST (submitted by: dals)
Muscle that counteracts the agonist, lengthening when the agonist muscle contracts.

ATROPHY (submitted by: dals)
The loss of bodily tissues (such as muscle), usually the result of disease or lack of use.

BARBELL
These are weights attached to a long bar which requires both hands to pick up.

BASAL METABOLIC RATE (submitted by: dals)
The rate at which the body burns calories while awake but at rest (usually measured in calories per day).

BODY COMPOSITION
This Fitness Component is the ratio of lean body mass to fat. Lean body mass represents the weight of water, muscle, bone and internal organs. Body fat represents the remaining fat tissue and is expressed as a percentage of total body weight.

BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) (submitted by: maricel)
The BMI is a number that reflects the percentage of body fat in proportion to lean body mass (i.e. bone, muscle, tissue, organs, and blood). This is a height-weight system of measurement that applies to all gender.

BURN
This means acute soreness in gym linggo. This typically occurs during and immediately following exercise.

CALORIE (submitted by: lenay)
unit measuring the amount of energy obtained from food. Alcohol, carbohydrates, fats and proteins are the food sources in which calorie can be obtained.

CALORIE CYCLING (submitted by: matynne)
Calorie Cycling is a practice of alternating between low and high calorie diets to prevent the body from adapting to a particular diet.

CARDIAC OUTPUT (submitted by: ftnsdiva)
The amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute.

CARDIORESPIRATORY ENDURANCE
This is the body's ability, over sustained periods of physical activity, to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues, and to remove wastes.

CHRONIC (submitted by: LT Thomas)
descriptive of a condition that persists over a long period of time: opposite of acute.

CHRONIC DISUSE (submitted by: LT Thomas)
any disease state that persists over a long period of time.

CIRCUIT
Circuit or “circuit training” refers to the sequential use of all the machines in a weight room.

CIRCUIT TRAINING - (submitted by: lenay)
Group of exercises performed repeatedly in a cycle

COMPUND MOVEMENT (submitted by: dals)
An exercise that targets more than one muscle or muscle group

CONCENTRIC CONTRACTION (submitted by: dals)
A contraction in which a muscle exerts force, shortens, and overcomes resistance.

DAILY ONSET MUSCLE SORENESS (DOMS)
This refers to pain and soreness that occurs 24 to 48 hours after exercise. DOMS is due to the microscopic muscle damage that takes place when you lift. You usually feel the beginning of DOMS the day after you lift. Still, it often reaches its peak at about 48 hours after the lift.

DELTS (submitted by: LT Thomas)
slang term referring to the deltoid muscle

DESCENDING SETS (submitted by: pt_baller7)
The weight decreases each set but the reps stay the same.

DORSAL (submitted by: LT Thomas)
the backside

DORSIFLEXION (submitted by: LT Thomas)
bending backward of the hand or foot; opposite of plantarflexion

DOUBLE PERIODIZATION (submitted by: matynne)
Double Periodization is a type of periodization wherein two 6-month periodization plans are made instead of one per year as per the guidelines in the Periodization model used in sports and bodybuilding.

DUMBBELL
These are weights attached to a short bar that can be held in one hand.

ECCENTRIC CONTRACTION (submitted by: dals)
A contraction in which a muscle exerts force, lengthens, and is overcome by a resistance.

ECCENTRIC CONTRACTION (ACTION) (submitted by: LT Thomas)
A controlled lengthening of the muscle during its contraction; the resistance overcomes the muscular force and the muscle lengthens.

ELASTICITY (submitted by: LT Thomas)
the ability of a tissue or other material to return to its original size or shape after stretching or elongation

EMPTY CALORIES (submitted by: LT Thomas)
calories obtained from foods high in sugar and fat without significant nutritional value

ENDOCRINE (submitted by: LT Thomas)
pertaining to a gland that secretes directly into the bloodstream: the opposite of exocrine

ENDURANCE
It is the power to withstand hardship or stress.

