Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Strength and conditioning terms

Some athletic words that might help you study or revise better.

Abduction – Movement of a limb away
from  the middle of your body.
E.g. lifting your arms up (Extension at
the shoulder) as if you were imitating an airplane!

Adduction – movement of a limb towards the middle of your body. E.g. bringing your arms back down (Flexion at the shoulder) to your sides.

Absolute Strength – the biggest load a person can lift
in one repetition.

Aerobic Exercise – Activity in which the body supplies oxygen to working muscles for a period of time i.e. marathon running, cross country skiing.

Anaerobic Exercise – Activity which requires more oxygen than the body can supply (without oxygen). Results in the buildup of Lactic Acid. Used for short sharp bursts i.e. sprints, long jump.

Barbell – A long bar in which weights are placed on either end and used for exercise.

Basal Metabolic Rate – the amount of energy your body uses at rest to perform basic bodily functions. It changes depending on weight, height, age, gender, diet and exercise.

Body composition – The breakdown of your body’s makeup, proportions of fat, lean muscle, water and water.

Clean – Weightlifting exercise where weight is lifted
from floor to shoulder in one movement.

 Snatch – Weightlifting exercise where weight is lifted from floor to overhead in one movement.

Clean and Jerk – Weightlifting exercise where weight is lifted from floor to overhead in two movements.

Concentric Contraction – muscle shortens whilst being used

Deadlift – Weightlifting exercise where weight is lifted from floor to waist height, with back straight.

Dumbbell – Weights about 14” long with load at either end.

Eccentric Contraction – Muscle lengthens whilst being used.

Endurance – The ability to sustain an exercise for a prolonged length of time, can be either anaerobic
endurance or aerobic endurance.

Fartlek Training – A type of interval training, varying the speed or intensity during exercise. Places stress on aerobic and anaerobic systems.

Extension – A body part going from a
bent position to a straight position

Flexion – A body part going from a
straight position to a bent position.

Fast Twitch – Muscle fibre type that fires quickly, good for sprinting and power lifting.

Glycogen – The energy fuel that carbohydrate is stored as in the body.

Heart Rate training Zones – Classifying training zones dependent upon physiological changes during exercise. E.g. knowing what heart rate (or % HR max) the lactate Threshold occurs and what heart rate corresponds with maximal oxygen uptake.

Hypertrophy – The growth/getting bigger of muscle.

Isometric Exercise – Muscle contraction where the muscle stays at the same length and the joint does not move. i.e. pushing against a wall.

Isotonic Exercise – A form of exercise that results in the muscles lengthening or shortening but the tension remaining the same. Lifting free weights is a classic isotonic exercise.

Lactic acid – Produced during anaerobic
exercise, contributes to fatigue.

Lactate Threshold – The intensity at which you can sustain an exercise at before lactic acid is produced.

Maximal Oxygen uptake – The maximal amount of oxygen that the body can utilise and supply to working muscles. Also known as VO2 max and aerobic capacity.

Overtraining – A state at which you are underperforming due to too much training and not enough recovery time. It is a physical and psychological problem.

Power – Strength + Speed.

Repetition Maximum (1RP) – Similar to absolute strength, the maximum you can lift in one go.

Slow Twitch – Muscle cells that contract slowly and are resistant to fatigue. Good for long distance running or swimming.

Super set – Alternating back and forth between two or more exercises until a number of sets are completed. 

If you want to learn how to apply them, look at our accredited strength and conditioning courses