Muscletalk - The Bodybuilding Glossary!
Ever overheard a conversation in the gym and wondered what the guys were talking about? Or maybe your new to muscle building and you don't know some of the terms you've read in our articles. Welcome to Muscletalk, our glossary of Bodybuilding terms and slang.
Other Glossaries:
If you would like more information about any of the terms your find in our glossary, head over to our forum. Our members are more than happy to help you out.
Quick Jump Menu:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
H | I | J | K | L | M | N |
O | P | Q | R | S | T | U |
V | W | X | Y | Z
Abduction
Movement of a limb away from middle of body, such as bringing arm to shoulder height from hanging-down position.
Submitted by: Damien
Adduction
Movement of a limb toward middle of body, such as bringing arm to side from extended position at shoulder.
Submitted by: Matt
Amino acids
A group of compounds that serve as the building blocks from which protein and muscle are made.
Submitted by: Damien
Anabolic Drugs
Also called anabolic steroids, these are artificial male hormones that aid in nitrogen retention and thereby add to a male bodybuilder's muscle mass and strength. These drugs are not without hazardous side effects, however, and they are legally available only through a physician's prescription.
Submitted by: Damien
Antioxidant
Small compounds that minimize tissue oxidation and help control free radicals and their negative effects.
Submitted by: Damien
Arm Blaster
Aluminum strip about 5x24 inches, supported at waist height by a strap around neck. Keeps elbows from moving while curling barbell or doing triceps pushdowns.
Submitted by: Damien
Atrophy
Decrease in size and functional ability of tissue or organs. Atrophy is basically "muscle loss" through incorrect nutrition and overtraining.
Submitted by: Damien
B
Baby's Butt
Indentation between the two heads of biceps muscles of very muscular man.
Submitted by: Julez
Back-Cycling
Dropping back the amount of weight used, number of reps or number of sets in your workout.
Submitted by: Dimi
Bar
The steel shaft that forms the basic part of a barbell, dumbell or cable attachment. These bars are normally about one inch thick, and they are often encased in a revolving standard size metal sleeve that holds the weight.
Submitted by: Damien
Barbell
Weight used for exercises, consisting of a rigid handle with detachable (or fixed) metal discs at each end.
Submitted by: Matt
Basic Exercise
A muscle building exercise which targets the largest muscle groups of your body (eg: upper legs, back, and/or chest) and often smaller muscles in the same movement. Basic exercises are the best for building muscle mass. Typical basic movements include squats, bench presses, rows and deadlifts.
Submitted by: Damien
Bench
A fixed or adjustable padded bench that you can use for doing various exercises like dumbell bench press, shoulder press and arm exercises. Some benches are flat and adjustable in height, other can incline to 10-90 degrees.
Submitted by: Damien
Biomechanics
The science concerned with the internal and external forces acting on a human body and the effects produced by these forces.
Submitted by: SimonG
Body Composition
The percentage of your body weight composed of fat compared to fat-free mass.
Submitted by: Big Daffy
Buff
Being muscular to the highest level.
Submitted by: CFRESH
Bulking Up
Gaining bodyweight by growing muscle, body fat or both muscle and fat.
Submitted by: Damien
Burn or "The Burn"
A beneficial burning sensation in a muscle that you are training. This burn is caused by a rapid buildup of fatigue toxins in the muscle and is a good indication that you are optimally working a muscle group. The best bodybuilders consistently forge past the pain barrier erected by muscle burn and consequently build very massive, highly defined muscles.
Submitted by: Damien
C
Calories
The unit for measuring energy value. This can be the amount of energy you burn or the amount of energy contained in foods.
Submitted by: Matt
Carbohydrates
Organic compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They're a very effective fuel source for the body. The are 2 main types of carbs. Simple carbs are found in sugars and complex carbs are found in wheat, rice, bread, potatos etc. You need to each complex carbs for long lasting energy.
Submitted by: Damien
Chalk
The powder used on hands for a secure grip.
