Muscle Building and Weight Training Glossary Part I

Abduction: Moving a limb away from the center of the body. An example of abduction would be moving your arm from hanging by your side with your hand by your leg, and lifting the arm to shoulder level. Abs: Abdominal muscles; abbreviation Accommodating Resistance: Resistance that increases as your force increases through range of motion. Adduction: Moving a limb toward the center of the body. An example of adduction would be bringing your arm down from an extended position to your side. Adhesion: Fibrous connection between two muscles or other organs that are are normally separated, holding them together. Aerobic Exercise: Prolonged work, at moderate intensity, that uses up oxygen at the level the cardiorespiratory system can replenish it, or below that level. Aerobic exercise, unlike other exercises, burns off fat to provide energy for the exercise. Agonist: Muscle which contracts and is primarily responsible for movement of a body part. All-or-None: Muscle fiber that contracts fully or not at all. Amino Acids: The building blocks which make up proteins. Anaerobic Exercise: Exercise of a very high intensity, that uses oxygen faster than the body can replenish it, and is usually of short duration. This exercises burns up glycogen (the sugar in muscle tissue) to provide energy. Antagonist: Muscle that lengthens when the agonist muscle contracts. Antioxidant: Compounds in the body that help control free radicals, minimizing tissue oxidation. Arm Blaster: A strip, made of aluminum or fiberglass, which is held at waist height by a strap around the neck, and prevents movement of elbows during curls or triceps pushdowns. Atrophy: Decrease in size and functionality of tissues or organs, including muscle. Back-Cycling: Cutting back on your routine, either number of sets, amount of weight used or repetitions. Bar: The one-inch thick steel rod that forms the basis of a barbell or dumbbell. Balance: An even relationship of body proportions. Balanced proportions are a major component in competitive bodybuilding. Basic: A bodybuilding exercise working the largest muscle groups, such as legs, thighs or chest, in combination with smaller muscles These exercises include squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. Body composition: The percentage of your body weight composed of fat compared to lean mass. Bodybuilding: Weight training, combined with a nutritional plan, to shape one’s body. Bodybuilding is a competitive sport, both amateur and professional, for men, women and mixed pairs. Many bodybuilders compete, but many do it just for the fitness aspects. Buffed: Excellent muscle definition and size Bulking Up: Gaining weight. May be through adding body fat, building muscle, or a combination of the two. Burn: A burning sensation in a muscle during lifting. The burn is a good sign that you’re working the muscle correctly. Burns: A set of limited, bouncing reps, 4-6 inches in range, pushing the muscle past its normal failure rate. Carbohydrates: Compounds containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Categories of carbohydrates include starches, sugars and fibers. Cardiorespiratory Fitness: Overall fitness of the heart, circulatory system and lungs. Cardiovascular Training: Exercise and training that strengthen the heart and blood vessels. Cheating: Pushing a muscle to keep working past the point where it would normally fail, by using poor form to take pressure off the muscles and allow them to continue for two or three reps past the failure point. Chinning Bar: Bar attached to the wall or gym ceiling for doing chins, hanging leg raises, and other upper body movements. Cholesterol: Type of fat. Good cholesterol is a vital component in hormone production. MDL cholesterol is the “good” type and LDL is the “bad” type. Circuit Training: Moving quickly from one exercise machine or weigh to another, doing set number of exercises at each, keeping pulse high during the routine.