Glossary

This may seem super confusing at first but I promise it will soon become second nature. Here is a list of words/terminology that are important to take note of:

SET

A group of consecutive repetitions.

REPETITION 

One complete motion of a single exercise. Example: “2 sets of 10 reps” on the chest press means you did ten consecutive chest presses, rested, and then did another ten presses.

REST PERIOD 

The time spent resting between sets to allow the muscles to recover. Example: “2 sets of 10 reps, 45 sec rest” would look like ten consecutive chest presses, rest for 45 seconds, then complete another ten chest presses, rest for 45 seconds and move on to the next exercise.

SUPERSET (SS)

When you perform one set of an exercise and then immediately switch to another exercise and do another set without rest in between. Once the two exercises are complete, you may rest.

TRI-SET

Performing 3 exercises in a row with little to no rest in between.

CIRCUIT

A series of exercises performed in rotation with minimal rest, often using different pieces of equipment.

PYRAMID 

Alternating between 2 exercises. As one increases in reps or time, the other decreases.

DROP SET

Dropping reps or weight in an exercise;

Example #1: drop set in reps: set 1: 15 reps, set 2: 12 reps, set 3: 10 reps.

Note - as the reps drop, the goal is to increase the weight.

Example #2: drop set in weight: set 1: 10 reps @ 60 lbs, Set 2: 10 reps @ 50 lbs, set 3: 10 reps @ 40 lbs.

Note - reps stay the same but weight drops; these sets are usually performed back to back with no rest.

AMRAP - As Many Reps/Rounds As POSSIBLE!

Meaning perform as many reps or rounds (the program will indicate which) as possible of the exercise within the specified period of time.

EMOM - Every Minute on the Minute
An interval workout where you perform a specific task at the start of every minute. You have a minute to complete the exercise(s) and the time you have left over is your REST PERIOD.

E2MOM - Every 2 Minutes on the Minute
An interval workout where you perform a specific task at the start of every minute. You have two minutes to complete the exercise(s) listed. The time you have left over in the two minutes is your REST PERIOD.

TABATA

Fast-paced exercises each performed for 20 seconds with a brief rest of 10 seconds and repeat for 8 rounds (4 minutes in length).

HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING (HIIT)
Give 90-100% effort during the “work” interval specified. Go “all-out” for a quick burst, followed by a short period of rest before beginning again. Completely stop for the “rest” period. For example, 30 sec on/30 sec off for treadmill sprints would look like: sprinting at a pace of 9.5 mph (or your 90-100% effort) for 30 seconds, jumping off the treadmill onto the sides and resting for 30 seconds. **Always be cautious jumping on and off, making sure you grab onto the handles. The beauty of HIIT cardio is that it causes an “after-burn” effect where your body keeps burning fat even after you’ve stopped exercising!