Submitted by: Robert
Cheating (cheat reps)
A method of pushing a muscle to keep working far past the point at which it would normally fail to continue contracting due to excessive fatigue buildup. In cheating you will use a self-administered body swing, jerk, or otherwise poor exercise form once you have reached the failure point to take some of the pressure off the muscles and allow them to continue a set for two or three repetitions past failure.
Submitted by: Damien
Chinup Bar
A bar attached high on the wall or gym ceiling, on which you can do chins, pull ups, hanging leg raises, and other movements for your upper body.
Submitted by: Damien
Circuit Training
Going quickly from one exercise apparatus to another and doing a prescribed number of exercises on each apparatus, to keep pulse rate high and promote overall fitness.
Submitted by: Damien
Colesterol
A type of fat that, although most widely known as a "bad fat" implicated in promoting heart disease and stroke, is a vital component in the production of many hormones in the body.
Submitted by: Damien
Collar
The clamp that is used to hold plates securely in place on a barbell or dumbell bar. The cylindrical metal clamps are held in place on the bar by means of a set screw threaded through the collar and tightened securely against the bar. Inside collars keep plates from sliding inward and injuring your hands, while outside collars keep plates from sliding off the barbell in the middle of an exercise.
Submitted by: Damien
Compound Exercise
An exercise that requires you to move at two joints or more. Examples of compound exercises are squat, bench press, pull up and dip.
Submitted by: Damien
Compound Training
Sometimes called "giant sets", doing 34 exercises for same muscle, one after other, with minimal rest in between.
Submitted by: Damien
Concentric
The lifting phase of an exercise, when the muscle shortens or contracts. For example in a bicep curl when you pull the weight up you're in the "positive" or concentric part of the movement.
Submitted by: Damien
Cooche Lift
Lifting like a sissygirl
Submitted by: tom
Crunches
An exercise for the abdominal muscles. The exercise is done on the floor with legs on bench, hands behind neck. Also known as situps.
Submitted by: Damien
Curl Bar
Cambered bar designed for more comfortable grip and less forearm strain.
Submitted by: Matt
Cycle
Refers to deliberate variation in the intensity and volume of workouts, or to variation of dosages of steroids or other growth-enhancing drugs.
Submitted by: Damien
D
Dead Lift
A muscle building exercise and one of three powerlifting events (other two are squat and bench press). Weight is lifted off floor to approximately waist height. Lifter must stand erect, shoulders back.
Submitted by: Richy
Deficiency
A less than optimum level of nutrients for your bodys requirements. Most commonly seen in vitamins. Your body may become defficient when you are training hard and not eating a healthy diet.
Submitted by: Julez
Definition
The absence of fat over clearly delineated muscular movement. Definition is often referred to as "muscularity," and a highly defined bodybuilder has so little body fat that very fine grooves of muscularity called "striations" will be clearly visible over each major muscle group.
Submitted by: Damo
Delts
Abbreviation for Deltiods. Deltoids are the shoulder muscles. The body has front, middle and rear deltiods.
Submitted by: Damien
Density
Muscle hardness, which is also related to muscular definition. A bodybuilder can be well-defined and still have excess fat within each major muscle complex. But when he has muscle density, even this intramuscular fat has been eliminated. A combination of muscle mass and muscle density is highly prized among all competitive bodybuilders.
Submitted by: Rob
Dip Belt
A large heavy belt that a lifter can wear around the waist and attach additional weights to increase the intensity of the dip exercise.
Submitted by: Damien
Dipping Bars
Parallel bars set high enough above the floor to allow you to do dips between them, leg raises for your abdominals, and a variety of other exercises.
Submitted by: Damien
Drop Set
An advanced training technique where the trainee completes one set, immediately followed by another set with slightly lighter weights and the followed by a third set with llighter weights again. Drop sets are often used with dumbbells or machines. Barbell drop sets are often referred to as "stripping" because you take the plates off the bar instead of using lighter dumbbells. It's important that you have no rest between sets, not even 5 seconds!
Submitted by: Damien Mase
Dumbbell
Weight used for exercising consisting of rigid handle about 14" long with sometimes detachable metal discs at each end.
