All About Program Design Glossary

1RM—1 Repetition Maximum-—e maximal weight a person can lift in that

specific exercise
Accommodating Resistance-Attaching either bands or chains to the load so
that the load changes (accommodates) during the exercise
Active Recovery-Pepforming some sort of physical activity during the rest
period, such as jumping jacks, burpees, jumping rope, etc
AMRAP-As many reps (or rounds) as possible
Ascending sets-—eight increases with each set
Back Down Set-After the main, heavy set(s) have been performed for the
exercise, the client may perform one or more back down sets, —ith this
method the trainer will typically decrease the weight by 10-30%, 20%
being the average, and then the client will do another set, Having just
lifted the heavy weight, this set often feels light and allows the client to
work on speed and technique, and adds extra volume to the program,
Big 3--e 3 powerlifts: Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift
Circuits- series of exercises performed in a row, one set each, and then
starting over again
Cluster Set-Pepforming one rep, resting 10-30 seconds, performing a second
rep, resting, etc, until a certain total number of reps is performed, —at is
one cluster set, this is easier than regular training which allows more weight
to be lifted
Combination Exercises-Performing two or more exercises combined as one
-for example lunging and performing a lateral raise at the same time
Compensatory AccelerationPusuihg the weight as fast as possible on the
concentric exercise with the hope of developing more force and power
Complex- series of exercises all performed in a row, with no rest, with the
same load
Compound Exercise-TwT or more joints are moving in an exercise (ex:
bench, squat, deadlift, etc)
DB—Dumbbell
Descending Sets—Weight decreases with each set (after the warm-up)
Drop Set-Performing one set, immediately decreasing the weight (5-50%
with 10-20% being the norm) and then continuing. More than one drop
set can be performed (double drop, triple drop, etc)
EPOC—Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption-—e term that describes
the elevated metabolism a client experiences after an intense workout.
Homeostasis may be disrupted for 1-4 hours commonly, and sometimes
longer, with intense workouts, which increases their overall calorie burn.
EPOC can be created through any intense activity (sports, resistance
training, cardio, conditioning, etc).
Exercise Tubes——ick circular tubing with handles that clients can use to
create resistance during a movement. Tubes don’t generate a large amount
of resistance (and they can snap if pulled too far) and they are better for
individuals with lower total strength.
Fat Mass-—e part of the body that is made up of fat. Fat in the body is
called adipose tissue
Force-Physics equation that is Mass x Acceleration = Force
Frequency-Term used to describe how often a client wants to train or
exercise, typically given as the number of sessions per week one is doing. It
can also be applied to a specific area or movement, for example a person
might say they are training 4 times a week and they hitting their abs 2
times a week.
Isolation Exercise-Only one joint is moving in an exercise (ex bicep curl,
tricep pushdown, hip thrust, leg curl, etc.)
LB-Lower Back
Lean Mass-Fat free mass in the body which is primarily composed of bones,
muscles, organs, hair, skin, nails
Load--e amount of weight lifted, typically expressed as a %1RM
Lower Body Routine-A routine that focuses on training the lower body
muscles of the glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves (ab/adductors can be
included too). If one is doing an upper/lower routine core is usually
included on the lower body day for the sake of time.
MetCon-Metabolic Conditioning Workout: short, rapid, intense workout
designed to create a lot of fatigue without doing traditional cardio, many
of the named CrossFit workouts are MetCons
Mx-Machine
Negatives—Focusing only on the eccentric contraction, typically a weight of
85-120% of the 1RM is used and the client will slowly lower the weight
for a 4-10 count, —ey must get assistance on the concentric. Typically 1­
4 reps of negatives are performed per set
Once-a-week-routine-A split routine that involves only training each area of
the body once per week. Typically this means each major muscle group has
a day devoted to it, for example a ‘chest’ day or a ‘back’ day
Overload-Pepforming more work, usually in the term of more weight, more
reps, or more sets as the workouts progress
Partials-Using only a partial range of motion in an exercise
Peripheral Heart Action-PePeorming a circuit that alternates upper body
exercises and lower body exercises with the goal of promoting blood flow
and reducing specific fatigue
PNF Stretching-Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation-this kind of
stretching involves stretching a muscle, then contracting the muscle and
pushing against it (typically with a partner), then relaxing the muscle and
stretching it further
Power-Phpsics formula that is Work divided by Time
Pre-exhaustion-Pepforming an isolation exercise before a compound exercise
for the same muscle; it can also be created by performing a very strict
exercise before a less strict exercise for the same muscle
Pull Workout-A workout focused on training the upper body pulling
muscles which are the back (lats) and the biceps (rear delts may also be
included here). If one is only doing a push/pull routine then legs and lower
back are most commonly included on this time.
Push Workout-A workout focused on training the upper body pushing
muscles which are the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Core may or may not
be included on this day.
Reps--e number of repetitions performed in one set; one complete up and
down movement of the exercise
Resistance Bands-Giant rubber bands that do not have handles that can be
used by themselves or in conjunction with weight to provide resistance to a
 client. Bands can create much more tension than tubes can and are better
for stronger individuals.
Rest-—e downtime between sets of an exercise or between exercises
themselves
Rest-pause Reps-Performing a certain number of reps, resting briefly (5—15
seconds) and then continuing to complete a few more reps before a full
break is taken
RFD-Rate of Force Development; how rapidly one can generate the force
available in the muscle
Rhabdo-Short for rhabdomyolysis, when an extreme amount of physical
work is performed, the body begins to break down muscle tissue and its
components (myoglobin) are released into the bloodstream and start to
clog the kidneys. —is could be fatal from one session of exercise. Clients
that express extreme weakness, unusual swelling, and brown urine after
intense exercise need to be seen by a physician immediately.
ROM-Range of Motion
Set-A group of repetitions. A work set is a challenging set designed to tax the
client; a warm-up set is intentionally easy and should not produce
significant fatigue
Split-Dividing parts of the body into different groups and only training
those areas in one workout session
Straight Sets—Weight remains the same for each set (after the warm-up)
Superset-Performing one set of one exercise followed immediately by
another set of another exercise, then resting the prescribed amount, then
repeating. Supersets can be opposing muscle groups (ex: EZ Bar Curls and
Skull Crushers), unrelated muscle groups (ex: Bench Press and Standing
Calf Raise) or the same muscle groups (ex: EZ Bar Curl and DB Curls).
Sometimes using the same muscle group is called a compound set.
Tempo--e speed of lifting, the first number refers to the concentric (lifting)
phase; the second number refers to the speed of the eccentric (lowering)
phase (2:4 count)
Upper Body Routine- routine that focuses on training the upper body
muscles of chest, back, shoulders, biceps, and triceps
Valsalva Maneuver-—is occurs when an individual closes their airway and
then bears down. It increases the force that can be generated but it also
increases blood pressure and decreases oxygen supply
Wave Loading-Inincreing the load subsequently for several sets (ascending
sets), then decreasing it, then increasing it again, so if one were to graph
the weight lifted it would look like a wave
Work-Physics equation that is Force x Distance