ENERGY BALANCE (submitted by: LT Thomas)
the balance between energy taken in and energy used

ENZYMES (submitted by: LT Thomas)
proteins that speed up specific chemical reactions

ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS (submitted by: LT Thomas)
eight of the twenty-three different amino acids needed to make proteins in adults; called essential because they must be obtained from the diet since they cannot be manufactured by the body

ESSENTIAL FAT (submitted by: LT Thomas)
fat that cannot be produced by the body and must be supplied by the diet; linoleic acid, linolenic acid and arachidonic acid are essential fats.

ESSENTIAL NUTRIENT (submitted by: LT Thomas)
a nutrient that must be supplied by the diet because it cannot be produced in sufficient quantities by the body.

EVERSION (submitted by: LT Thomas)
turning outward

EXERCISE
It is an active bodily exertion performed to develop or maintain fitness.

EXERTION (submitted by: Athens)
To put into vigorous action and/or to put (oneself) into great effort in any fitness related field.

FATS (submitted by: LT Thomas)
break down to fatty acids and glycerol. Fat is stored energy; it cushions organs and body parts and insulates the body. We need a percentage of body fat.

FIN TO (submitted by: BIGKATT)
Getting ready to work out. "I'm Fin To work out here in a minute."

FITNESS CALCULATORS (submitted by: lenay)
provide calculations for your BMI, target heart rate, height, and weight, and the matching interpretation from the data you entered.

FITT PRINCIPLE (submitted by: pt_baller7)
FITT stands for Frequency Intensity Type Time. This is basically the philosphy that is needed to gain benefits from training.

FLEXIBILITY
This is the ability to move joints and use muscles through their full range of motion.

FLEXION (submitted by: LT Thomas)
bending of a limb at a joint: decreasing the angle of the joint

FREE WEIGHTS
These are weights not attached to a machine nor driven by cables or chains.

FREQUENCY (submitted by: LT Thomas)
how often a person exercises

FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY (submitted by: LT Thomas)
the maximum physical performance represented by maximal oxygen consumption

GRAM (submitted by: LT Thomas)
approximately 1/5 of a level teaspoon

HEALTH
It is the general condition of body and mind.

HEART-RATE
It is the number of heartbeats per unit of time, usually expressed as beats per minute.

INTERVAL TRAINING (submitted by: lenay)
Consists of a short but fast exercise, alternated with a slow but easy physical fitness activity

JOGGING
It is running at a jog trot as a form of cardiopulmonary exercise.

LACTIC ACID (submitted by: dals)
A waste product of anaerobic energy production which is known to cause muscle burn during exercise.

LEAN BODY MASS (submitted by: dals)
Bodyweight without body fat: composed primarily of muscle, bone, and other non fat tissue.

MUSCULAR ENDURANCE
This is the ability of a muscle, or a group of muscles, to sustain repeated contractions or to continue applying force against a fixed object.

MUSCULAR STRENGTH
This is the muscle's ability to exert force for a brief span of time.

NEGATIVE (ECCENTRIC) (submitted by: LT Thomas)
the part of a resistance exercise when the weight is lowered

NEGATIVES
An advanced technique in which you stress the negative or eccentric phase of an exercise. These techniques are a great way to condition your body to a new weight when you've reached a strength plateau.

NERVES
It is the cordlike bundles of fibers made up of neurons through which sensory stimuli and motor impulses pass between the brain or other parts of the central nervous system and the eyes, glands, muscles, and other parts of the body. Nerves form a network of pathways for conducting information throughout the body.

ORIGIN (submitted by: LT Thomas)
attachment of a muscle that is more superior or proximal

OVERLOADING
This is the technical term for making a muscle work beyond its comfortable point of exertion. When you overload your muscles, they are forced to become stronger so as to cope with the increased load.

OVERTRAINING (submitted by: LT Thomas)
excessive hard training day-after-day without proper rest to ensure recovery

OXYGEN DEFICIT (submitted by: LT Thomas)
a temporary shortage of oxygen due to exercise

PERIODIZATION (submitted by: matynne)
Periodization is defined as a planned and methodological structure of training used in sports and bodybuilding with a goal to bring about the best improvements in muscle mass, tone and/or sport-specific peak performance.