Submitted by: Damien
E
Easy Set
A set performed without using maximum effort. Like a warm up set.
Submitted by: Greg
Eccentric
The lowering phase of an exercise, when the muscle lengthens. For example, lowering the weight to your chest during the bench press is the eccentric, or "negative" part of the exercise.
Submitted by: MaxHardcore
Endurance
Ability of a muscle to produce force continually over a period of time. The greater your endurance the longer you can perform the exercise.
Submitted by: Damien
Energy
Measure in Calories or KJ energy is the capacity to do work. Energy harnessed is power.
Submitted by: Damien
Essential fatty acids (EFAs)
Fats our bodies can't make, so we must obtain them through our diets. These fats (which include linoleic and linolenic acid) are very important to hormone production, as well as cellular synthesis and integrity. Good sources of these fats arc flaxseed oil and safflower oil.
Submitted by: Matt
Exercise
An exercises is each individual movement. For example bench press and squat are both different exercises.
Submitted by: Damien
Extension
When you extend a body part from a bent position to a straight position. For example tricep extension (bending at the elbow) and leg extension (bending at the knee).
Submitted by: Damien
F
Failure
That point in an exercise at which you have so fully fatigued your working muscles that they can no longer complete an additional repetition of a movement with strict biomechanics. You should always take your post-warm-up sets at least to the point of momentary muscular failure, and frequently past that point.
Submitted by: Damien
Fast Twitch Muscles
Refers to muscle cells that fire quickly and are utilized in anaerobic activities like sprinting and powerlifting.
Submitted by: Damien
Fat
One of the macronutrients. Fat contains nine calories per gram; it has the most calories of MI the macronutrients. There are two types of fat-saturated "bad" fat and unsaturated "good" fat.
Submitted by: Damien
Fat Free Mass (FFM)
Any part of the human body that does not contain any fat. For example bones, hair, muscles skin etc.
Submitted by: Matt
Flex
Bend or decrease angle of a joint; contract a muscle.
Submitted by: Damien
Flexibility
A suppleness of joints, muscle masses, and connective tissues which lets you move your limbs over an exaggerated range of motion, a valuable quality in body-building training, since it promotes optimum physical development. Flexibility can only be attained through systematic stretching training.
Submitted by: Damien
Flush
Cleanse a muscle by increasing the blood supply to it, removing toxins left in muscle by exertion.
Submitted by: Damien
Forced Reps
Forced reps are a frequently used method of extending a set past the point of failure to induce greater gains in muscle mass and quality. With forced reps, a training partner pulls upward on the bar just enough for you to grind out two or three reps past the failure threshold.
Submitted by: Damien
Form
This is simply another word to indicate the mechanics used during the performance of any muscle building or weight training movement. Perfect form involves moving only the muscles specitied in an exercise description.
Submitted by: G-Man
Free Weights
Barbells, dumbbells, and related equipment. Serious bodybuilders use a combination of free weights and such exercise machines as those manufactured by Nautilus and Universal Gyms, but they primarily use free weights in their workouts.
Submitted by: Julez
Frequent Feeding
Eating often throughout the day to work with your body, not against it. fly eating at regular intervals throughout the day (approximately every two to three hours), you can keep your metabolism elevated and energy levels stable.
Submitted by: Leon
Fructose
The main type of sugar found in fruit. It's sweeter than sucrose (table sugar).
Submitted by: Dimi
G
Giant Sets
Series of 4-6 exercises done with little or no rest between movements and a rest interval of 3-4 minutes between giant sets. You can perform giant sets for either two antagonistic muscle groups or a single body part.
Submitted by: Damien
Glucose
The simplest sugar molecule. It's also the main sugar found in blood and is used as a basic fuel for the body.
Submitted by: Katie
Glycogen
The principal stored form of carbohydrate energy (glucose), which is reserved in muscles. When your muscles are full of glycogen, they look and feel full.
Submitted by: Damien
Gorging
This refers to eating large amounts of food at one meal, then waiting for many hours, maybe a full day, before eating again.
