Going into a gym can be pretty intimidating, especially if you aren’t familiar with the atmosphere. To make yourself more comfortable and secure, it helps to know not only how things work but the lingo that comes with the territory. Once you know the way to communicate with others in the gym, you’ll enjoy your workout more and without fear of being the “new kid on the block.”

You may have heard of core training. This term means exercise that works both the muscles of the abdomen and the lower back. Core training is needed in just about all sports and activities. So if you’re signing up for this type of workout, just know that you’ll get a lot out of it! Intervals involve periods of fast movement with high intensity training with slower recovery periods. This process helps the body improve speed-wise as well as condition the body to adapt to various plateaus of strength and endurance. Those seeking a method of weight loss through exercise will want to concentrate on their intervals during each workout routine. A similar term related to core training is anaerobic training. This also uses fast paced training such as sprinting. During anaerobic training the supply of oxygen is quickly exhausted.

The term aerobic is a commonly used one but not too many know the exact definition. Aerobic training increases the heart rate, as well as strengthens the heart and lungs. This type of exercise needs a lot of oxygen. Aerobic training is also known as cardiovascular training or simply, “cardio.” So anytime you hear any of these variations of the term, you’ll want to call to mind exercises such as cycling, swimming, running and rowing.

Warm up is one term that is pretty self explanatory, yet is very important when it comes to anything physical. Warming up is a way to prepare your body for the upcoming fitness regimen. Doing a warm up prior to working out serves to let the muscles and the heart get a head start. Just a few minutes of warming up can prevent risk of injuries and allow for a smoother workout. The term “cool down” is similar to warming up, but instead of doing the simple stretches and exercises before starting your workout, the cool down period happens after the workout is over. During this time, the cool down lets the heart slow down and allows waste products such as lactic acid (a common waste product that gathers in the muscles. Too much lactic acid can cause soreness) to be cleansed from the muscles. Not only is warming up essential to a good workout, so is rest. Yes, “rest” is part of the gym lingo. As the name implies, this is the period of time when you are resting and not working out. Rest can also refer to the days when you don’t normally go to the gym and work out. It is important to take short breaks in between your exercises in order to let your body reenergize.

When exercising, you’ll often hear people talking about repetitions, also called reps. This means the number of times you do a certain exercise. The term “sets” describes the number of times you perform a certain number of reps. Weight training is a common gym term as well, but is generally referred to as resistance training. Training of this type involves free weights, resistance bands, and machines, among many others.

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