Strength Training Terms
This glossary defines non-branded strength training terminology for an endurance audience who lift as a supplementary practice: movement mechanics, program design, equipment, and recovery. Periodization, RPE, training volume, and warm-up and cooldown are cross-referenced to the Running glossary page rather than redefined here, since those training concepts are generic across endurance and strength training alike.
Quick answers
What is 1RM (one-rep max)?
1RM, or one-rep max, is the maximum weight a person can lift for a single repetition of a given exercise with correct form.
What is active recovery?
Active recovery is low-intensity movement performed on a rest day or between hard sessions to aid blood flow and recovery without adding significant training stress.
What is AMRAP?
AMRAP means “as many reps as possible,” a set or workout structure performed to a target time or until technical failure rather than a fixed rep count.
What is a barbell?
A barbell is a long metal bar loaded with weight plates at each end, the primary implement for compound lifts such as the squat, deadlift, and bench press.
What is a bilateral movement?
A bilateral movement is an exercise performed with both limbs working together at the same time, such as a barbell squat.
What is bracing (strength training)?
Bracing is the deliberate contraction of the trunk and core muscles to stiffen the torso before and during a loaded lift, protecting the spine and improving force transfer.
What is a bumper plate?
A bumper plate is a rubber-coated weight plate designed to be dropped safely from height, commonly used for Olympic lifts.
What is a cable machine?
A cable machine is gym equipment using a weight stack connected to an adjustable pulley and cable, allowing resistance exercises through a range of angles.
What is a cluster set?
A cluster set is a set broken into smaller clusters of repetitions with brief intra-set rest periods, allowing higher quality repetitions to be maintained under fatigue than a single continuous set would allow.
What is a compound lift?
A compound lift is an exercise that works multiple muscle groups and joints simultaneously, such as a squat, deadlift, or bench press.
What is the concentric phase of a lift?
The concentric phase of a lift is the portion where the muscle shortens under tension, typically the “lifting” part of the movement.
What is a deload?
A deload is a planned reduction in training intensity or volume, whether for a single session or across an entire week, used to allow recovery before resuming normal progressive overload.
What is DOMS?
DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness, is the muscle soreness that typically peaks one to two days after unfamiliar or intense exercise.
What is a drop set?
A drop set is a technique in which weight is reduced immediately after reaching failure, allowing the set to continue for additional repetitions.
What is a dumbbell?
A dumbbell is a short, handheld weight used singly or in pairs, allowing independent movement of each limb.
What is dynamic stretching?
Dynamic stretching is active movement through a joint’s range of motion, typically used as part of a warm-up before exercise.
What is the eccentric phase of a lift?
The eccentric phase of a lift is the portion where the muscle lengthens under tension, typically the “lowering” part of the movement.
What is failure in strength training?
Failure, or muscular failure, is the point in a set at which another repetition cannot be completed with proper form.
What is flexibility?
Flexibility is the available passive range of motion at a joint, distinct from mobility, which is the ability to actively control movement through that range.
What is foam rolling?
Foam rolling is a self-massage technique using a cylindrical foam tool to apply pressure to muscles, intended to aid recovery and mobility.
What is training frequency?
Training frequency is how often a given exercise, muscle group, or type of session is performed within a training week.
What is a hinge pattern?
A hinge pattern is a movement built around flexing and extending at the hips while keeping the spine neutral, the foundational pattern behind exercises such as the deadlift and kettlebell swing.
What is an isolation exercise?
An isolation exercise targets a single muscle group across a single joint, such as a bicep curl.
What is an isometric hold?
An isometric hold is a static contraction in which a muscle generates force without changing length or joint angle, such as a plank.
What is a kettlebell?
A kettlebell is a cast weight with a handle, used for swinging, ballistic, and strength movements distinct from traditional dumbbell exercises.
What is a medicine ball?
A medicine ball is a weighted ball used for throwing, slamming, and rotational power exercises.
What is mobility work?
Mobility work is exercise aimed at improving the usable range of motion at a joint, combining flexibility with control through that range.
What is plyometrics?
Plyometrics are high-power, jump-based exercises that train the stretch-shortening cycle, used to improve rate of force development and running economy without necessarily adding muscle mass.
What is the posterior chain?
The posterior chain is the group of muscles running down the back of the body, including the glutes, hamstrings, and spinal erectors, commonly trained to balance the quad-dominant demands of running and cycling.
What is progressive overload?
Progressive overload is the gradual increase of training demand over time, through weight, reps, or volume, to drive continued strength or muscle adaptation.
What is a pull movement pattern?
Pull is a movement pattern involving drawing a load toward the body, such as a row or pull-up, the counterpart to a push pattern.
What is a push movement pattern?
Push is a movement pattern involving driving a load away from the body, such as a press, the counterpart to a pull pattern.
What is range of motion?
Range of motion is the full extent of movement available at a joint during an exercise.
What is a rep?
A rep, or repetition, is a single complete execution of an exercise’s movement.
What is rep range?
Rep range is the prescribed number of repetitions per set for a given exercise, such as three to five reps for strength or eight to twelve for hypertrophy.
What is reps in reserve (RIR)?
Reps in reserve is a method of gauging set intensity by estimating how many more repetitions could have been completed before reaching failure.
What is a resistance band?
A resistance band is an elastic band used to provide variable resistance through an exercise’s range of motion.
What is a rest interval?
Rest interval is the prescribed recovery time between sets within a session.
What is a set (strength training)?
A set is a group of consecutive repetitions of an exercise performed without stopping.
What is a Smith machine?
A Smith machine is a barbell fixed within a guided vertical track, allowing lifts to be performed without a free-moving bar.
What is a training split?
A training split is how exercises or muscle groups are divided across the days of a training week, such as an upper/lower or push/pull/legs split.
What is a squat pattern?
A squat pattern is a movement built around bending at the hips, knees, and ankles simultaneously while keeping the torso upright, the foundational pattern behind exercises such as the back squat and goblet squat.
What is a squat rack (power rack)?
A squat rack, also called a power rack when built as an enclosed frame with adjustable safety bars, is used to perform barbell lifts such as squats safely without a spotter.
What is static stretching?
Static stretching is holding a muscle in a lengthened position for a sustained period, typically used after exercise rather than as part of a warm-up.
What is the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC)?
The stretch-shortening cycle is the mechanism by which a muscle and tendon store elastic energy during a rapid eccentric stretch and release it during the following concentric contraction, a key factor in running economy and jump performance.
What is a superset?
A superset is two exercises performed back to back with no rest between them.
What is a suspension trainer?
A suspension trainer is a system of adjustable straps anchored overhead, used to perform bodyweight exercises that challenge stability, commonly used for single-leg and core work.
What is tempo in lifting?
Tempo is the speed at which each phase of a lift, the eccentric, pause, and concentric, is performed, often prescribed as a sequence of numbers.
What is time under tension?
Time under tension is the total duration a muscle spends under load during a set, a variable that can be manipulated independently of weight or rep count.
What is a trap bar (hex bar)?
A trap bar, or hex bar, is a hexagonal barbell that a lifter stands inside of, allowing a more upright torso position and neutral grip during deadlift variations than a straight barbell.
What is a unilateral movement?
A unilateral movement is an exercise performed one limb at a time, such as a single-leg deadlift.
What is a weight bench?
A weight bench is a padded bench used to support the body during exercises such as the bench press or dumbbell rows.
What is a weight plate?
A weight plate is a flat, circular weight loaded onto a barbell, with a bumper plate being a rubber-coated variant.
What is a working set?
A working set is a set performed at the target weight and intensity for that session, as distinct from a lighter warm-up set.