Submitted by: Damien
Grazing
This term refers to frequent feedings - eating small amounts of food often.
Submitted by: Phillip
H
Hard Set
Perform a prescribed number of repetitions of an exercise using maximum effort.
Submitted by: Ken
Hypertrophy
The scientific term denoting an increase in muscle mass and an improvement in relative muscular strength. Hypertrophy is induced by placing an "overload" on the working muscles with various training techniques during a muscle building workout.
Submitted by: Damien
I
IFBB
nternational Federation of Bodybuilders, founded in 1946 - group that over-sees worldwide men's and women's amateur and professional bodybuilding.
Submitted by: Damien
Intensity
The relative degree of effort that you put into each set of every exercise in a bodybuilding workout. The more intensity you place on a working muscle, the more quickly it will increase in hypertrophy. The most basic methods of increasing intensity are to use heavier weights in good form in each exercise, do more reps with a set weight, or perform a consistent number of sets and reps with a particular weight in a movement, but progressively reducing the length of rest intervals between sets.
Submitted by: Damien
Isolation Exercise
In contrast to a basic exercise, an isolation movement stresses a single muscle group (or sometimes just part of a single muscle) in relative isolation from the remainder of the body. In all isolation exercises only 1 joint movement is required. Examples are bicep curl, leg extension and tricep extension.
Submitted by: Damien
Isometric Exercise
Muscular contraction where muscle maintains a constant length and joints do not move. These exercises are usually performed against a wall or other immovable object.
Submitted by: Damien
Isotonic Exercise
Muscular action in which there is a change in length of muscle and weight) keeping tension constant. Lifting free weights is a classic isotonic exercise.
Submitted by: Damien
J
Juice
A slang term for anabolic steroids, e.g., being "on the juice."
Submitted by: Damien
K
Knee Wraps
Elastic strips about 3-5 inches wide used to wrap knees for better support when performing squats, dead lifts, etc.
Submitted by: Damien
L
Lats
Abbreviation for latissimus dorsi, the large muscles of the back that move the arms downward, backward and in internal rotation.
Submitted by: Julez
Layoff
Most intelligent bodybuilders take a one or two week layoff from bodybuilding training from time to time, during which they totally avoid the gym.
Submitted by: Feeder01
Lean Body Mass
Everything in the body except fat, including bone, organs, skin, nails and all body tissue including muscle. Approximately 50-60% of lean body mass is water.
Submitted by: Jeff
Lift Off
Assistance in getting weight to proper starting position.
Submitted by: Damien
Ligament
Strong, fibrous band of connecting tissue connecting 2 or more bones or cartilages or supporting a muscle, fascia or organ.
Submitted by: Luke
Linoleic Acid
An essential fatty acid and, more specifically, an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid. Good sources of this fatty acid are safflower oil and soybean oil.
Submitted by: Plunkett
Linolenic Acid
An essential fatty acid and, more precise an omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acid. It is found in high concentrations in flaxseed oil.
Submitted by: Damien
Lock Out
Partial repetition of an exercise by pushing the weight through only last few inches of movement.
Submitted by: Mike
Lower Abs
Abbreviation for abdominal muscles below the navel. Max- Maximum effort for one repetition of an exercise.
Submitted by: Billy
N
Mass
The relative size of each muscle group, or of the entire physique. As long as you also have a high degree of muscularity and good balance of physical proportions, muscle mass is a highly prized quality among competitive bodybuilders.
Submitted by: Damien
Meal
Food that's eaten at one time. Each meal should contain a portion (which is the size of the palm of your hand or your clenched fist) of protein and a portion of carbohydrates.
Submitted by: Matt
Metabolic Rate
The rate you convert energy stores into working energy in your body. In other words, it's how Fast your "whole system" runs. The meta-bolic rate is controlled by a number of factors, including: muscle mass (the greater your muscle mass, the greater your metabolic rate), calorie intake, and exercise.
Submitted by: Damien
Metabolism
The use of nutrients by the body. It's the process by which sub-stances come into the body and the rate at which they are used.
