Fitness Glossary — Training Terms Explained

Terms explained

Glossary

Understand the language of your training.

EMOM, AMRAP, training zones and movement patterns: fitness comes with its own vocabulary. These plain-English definitions unpack the terms used in strength and conditioning, CrossFit, HYROX and hybrid racing.

Go beyond the acronym to understand what a term means, why it matters and how it connects to a session or race.

1RM One Rep Maximum: 1RM is the maximum amount of weight that can be lifted once with proper technique.
Aerobic Base Aerobic Base Training: Aerobic Base is the level of aerobic fitness that allows an athlete to sustain steady effort, recover efficiently, and support higher-intensity training.
AMRAP As Many Rounds (or Reps) As Possible: AMRAP means completing as many rounds or repetitions of a workout as possible within a fixed time limit.
Bracing Bracing: Bracing is the coordinated tightening of muscles around your trunk to increase stiffness and control movement under load. Rather than sucking your stomach in, you create tension around your midsection. Athletes use bracing during squats, deadlifts, carries and other movements to help transfer force while maintaining a controlled position.
cadence running What is running cadence?: Running cadence is the number of steps you take per minute while running, counting both feet. It describes your step rhythm, not your speed or technique quality on its own. Athletes can use it alongside pace, effort and comfort to understand how their running changes across sessions.
Carbohydrate Availability Carbohydrate Availability: Carbohydrate availability describes how much stored and circulating carbohydrate is accessible to fuel exercise.
Central Fatigue Central Nervous System Fatigue: Central fatigue is a reduction in performance caused by decreased drive from the brain and nervous system.
Chipper Chipper Workout: A chipper is a workout completed in a single round with a long sequence of exercises and high repetitions.
Cluster Set Cluster Set Training: A cluster set is a training method that breaks a set into smaller segments with short rest periods between them.
concentric contraction concentric contraction: A concentric contraction occurs when an active muscle shortens while producing force. Examples include the biceps shortening as you curl a dumbbell and the calf muscles shortening as you rise onto your toes. Understanding this action helps athletes describe technique, interpret lifting tempo and select appropriate loads.
Couplet Couplet Workout: A couplet is a workout format that combines two exercises performed together.
Death By… Death By Workout Format: Death By is a workout format where reps increase each minute until the athlete can no longer complete the required work in time.
Drop Set Drop Set Training: A drop set involves performing an exercise to failure, reducing the load, and continuing with minimal rest.
Eccentric contraction Eccentric contraction: An eccentric contraction occurs when an active muscle lengthens while producing force, usually to control or brake movement. Examples include the quadriceps working as you lower into a squat and the calf muscles controlling parts of a running landing. Athletes should understand it to manage technique, loading and recovery.
EMOM Every Minute On the Minute: EMOM means performing a set amount of work at the start of every minute, resting for the remainder of the minute before repeating.
Energy Systems Human Energy Systems: Energy systems are the biological processes that supply the body with energy to perform movement and exercise.
Fat Oxidation Fat Oxidation: Fat oxidation is the process by which the body breaks down fat to produce energy during rest and exercise.
For Time For Time Workout: For Time is a workout format where the goal is to complete a prescribed amount of work as quickly as possible.
Fuel Utilisation Exercise Fuel Utilisation: Fuel utilisation describes how the body uses carbohydrates and fats to meet energy demands during exercise.
Giant Set Giant Set Training: A giant set is a training method where three or more exercises for the same muscle group are performed back-to-back with minimal rest.
Glycogen Muscle and Liver Glycogen: Glycogen is the stored form of carbohydrate in muscles and the liver used to fuel exercise.
Glycolysis Glycolytic Energy Pathway: Glycolysis is the process by which glucose is broken down to rapidly produce energy for muscular work.
Hip hinge Hip hinge: A hip hinge is a movement pattern in which you bend mainly at the hips, sending them backwards while keeping your trunk controlled and allowing some knee bend. It underpins deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts and kettlebell swings, helping athletes load the hip extensors and distinguish hip-dominant lifting from squatting.
