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Drop sets
Triple sets
Pyramids
German Volume...
The list of training terms is endless! Half the time you don’t know what they mean and there can even be more than one name for a training term or gym associated slang. I’ll attempt to lay down a few of these in this article to try and dispel confusion and ignorance, although the list is almost limitless and I certainly don’t claim to have a definitive guide.
By the end of the article though, a sentence like “I’m doing 2-1-4 tempo triple drop set shoulder presses” won’t make your head spin anymore!
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Reps | One movement of an exercise, typically a weighted exercise. Short for a “repetition”. |
| Half Reps | These can be employed to achieve a variety of results, but the main two uses are either as a way to progress to heavier weights or a way to finish up a training session. As the name suggests it is simply performing only half of a repetition. As long as you’re entire training programme doesn’t revolve completely around these kind of reps they will allow you to lift a heavier weight and not have to perform the full rep, thus getting your body used to those heavier weights to enable you to one day perform a full rep. |
| Partials | Another way of presenting “half reps” in that you perform only a part of the repetition. |
| Sets | A group of repetitions. For example, performing eight reps would be considered a set. Resting for 60 seconds before doing another set and repeating once more would be termed three sets of eight or “3 x 8”. |
| Drop Sets | Perform one set on a given exercise, immediately drop the weight after finishing the set, then continue straight into the next set. There is no limit to the number of “drops” performed, but typically three is a favourite number. |
| Triple Drop Sets | As with the explanation of drop sets above, this involves decreasing the weight over a total of four sets. Also referred to as pyramids. |
| Super Sets | Typically used to exercise opposing muscle groups as part of the same set. For example, performing eight reps for a bench press and then immediately performing eight reps for a bent over row, resting for 60 seconds, and repeating three times over would be said to be three super sets for back and chest. |
| Pyramids | These can be performed two ways. Begin your sets of a given exercise at a chosen weight. Whilst resting for your next set increase the weight and then perform the set. Continue this way until all sets are completed, adding a small increase in weight each set. Alternatively start at your heaviest weight and decrease the weight each set. If you perform decrement pyramids please ensure you are extremely warmed up before starting on your heaviest weight! |
| Tempo | The speed at which you raise and lower a weight. For example, if I am performing a bench press I may push the weight up over a period of two seconds, not hold it for any length of time at the top of the motion, and then lower the weight for two seconds. That would be termed a tempo of 2-0-2. Some trainers may reverse the order and use the first number as the lowering part and the last number as the raising part. |
| T.U.T | Time Under Tension. The total time for which you hold the weight throughout the exercise. A longer set of tempo times, such as 4-2-4, will result in a longer T.U.T. |
| Compound Exercises | Typically your “bread and butter” weighted exercises that involve use of multiple muscle groups. Examples of these are dead-lifts, bench press and squats. |
| Isolation Exercises | Weighted exercises that involve use of one muscle group. Examples are bicep curls and tricep push downs. |
| Bulking | A typically “bloke” term stemming from the bodybuilding world. This means to put on size through a combination of muscle and fat. Note the difference in terminology to saying something like “gaining muscle”. I say this because you should ask yourself what you are specifically trying to achieve when putting on size – fat or muscle? |
| Leaning Up | The opposite of “bulking”, meaning to drop as much body fat as possible whilst holding on to as much muscle as possible. |
| German Volume Training | Apparently developed in German post war training camps preparing for the Olympics whereby ten sets of ten reps of any given exercise are performed. |
| 1 Rep Max | The most amount of weight able to be lifted in any specific weighted exercise. Can be abbreviated to 1RM. |
| Personal Best | 1RMs fall under this category as does any cardio event, for example running a mile in the shortest amount of time. Can be abbreviated to P.B. |
| Spot | To watch and/or assist someone when they are performing an exercise. Typically heavier more risky exercises, like squats, require a spot or “spotter” as the person assisting is termed. |
| Negatives | To perform only the downward motion in a weighted exercise. For example, with the bench press a spotter would pull the weight up for you doing all of the work in this assisting motion. You would lower the weight yourself as slowly as possible. This can be used as a way to progress through a period of plateau that a person may be experiencing. |
| Forced Reps | Similar to negatives but a spotter helps you through both movements of an exercise when too fatigued to continue alone. For example, helping with both the upward and downward motion of a bench press. |
| R.O.M | Range of Movement, whereby the entire movement of an exercise has a limited range which you can move through. To perform a bicep curl from arms fully extended at the bottom to fully curled at the top would be said to be using full R.O.M. |
| DOMS | Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. This is the pain you feel 24-48 hours after training. It’s the breaking down of the muscle as a result of training the day before that you can feel as soreness. |
| H.I.I.T | High Intensity Interval Training. A form of cardio- vascular training that involves training at a very high rate for a short period of time and then resting for a short period. For example, sprinting as fast as possible for 20 seconds and then walking for 10 seconds, repeating this process ten times over. |
So there are a few to be going on with. Hopefully you won’t be completely lost amid jargon when all you want to do is go for a run!
Good luck and stay consistent!
Sheraz
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