Submitted by: Damien
Mid Section
Muscles of abdominal area, including upper and lower abdominals, obliques and rectus abdominis muscles.
Submitted by: G_Man
Military Press
Pressing a barbell from upper chest upward in standing or sitting position.
Submitted by: Matt
Minerals
Naturally occurring, inorganic substances that are essential for human life, which play a role in many vital metabolic processes.
Submitted by: BigJoe
Muscle
Tissue consisting of fibers organized into bands or bundles that contract to cause bodily movement. Muscle fibers run in the same direction as the action they perform.
Submitted by: Milo
Muscle Head
Slang for someone whose life is dominated by muscle building training.
Submitted by: gDotz
Muscle Spazm
Sudden, involuntary contraction of muscle or muscle group.
Submitted by: Damien
Muscle Tone
Condition in which a muscle is in a Constant yet slight state of contraction and appears firm.
Submitted by: Damien
Myositis
Muscular soreness due to inflammation that often Occurs 1-2 days after unaccustomed exercise.
Submitted by: Ben
M
Negative Reps
One or two partners help you lift a weight up to 50% heavier than you would normally lift to finish point of movement. Then you slowly lower weight on your own.
Submitted by: Damo
Non Locks
Performing an exercise without going through complete range of motion. For example, doing squat without coming to full lockout position of knees or pressing a barbell without locking out elbows.
Submitted by: Damien
Nutrients
Components of food that help nourish the body: that is, they provide energy or serve as "building materials." These nutrients include carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, water, etc.
Submitted by: Jeff
Nutrition
The applied science of eating to foster greater health, fitness, and muscular gains. Through correct application of nutritional practices, you can selectively add muscle mass to your physique, or totally strip away all body fat, revealing the hard-earned muscles lying beneath your skin.
Submitted by: Matt
O
Obliques
Abbreviation for external obliques, the muscles to either side of abdominals that rotate and flex the trunk.
Submitted by: Jman
Odd Lifts
Exercises used in competition other than snatch and clean and jerk, such as squats, bench presses, and barbell curls.
Submitted by: dpm
Olympic Barbell
A special type of barbell used in weightufting and powerlifting competitions, but also used by bodybuilders in heavy basic exercises such as squats, bench presses, barbell bent rows, standing barbell curls, standing barbell presses, and deadlifts. An Olympic barbell sans collars weighs 45 pounds, and each collar weighs five pounds.
Submitted by: Joe
One Rep Max
The heaviest weight with which a person can complete one full repetition. (e.g. "My max rep on the bench press is 325 pounds.")
Submitted by: Gym_Junkie
Onion Skin
Slang denoting skin with very low percentage of subcutaneous fat which helps accentuate muscularity.
Submitted by: RedHat
Optimal Nutrition
The best possible nutrition; distinct from merely adequate nutrition, which is characterized by no overt deficiency. This term describes people free from marginal deficiencies, imbalances, and toxicities, and who are not at risk for such.
Submitted by: Damien
Overload Principal
Applying a greater load than normal to a muscle to increase its capability
Submitted by: Damien
P
Partial Reps
Performing an exercise without going through a complete range of motion either at the beginning or end of a rep.
Submitted by: Damien
Peak Contraction
Exercising a muscle until it cramps by using shortened movements. Pecs - Abbreviation for pectoral muscles of the chest.
Submitted by: Damien
Pecs or Pectorals
The large muscles of the chest.
Submitted by: OZMuscle
Plates
The flat discs placed on the ends of barbell and dumbbell bars to increase the weight of the apparati. Although some plates are made from vinyl-covered con-crete, the best and most durable plates are manufactured from metal.
Submitted by: Damien
Portion
The amount of carbohydrates or protein one should eat with each meal. A portion is the size of the palm of your hand or your clenched fist.
Submitted by: Matt
Poundage
The amount of weight that you use in an exercise, whether that weight is on a barbell, dumbbell, or exercise machine.
Submitted by: Matt
Power Lifting
A second form of competitive weightlifting (not contested in the Olympics, however) featuring three lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Power lifting is contested both nationally and internationally in a wide variety of weight classes.
