Weight Room Warrior Guide - Fueled Physique€¦ · Negative/E ccentric Movement- or example, in a biceps curl the action of lowering the dumbbell back down from the lift is the eccentric

Weight Room Warrior Guide

Lauren Bradley

fueledphysique.com

Welcome to your Weight Room Warrior Guide!

This will be your go-to guide in terms of navigating the weight room and learning/choosing the equipment you need for your exercises.

First you'll find a ton of definitions. I'm telling you everything from what AMRAP means to what a re-rack is. Soon you'll know all the phrases and lingo you need to be a weight room regular.

Next you'll find Lifter's Lingo & Weight Room Etiquette. This is where I'll teach you common catch phrases used in the weight room, and give you a few tips that most newbies might not know when they're hitting the weight room for the first time. This is the stuff I wish someone had told me when I was starting out!

Lastly, you'll find the Photo Glossary. This is where you will start to begin to identify the different equipment and machines you find in the weight room. Take 15-20 minutes and read through this guide. If you have any questions, please hop over to the Facebook group and ask away!

xo, Lauren

DEFINITIONS

AMRAP- As Many Reps as Possible.

Barbell- a long metal bar to which plates of varying weights are attached at each end, used for weightlifting

Battle Ropes- long, heavy ropes that are usually anchored to a wall, beam or pole, generally used for conditioning workouts

Bench- a piece of equipment usually used for chest presses, flys, step-ups, etc. There are incline benches and decline

benches, but most exercises use a flat bench.

BOSU Ball- often used for balance training, BOSU is an inflated rubber half-ball attached to a rigid platform.

Box- Boxes come in various sizes and are used for step-ups, squats, etc.

Brace Your Core- When you’re doing any exercise, bracing your core is very important! Bracing feels as if you’re blocking

someone from punching you in the stomach. You’re flexing your abdominals and almost puffing them out a bit.

Bumper Plates- plates that are made of thick, hard rubber for the purpose of allowing a loaded bar to be safely dropped

without risk of damaging the platesthemselves, the lifting platform, or in the case of most garage gyms; the floor.

Cable Machine - A cable machine is an item of equipment used in weight training or functional training.

Circuit Training/Style- A workout format which involves a series of exercises performed in rotation with minimal rest. For

example, performing 5 pushups, 10 squats, 15 crunches and 20 lunges three times through with minimal rest.

Clips/Collars- metal or plastic pieces that secure plates onto a barbell.

Compound Movement- an exercise involving multiple muscle groups at once. For example a barbell squat to press. This

move incorporates quads, glutes, hamstrings, core, shoulders, back and chest.

DOMS- Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. This is the feeling of being sore that occurs 24-48 hours after a strength training

workout.

Drop Set- A training technique where you perform an exercise and then drop (reduce) the weight and continue for more

reps until you reach failure.

Dumbbells- a short bar with a weight at each end, used typically in pairs for exercise or muscle-building.

Failure- raining to failure is repeating an exercise (such as the bench press) to the point of momentary muscular failure

Finisher- an intense exercise or series ofexercises performed at the end of the workout that's designed to ensure that

you've burnt every last drop of gas from the tank.

Fixed Barbell- shorter bars (3′-4′) with the weights already attached.

Giant Set- performed on one muscle group at a time and generally consist of performing 3 or more exercises per muscle

group.

Hex Bar/Trap Bar- hexagonal, allowing the user to stand in the middle and pick up the bar using a neutral grip.

HIIT- alternating short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with less intense recovery periods.

DEFINITIONS

Kettlebell- a large cast-iron ball-shaped weight with a single handle.

Ladder- perform one or more exercises with an ascending and descending repetition pattern.

Landmine- an angled barbell movement where one end of the barbell is on the ground and the opposite end is held by the

lifter.

Medicine Ball- a large, heavy solid ball used for exercise.

Negative/Eccentric Movement- or example, in a biceps curl the action of lowering the dumbbell back down from the lift is the

eccentric phase of that exercise — as long as the dumbbell is lowered slowly rather than letting it drop

Personal Record (PR)- is an individual's best performance in a given sporting discipline.

Plates- flat, heavy object, usually made of cast iron, which fits onto a barbell

Plyos/Plyometrics- "jump training" or "plyos", are exercises in which muscles exert maximum force in short intervals of time,

with the goal of increasing power (speed-strength).

Re-Rack- placing the barbell back onto the hooks or rack after you’re done with a set

Reps- one complete motion of an exercise.

Resistance Bands- an elastic band used for strength training.

Roman Chair- mainly used for core/lower back work, pullups & dips

Rope Cable Attachment- mainly used for triceps/upper back exercises

Triangle Cable Attachment- mainly used to seated row or neutral grip pull-down exercises

Safety Bars- attached to a squat rack which help control the depth at which the lifter can squat

Sets- a group of consecutive repetitions

Smith Machine- a machine used for weight lifting which consists of a fixed barbell on track within steel rails allowing only

vertical movement.