PHYSICAL FITNESS
The ability of the human body to function with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue, and with ample energy to engage in leisure activities, and to meet physical stresses (Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2004).

PLATEAU EFFECT
The Plateau Effect occurs when you may be working out but do not see improvements in your Fitness Level because your body is no longer being overloaded.

PLATES (submitted by: LT Thomas)
lead plates of weight used in resistance training

POSITIVE (CONCENTRIC) (submitted by: LT Thomas)
the part of a resistance exercise when the exerciser lifts the weight by pushing or pulling

POSTERIOR (submitted by: LT Thomas)
back portion or toward the back; example, a tendon located behind the inner ankle is the posterior tibialis tendon

PRONE (submitted by: LT Thomas)
lying face down in a horizontal position

PROTRACTION (submitted by: LT Thomas)
scapular abduction

PROXIMAL (submitted by: LT Thomas)
anatomical term meaning closer to the trunk of the body: nearest the point of attachment or nearest the center of the body.

PULMONARY (submitted by: LT Thomas)
affecting the lungs or lung tissue

PYRAMIDS (submitted by: pt_baller7)
Weight increases in each set and the reps decreases in each set.

QUADRICEPS
It is the large four-part extensor muscle at the front of the thigh.

RATE OF PERCIVED EXERTION (RPE) (submitted by: dals)
RPE is a subjective rating that the trainer assigns to the intensity of his/her exercise based on their perception of hard the physical exertion was.

RECOVERY (submitted by: pt_baller7)
The time after a workout in which it takes the body to recover.

REP
Is short for repetition and refers to one completed movement.

RESISTANCE EXERCISE (submitted by: )
Also known as Weight Training , this means working or training with weights – free weights, weights on a gym machine, or your own body weight.

REVERSIBILITY
This is the stage after the plateau. This happens when you have been in the plateau stage for a long period and your body has not experienced challenging workouts and overload for some time. Reversibility usually occurs when you don't increase your weights during exercises or when you don't vary your exercise routine.

RMR (submitted by: LT Thomas)
(Resting Metabolic Rate) - Calories your body burns at rest.

ROUTINE
It is a set of customary and often mechanically performed procedures or activities.

SET
Refers to the number of reps performed steadily and continuously without a break. An example is “three sets of 15 reps” equals to 45 exercise movements.

SKYR (submitted by: SkyrIceland)
Skyr is a yogurt-like dairy product from Iceland. It is the natural choice of people who are trying to restrict their calorie and fat intake. It has only 0.2% fat and 10% high quality protein - 20% of which is whey protein - and rich in calcium.

SPOT REDUCING
This occurs when you try to eliminate weight or fat from a specific part of your body and concentrates working only on that part. In effect, you tend to build muscle in that area when, generally, you just need to lose fat from that part.

STRETCHING
An exercise designed to extend the limbs and muscles to their full extent. When you stretch, you expand your muscles and limbs by lengthening or widening. Stretching is essential to overall Fitness.

SUPERSETS
An advance technique that involves performing two different exercises with little rest in between.

TARGET HEART RATE (THR)
The heart rate you should maintain when you exercise.

VO2 MAX (submitted by: pt_baller7)
Maximum amount of oxygen in millimetres one can use in one minute per 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds of body weight. This is a measure of your capacity to generate the energy required for endurance activities.

WARM-UP (submitted by: drew_01ph)
This is the process wherein you literally raise your body temperature (some say for about one to two degrees Celsius) to prepare your muscles from the normal to the exercise condition.

WEIGHT-BEARING EXERCISE
This is an exercise in which you support your weight or lift weight.

ZOTTMAN CURLS (submitted by: BIGKATT)
Start with your palms facing up and curl the weight and then in one motion lower the weight back down with your palms facing down.

 
 
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