Submitted by: Damien
Power Lifts
Three movements used in powerlifting competition: the squat, bench press and dead lift.
Submitted by: Damien
Power Training
System of weight training using low repetitions, heavy weights.
Submitted by: Jake
Progression
The act of gradually adding to the amount of resistance that you use in each exercise. Without consistent progression in your workouts, you won't overload your muscles sufficiently to promote optimum increases in hypertrophy.
Submitted by: MikeyB
Progressive Resistance
Method of training where weight is increased as muscles gain strength and endurance, the backbone of all weight training.
Submitted by: Jake
Protein
Proteins are the building blocks of muscle, enzymes, and sonic hor-mones. They are made up of amino acids and are essential for growth and repair in the body. A gram of protein contains four calories. Those from ani-mal sources contain the essential amino acids. Those from vegetable sources contain some but not all of the essential amino acids. Proteins are broken up by the body to produce amino acids.
Submitted by: Damien
Pump AKA "the pump"
The tight, blood-congested feeling in a muscle after it has been intensely trained. Muscle pump is caused by a rapid influx of blood into the muscles to remove fatigue toxins and replace supplies of fuel and oxygen. A good muscle pump indicates that you have optimally worked a muscle group.
Submitted by: Damien
Pumping Iron
Phrase that has been in use since the 1950s, but recently greatly popularized. Lifting weights.
Submitted by: Matt
Pumpted
Slang meaning the muscles have been made large by increasing blood supply to them through exercise.
Submitted by: Damien
Q
Quads
Abbreviation for quadriceps femoris muscles, muscles on top of legs, which consist of 4 parts (heads).
Submitted by: Damien
Quality Training
Training just before bodybuilding competition where intervals between sets are drastically reduced to enhance muscle mass and density, and low-calorie diet is followed to reduce body fat.
Submitted by: Jake
R
Range of Motion (ROM)
Refers to the limits of motion of the joints and muscles associated with an exercise.
Submitted by: StockyGuy
Rep
The number of times you lift and lower a weight in one set of an exercise. For example, if you lift and lower a weight 10 times before set-ting the weight down, you have completed 10 "reps" in one set.
Submitted by: Damien
Rep Out
Repeat the same exercise over and over until you are unable to do any more.
Submitted by: Damien
Reps
Abbreviation for REPETITIONS.
Submitted by: MikeyB
Resistance Training
Working out with weights or using your body to resist some other force. This includes a wide spectrum of motion, from push-ups to dumbbell curls.
Submitted by: Juke
Rest Interval
Pause between sets of an exercise.
Submitted by: Damien
Rest Period
The amount of time you allow between sets and exercises.
Submitted by: Damien
Rest-Pause Training
Training method where you press out one difficult repetition, then replace bar in stands, then after a 10-20 second rest, do another rep, etc.
Submitted by: Damien
Ripped
Slang meaning extreme muscularity.
Submitted by: Damien
Roid or Roids
Slang for ANABOLIC STEROID.
Submitted by: Damien
Routine
Also called a training schedule or program, a routine is the total list of exercises, sets, and reps (and sometimes weights) used in one training session.
Submitted by: Jeff
S
Saturated fats
These are bad fats. They are called saturated because they contain no open spots on their carbon skeletons. These bad fats have been shown to raise cholesterol levels in the body. Sources of these fats include animal foods and hydrogenated vegetable oils, such as margarine.
Submitted by: Mike
Set
Group of reps (lifting and lowering a weight) of an exercise after which you take a brief rest period. For example, if you complete 10 reps, set the weight down, complete eight more reps, set the weight down again, and repeat for six more reps, you have completed three sets of the exercise.
Submitted by: MikeyB
Slow Twitch Muscle
Muscle cells that contract slowly, are resistant to fatigue and are utilized in endurance activities such as long-distance running, cycling or swimming.
Submitted by: Damien
Spot
Assist if called upon by someone performing an exercise.
