Workout Jargon: It's as Easy as Understanding AMRAP

Reviewed by: Dr. Steven Knauf, D.C.

By Genevieve Cunningham

Do you speak exercise? That’s probably a weird question, but to anyone who has been around the fitness world long enough, it’s a question that’s completely valid. Exercise seems to have its very own language. HIIT, AMRAP, DOMS. What does it all mean?

If you’re a newbie hitting the gym, or sometimes even if you’ve been there a while, the jargon that comes with working out can be intimidating. It can leave you feeling inadequate and out of the loop. If this is you, don’t despair. Exercise language, just like any other language, is something that can be learned. Let’s get started so that you’ll be speaking the language like a pro.

The Importance of Exercise

Before getting into all of the acronyms and popular phrases, we should make sure we understand just how important exercise really is for our bodies and lives. First, you should know that there are many different kinds of workouts. Cardio, strength training, flexibility training -- each kind of exercise is important to our overall health and fitness. You may find trainers who swear by strength training and others who are cardio proponents. But the truth is that the best kind of exercise is the one you’ll actually do. As we dive into the specifics, keep in mind that regular physical activity—whatever kind you choose—is the real key to good health.

Common Exercise Jargon You Should Know

Don’t get discouraged by the workout jargon. Don’t let it overwhelm you or make you feel like you don’t belong. You can learn it, and you can learn it quickly. Some of the most common acronyms and phrases that you may come across at your local gym include the following.

AMRAP - As many rounds as possible. This is a common technique in workouts, and the definition should be committed to memory.

Broscience - This refers to a common exercise theory that isn’t actually backed by science. If you hear someone talking about broscience, you’ll need to do your research.

Bulk and Cutting - Bulking is when you add a ton of calories and muscle to your routine, and cutting is when you scale back so that you can see the muscle you’ve created. Many trainers prefer to cycle between the two to see the most growth.

EMOM - Every minute on the minute. At the top of the minute, you’ll start the exercise set. Whatever is left over in the minute after you’ve completed the set is rest time.

Gains - This is when other people can tell you’ve been hitting the gym. It’s a good thing. Take it as a compliment.

Gym rats - Someone who spends all of their extra time in the gym.

Macros - When you get super invested in nutrition, you may start counting your macros. This means keeping track of carbs, fats, proteins, etc.

Newbie - Someone new to the gym or working out. Don’t be a jerk to the newbie. You used to be one, too.

PR or PB - Your personal best or personal record.

Rep - Completing an exercise one time. Most workouts call for a certain number of reps (4, 10, 12, etc.), which means you’ll do that exercise exactly that many times.

Set - A collection of reps. For one particular exercise, you may be doing 3 sets of 10 reps.

This list only touches the surface of workout jargon, but it will certainly get you started. If you can remember these, you may feel a lot more confident when you step in the gym. If you plan on joining a class or working with a trainer, let’s dig just a little bit deeper into some of the most common phrases that you’re likely to hear.

AMRAP (As Many Rounds as Possible)

AMRAP stands for as many reps as possible. When used properly, you’ll have a certain number of reps of exercises, and you’ll do them again and again within a certain time frame. For example, maybe you’ll do 10 squats, 15 jumping jacks, 20 bicep curls, and 25 burpees. You’ll finish the round and then repeat. It doesn’t matter if you get through the set one time or 10 times, as long as you’re doing as many rounds as you can within the time limit. What are the benefits of AMRAP workouts? You’ll increase your heart rate into a fat-burning zone, challenge the muscles, improve cardiovascular health, and push your body to new limits.

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)

High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a fairly well known type of workout. HIIT workouts involve short bursts of intense exercise followed by low intensity recovery periods. You usually do the exercise portion for a set amount of time before a break. Many people find HIIT workouts especially exhausting because the exercise is intense and the breaks are short. What are the benefits of HIIT? It often increases the heart rate, helps burn massive calories, and improves cardiovascular health.

Functional Training

Functional training, also called functional fitness, is a type of exercise that focuses on working muscle groups used in daily life. It places an emphasis on joint health and natural movements. The goal is to improve your ability to function in your regular, everyday life; in the most simple terms, the goal is to improve your quality of life. Although people can get extremely fit using functional fitness, the perfect physique isn’t really the goal. What are the benefits of functional training? You might have muscle growth all around the body, an improvement in joint health and flexibility, and an increased sense of wellness.

DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)

DOMS refers to the muscle soreness and stiffness that occurs approximately 24 to 48 hours after exercise. The most important thing to remember about DOMS is that it’s normal. It means your muscles spend adequate time under tension. It means they worked out well. And most of the time, it also means they need a bit of stretching and recovery. Give them a few days, and the feeling will pass.

Along with these common phrases, you may also hear about the fat-burning zone (a higher target heart rate), breathing through the exercise (not holding your breath), muscle recovery (allowing time for rest), hypertrophy (muscle tearing that helps build stronger muscles), and more. But don’t attack more than you’re ready for. Learn a little at a time, build your routines slowly and steadily, and enjoy the process of getting healthy and fit.

Why You Should Learn the Jargon and Get Moving

Whether you actually learn the newest workout lingo isn’t important. Yes, learning the phrases that come with exercise can be empowering. It can help you feel more confident, and therefore keep you in the gym. But even if you can’t speak it (yet!), keep showing up for your workouts. The benfits of exercise cannot be beaten by anything else.

• Improved Activity - Life is full of activity, and it’s important for us to be a part. Exercise can keep us active and moving and enjoying all that life has to offer.
• Lowered risk of injury and disease - Injury and disease are going to happen sometimes. But if we want to lower our risk as much as we can, we simply must keep moving and working out.
• Improved quality of life - You’ve probably heard that it’s not the years in your life that count, but rather the life in your years. If you want more life in your years, stay moving. Your quality of life will see improvement like never before.
• Happiness and confidence - Perhaps the most important part of exercise is the happiness and confidence boost it can bring to your life. Exercise makes us feel good, and who doesn’t want to feel better in everyday life?

Get serious about your health. Learn how to speak exercise lingo, and more importantly, get to know your body and how it responds. The more you learn about movement and exercise, the better you’re going to feel when you hit the gym for your next workout. AMRAP or HIIT or whatever the newest workout trend, you can do it. Learn the jargon, improve your workout, and improve your life.

The information, including but not limited to text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this page, is for informational purposes only. The purpose of this post is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics, including but not limited to the benefits of chiropractic care, exercise, and nutrition. It is not intended to provide or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your chiropractor, physician, or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this page.