Hormonal Adaptation Training-Induced Hormonal Adaptation: Hormonal adaptation describes how hormone responses change over time in response to repeated training stress.
HRV Heart Rate Variability: HRV measures the variation in time between heartbeats and reflects how well the body is recovering and adapting to stress.
Insulin Sensitivity Insulin Sensitivity: Insulin sensitivity is how effectively the body uses insulin to manage blood glucose and deliver energy to cells.
Isometric contraction Isometric contraction: An isometric contraction occurs when a muscle produces force while its length remains approximately constant, with little or no movement at the relevant joint. Examples include holding a wall sit or maintaining your grip during a farmer’s carry. Athletes use these actions to hold positions, resist movement and develop strength.
Lactate Threshold Lactate Threshold: Lactate Threshold is the highest exercise intensity that can be sustained before lactate accumulates faster than the body can clear it.
Ladder Ladder Workout: A ladder is a workout structure where repetitions increase or decrease in a set progression each round.
Mechanical Efficiency Mechanical Efficiency: Mechanical Efficiency is the ability to convert energy into effective movement with minimal wasted motion.
Metabolic Flexibility Metabolic Flexibility: Metabolic flexibility is the ability to shift efficiently between fat and carbohydrate use based on energy demands.
Plyometrics Plyometrics: Plyometrics are exercises that link a rapid muscle–tendon stretch with an immediate shortening action, such as repeated hops or rebound jumps. Athletes use them to develop reactive strength and explosive movement. Effective training prioritises controlled landings, quick transitions and adequate recovery rather than accumulating repetitions while fatigued.
Progressive Overload Progressive Overload Principle: Progressive overload is the practice of gradually increasing training stress to stimulate continued adaptation.
Recovery Capacity Training Recovery Capacity: Recovery capacity is the ability to recover from physical and mental stress so performance can be repeated consistently.
RIR Reps In Reserve: RIR is the number of additional quality repetitions an athlete could perform before muscular failure.
RPE Rate of Perceived Exertion: RPE is a scale used to describe how hard an exercise feels based on personal effort rather than external metrics.
Running Economy Running Economy: Running Economy refers to how much energy or oxygen a runner uses to maintain a given running speed.
Rx’d As Prescribed: Rx’d means completing a workout exactly as written, without scaling movements, loads, or standards.
Scaled Scaled Workout: Scaled means adjusting a workout’s load, volume, or movements to suit an athlete’s ability while maintaining intent.
Singlet Singlet Workout: A singlet is a workout format built around a single exercise or movement pattern.
Soleus Soleus: The soleus is a deep calf muscle beneath the gastrocnemius. It connects to the heel through the Achilles tendon and helps point the foot downwards, control forward movement of the shin and support standing. For athletes, it contributes to running, jumping and maintaining ankle control under load.
Superset Superset Training: A superset is a training method where two exercises are performed consecutively with minimal rest.
Tabata Tabata Interval Protocol: Tabata is a HIIT protocol of 20 seconds work and 10 seconds rest repeated for eight rounds.
Time Cap Workout Time Cap: A time cap is the maximum time permitted to complete a workout before it is stopped.
Triplet Triplet Workout: A triplet is a workout format that combines three exercises performed together.
Unilateral training Unilateral training: Unilateral training uses one limb at a time, or places most of the work on one side, rather than loading both sides equally. Examples include step-ups, split squats and single-arm rows. Athletes use it to develop strength, practise control and identify side-to-side differences that bilateral exercises may conceal.
Ventilatory Threshold Ventilatory Threshold: Ventilatory Threshold is the exercise intensity at which breathing increases faster than workload due to rising metabolic demand.
VO₂ Max Maximal Oxygen Uptake: VO₂ Max is the maximum rate at which the body can take in and use oxygen during intense exercise.
WOD Workout Of the Day: A WOD is the prescribed workout assigned for a specific training session.
Zone 2 Training Aerobic Heart Rate Zone 2: Zone 2 training is sustained low-intensity exercise performed at an effort that can be maintained comfortably for long periods.