Submitted by: Damien
Spotter
Training partners who stand by to act as safety helpers when you perform such heavy exercises as squats and bench presses. If you get stuck under the weight or begin to lose control of it, spotters can rescue you and prevent needless injuries.
Submitted by: Damien
Steriods AKA Roids
Prescription drugs which mimic male hor-mones, but without most of the androgenic side effects of actual testosterone. Many bodybuilders use these danger-ous drugs to help increase muscle mass and strength.
Submitted by: Micheal
Strength
The ability of a muscle to produce maximum amount of force.
Submitted by: Jules
Strength Training
Using resistance weight training to build maximum muscle force.
Submitted by: Jeff
Stretch
A type of exercise program in which you assume exaggerated postures that stretch muscles, joints, and connective tissues, hold these positions for several seconds, relax and then repeat the postures. Regular stretching exercise promotes body flexibility.
Submitted by: Damien
Stretch Marks
Tears (slight scars) in skin caused if muscle or fat tissue has expanded in volume faster than skin can grow.
Submitted by: Bender
Superset
A superset is when one set is done directly after the other with no rest in between. For example a superset could be bench press and dumbell flies.
Submitted by: Damien
Supplement
This is a term used to describe a preparation such as a tablet, pill, or powder that contains nutrients. Supplements are used to help you achieve optimal nutrient intake.
Submitted by: d_Man
Symmetry
The shape or general outline of a person's body, as when seen in silhouette. If you have good sym-metry, you will have relatively wide shoulders, flaring lats, a small waist-hip structure, and generally small joints.
Submitted by: Damien
T
Tendon
A band or cord of strong, fibrous tissue that connects muscles to bone.
Submitted by: Suxcess
Testosterone
The male hormone primarily responsible for the maintenance of muscle mass and strength induced by heavy training. Testosterone is secondarily responsible for developing such secondary male sex characteristics as a deep voice, body hair, and male pattern baldness.
Submitted by: Damien
Training Straps
Cotton or leather straps wrapped around wrists, then under and over a bar held by clenched hands to aid in certain lifts (rowing, chin-ups, shrugs, dead lifts, cleans, etc.) where you might lose your grip before working muscle to desired capacity-
Submitted by: Damien
Training to Failure
Continuing a set until it is impossible to compete another rep without assistance.
Submitted by: Damien
Traps
Abbreviation for trapezius muscles, the largest muscles of the back and neck that draw head backward and rotate scapula.
Submitted by: Damien
Tri Sets
Alternating back and forth between 3 exercises until prescribed number of sets is completed.
Submitted by: Damien
Trimming Down
To gain hard muscular appearance by losing body fat.
Submitted by: Damien
U
Unsaturated Fat
These are 'good' fats. They are called unsaturated because they have one or more open spots on their carbon skeletons. This category of fats includes the essential fatty acids linoleic and linolenic. The main sources of these fats are fromm plant foods, such as safflower, sunflower, arid flaxseed oils.
Submitted by: Matt
V
Variable Resistance
Strength training equipment where the machine varies amount of weight being lifted to match strength curve for a particular exercise-usually with a cam, lever arm or hydraulic cylinder. Also referred to as "ACCOMMODATING RESISTANCE."
Submitted by: Damien
Vascularity
Increase in size and number of observable veins. Highly desirable in bodybuilding.
Submitted by: Matt
Vitamins
Organic compounds that are vital to Tile, indispensable to bodily function, and needed in minute amounts. They are calorie-free essential nutrients. Many of them function as coenzymes. supporting a multitude of biological functions.
Submitted by: Damien
W
Warm Up
The 10-15-minute session of light calisthenics, aerobic exercise, and stretching taken prior to handling heavy bodybuilding training movements. A good warm-up helps to prevent injuries and actually allows you to get more out of your training than if you went into a workout totally cold.
Submitted by: Jake
Weight Lifting Belt or "weight belt"
Thick leather belt used to support lower back. Used while doing squats, military presses, dead lifts, bent rowing, etc
Submitted by: Damien
Workout
A bodybuilding or weight-training session.
Submitted by: Damien
X
Back to top
Y
Back to top
Z
Back to top
|
