In a recent article, “10 Tips For Gym Etiquette,” I taught you how to navigate through your workout without offending others. But fitting in at the gym can go beyond simply being polite–you have to know the lingo if you really want to fit in. So in this article, you’ll learn 17 common gym lingo terms, from gym equipment, to exercise movements, to common gym phrases, and how to understand workout instructions or conversations that you hear or take part in at the gym. If you’re more advanced and already know these phrases, you may want to check out the article “How to Get Better Results From Weight Lifting” where you’ll learn about quarter, stripping, cheating, and more.

Gym Equipment Lingo

Let’s begin with some of the common equipment you’ll find lying around the gym…

Barbell: This is a long bar that typically weights 35-45 pounds, although there are lighter versions at most commercial gyms. You load weight on both ends of a barbell to increase the resistance. Don’t let your ego get in the way when using a barbell–it’s easy to get injured with these.

Cables: A cable exercise apparatus is typically comprised of some type of handle, like a rope or bar, attached to a pulley via a cable, which is then attached to some kind of stack of weights. By using the combination of handle, pulley, and cable, you can manipulate large amounts of weight and move in many different ranges of motion that would be difficult or impossible with a barbell or dumbbell.

Dumbbell: Dumbbells are typically comprised of a handle in between two weights. They can be used individually, or you can use two at the same time. Dumbbells are usually adjustable, meaning you can add resistance by attaching more weight to the dumbbell, or fixed, meaning that you can’t change the weight. Dumbbells are highly versatile and can be used for a wide range of exercises. You’ll typically find them stored on a sturdy shelf called a “rack.” Be careful the dumbbells don’t fall off the rack or your toes could pay a hefty price!

Free Weights: If it’s designed for exercise and not attached to some kind of pulley or machine, you can call it a free weight. This term covers barbells, dumbbells, medicine balls, kettlebells or anything else you can grab and do a variety of exercises with, assuming it’s not a small, defenseless person. Free weights are good to include in your program because they use many stabilizing and balancing muscles.

Plate: Plates are the weights that go on each end of a barbell or adjustable dumbbell. In America, plates typically weight 45, 35, 25, 10, 5 or 2.5 pounds, while most international plates are 25, 20, 17, 10, 5, 2.5, 2, or 1 kilogram.

Smith Machine: This machine, named after a gym owner who invented it, is comprised of a barbell that moves in a stationary track, which ensures that the barbell only moves vertically and in a controlled path. It can be used when you need to press or lift heavy weights with a barbell, but don’t have someone to help you.

Stack: On a weight lifting machine or cable apparatus, the resistance is provided by a stack, which is usually several rectangular shaped plates that are stacked on top of one another. Resistance can then selected by using a pin that can be placed at a chosen place on the stack. Interestingly, a stack can also refer to taking several nutritional supplements at once, and you can learn more about that in the article “Do Muscle Building Supplements Work?”

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Exercise Lingo

Here are some terms you may come across in workout instructions, or exercise books and magazines:

Recovery: When you perform an exercise, you’ll eventually get to the point where you need a specified number of seconds or minutes to rest or go easy. That is referred to as your “recovery” period, and typically varies from 30 seconds up to several minutes.

Reps: Short for repetitions, reps indicates the the number of times you perform an exercise movement, which typically ranges from 3 up to 30, depending on the type of workout you’re doing.

Set: A set is a group of repetitions, and typically you will perform 2 to 8 or more sets for any given exercise. For example, if you are trying to get a toned butt, you might to 5 sets of 12 reps of a reverse lunge exercise.

Spin: Contrary to popular belief, this is not some type of crochet or indoor craft class, but is actually a form of cycling that is performed on a special bike called a spin bike, and usually occurs in a group training environment. Typically spin bikes have a wheel called a “flywheel” that provides the resistance, so they’re a bit different than a regular stationary bicycle.

Tempo: Many workout books, magazines, or programs now indicate tempo, which simply refers to the speed at which you lift. For example, if you take 3 seconds to lift a weight, hold the weight for 1 second at the top of the movement, then take 2 seconds to lower the weight, the tempo would be a 3:1:2.

Finally, you may hear the following phrases pop up in conversations at the gym.

Common Gym Phrases

Failure: Rather than indicating that you did a bad job at something, the term failure, when used in an exercise environment, simply means that you got to the point of physical exhaustion, which often occurs in sets designed to build muscle.

Max: This term is simply short for the maximum amount of weight that one is able to lift in a specific exercise. It is safe to assume that someone who frequently uses this term may not be telling the entire truth.

Spot:Someone may ask you if they can “get a spot,” and they are not asking for you to help them find their dog. This means that they are asking you to help them do an exercise with a weight they probably can’t lift themselves.

PR or PB: Short for “Personal Record” or “Personal Best” this is used to describe a new personal achievement, such as running 3 miles in 20 minutes, being able to bench press 200 pounds, or sticking to their New Year’s resolution for longer than 10 days.

Work In: If you are asked by someone if they can “work in”, this means they would like to share a piece of equipment at the gym with you, perhaps by alternating sets on an exercise machine or using dumbbells that you’re doing sets with. It may also mean that they’re just hitting on you, so be careful who you let “work in”.

Do you have more gym lingo of your own that you’d like to see mentioned? Head over to the Get-Fit Guy Facebook page and share your phrases!

Gym image courtesy of Shutterstock