Stability Ball- a lightweight, inflated plastic ball used in various fitness and physiotherapeutic exercises.

Squat Rack- A metal rack consisting of support pillars with adjustable bars and hooks used for supporting a barbell during

heavy weightlifting exercises.

Superset- a form of strength training in which the participant moves quickly from one exercise to a separate exercise without

taking a break for rest in between the two exercises. Ie. A set of biceps curls immediately followed by a set of pushups.

TRX- a form of suspension training that uses body weight exercises to develop strength, balance, flexibility and core stability

simultaneously.

DEFINITIONS, con't

LIFTER'S LINGO &

WEIGHT ROOM ETIQUETTE

“Can I work in?” You would ask this question (or someone might ask you) if someone is using a piece of equipment you

want to use. For example, if you need to use the squat rack for your workout that day and someone is on it and they ‘re

performing the same exercise as you, lifting about the same amount as you, are using the same settings, etc, you can ask

if you can “work in.” That means you alternate sets for exercises. They squat, you squat, they squat, you squat.

“How many sets do you have left?” You would ask this (or someone might ask you) if you’re using a piece of

equipement you want to use and you’re doing a different exercise or using different weight. For example, you want to use

the Trap Bar but someone already has it loaded. This is another way of asking “how long are you going to be using that?”

“Can I get a spot?” You would ask this (or someone might ask you) if you’re lifting really heavy weight and think you

might not be able to complete the set. Usually someone will ask if they’re lifting really heavy on bench press, chest press

or squats.

LIFTER'S LINGO

WEIGHT ROOM ETIQUETTEWipe down your bench/mats after use.

Put things back where they belong after you use them. This might not always be where you go it or found it, but even if

you found the 20lb dumbbells on the floor, when you're done, they go back on the dumbbell rack.

Try to not block someone else’s view in the mirror- aka don’t stand right in front of someone when they're using the mirror

to check form. If they're just checking their abs, feel free to saunter on by hah!

When you’re using the dumbbells, back away from the DB rack so others can walk by if needed. A 5ft distance is

appropriate if space allows.

Keep cell phone usage to a minimum- a quick text, song change or selfie is totally acceptable. Sitting on a bench while

you scroll through Instagram…not OK, although you will see this happening quite a bit.

Be aware of the space around you. General rule of thumb is to be at least 1-2 arm’s length distance away from the

person next to you.

Is there a towel/water bottle/cell phone on the equipment? That means it’s probably in use, so you can either ask to work

in, ask how many sets the person has left or wait until it’s free.

Don’t interrupt someone’s set if they’re mid-lift- You want to know how many sets someone has left on the squat rack.

They’re mid-squat. That is not the time to ask them a question. Wait until they are totally done, re-racked and recovered

before you ask.

How to “save” your spot. You have a circuit workout on your plan for the day. The gym is getting crowded and you need to

go get more equipment. You don’t want the things you already gathered to get taken, so just keep your towel/water

bottle/headphones/ workout program right by the equipment and go get the other equipment you need. That’s sort of like a

“reserved” sign on the stuff.

How to deal with “that guy.” Now, every so often (but very far and few between) you will run into “that guy.” The guy you

were always intimidated by and the guy who will try to make you feel like you don’t belong. Unfortunately, they do exist. This

will be the guy who when you ask “hey can I jump in for a set?” will say “Nah I’m just getting started” even though he’s

checking out Facebook. Or the guy who acts like you’re invisible or acts annoyed when you tell him you still have two sets

left with the barbell. STAND YOUR GROUND, GIRLFRIEND. You have every right to be in the weight room. It’s not your

fault he’s impolite and thinks he’s someone special. Because he’s not. He’s just a regular guy who probably has a lot of

other stuff going on and he doesn’t know any better than to take it out on you and try to make you feel small. It’s not ideal

and it’s uncomfortable, but this is where you remember this: You are a strong woman whose only goal is to better your life.

You are there for a reason. You have a purpose. You’re not going to let some guy at the gym make you feel insignificant.

You’ve got work to do. Either wait until he’s done using whatever he’s using or go with your option B. Once you show him

whose boss, he’ll never treat you like that again. Fact.

WEIGHT ROOM ETIQUETTE, con't

PICTURE GLOSSARY

Barbell

Battle Ropes

Bench

Bench Press

BOSU Ball

Box

Bumper Plates

Cable Machine

Clips

Collars

Fixed Barbells

Hex/Trap Bar

Kettlebells

Landmine

Lat Pull Down

Leg Press

Medicine Balls

Plates

Resistance Bands

Roman Chair

Rope Attachment

Seated Row

Stability Ball

Squat Rack

Smith Machine

Triangle Attachement

TRX