Definitions for Commonly Used Fitness Terms
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Abdominal Muscles:
Aerobics:
Body composition: |
Body Density:
A term used to describe the compactness of the body and is equal
to the body weight divided by the body volume.
Cardiorespiratory Endurance:
The capacity of your heart, blood vessels and lungs to function
efficiently during vigorous sustained activity such as running,
swimming or cycling.
Cardiorespiratory Fitness:
This is the efficient functioning and health of the circulatory and
respiratory systems.
Calisthenics:
Exercises in cadence for the purpose of muscular development.
Circuit Training:
This is a routine of selected exercises or activities performed in
sequence at individual stations as rapidly as possible.
Concentric Contraction:
This is a contraction in which the muscle shortens and works
against gravity.
Conditioning Period:
The main exercise portions of a workout at a heart-rate intensity
that is between 60 and 80 percent of the difference between resting
and maximal heart rates.
Continuous Training:
This is training that involves sustaining a constant tempo of exercise
for 20 minutes or more. In beginning programs, bouts of lighter
exercise such as brisk walking are generally alternated with short
bouts of more vigorous exercise.
Cool Down:
The tapering-off period after completion of the main conditioning bout,
including activities such as slow jogging, walking, and stretching the
major muscle groups.
Distance Repeats:
Repeated bouts of alternate running and walking using specified distances
as the determinant of workload.
Duration:
The time length of training sessions. For example, 30 minutes at an
intensity of 70 percent heart-rate reserve is the recommended duration
for developing and maintaining physical fitness.
Eccentric Contraction:
This is a contraction in which the muscle lengthens and works with
gravity.
Explosiveness:
The muscle's ability to create strength as quickly and as forcefully
as possible.
Extensors:
These are the muscles that increase the angle at a joint. For example,
the quadriceps extend the knee (straighten it).
Fast Twitch Muscle Fiber:
This is a type of muscle fiber with fast contractile characteristics that
has a low capacity to use oxygen. These fibers are the first to be used
in short sudden bursts of activity.
Fat Free Weight:
Your bodies weight free of fat; often called lean body weight.
Fat Weight:
The absolute amount of body fat.
Field Tests:
Tests that take place outside the laboratory.
Flexibility:
The range of movements of a specific joint and of its corresponding
muscle groups.
Flexors:
These are the muscles that decrease the angle at a joint. For example,
the hamstrings flex the knee (bend it).
Frequency:
This is the number of workouts. Frequency should be adjusted to the
intensity and duration of the workouts to reach a training effect.
Half Marathon:
This is a foot race of 13.1 miles, half the distance of a marathon.
Hamstring Muscles:
The large muscles at the back of the thigh that primarily flex the knee.
Hip Flexors:
The large muscles that are powerful flexors of the hip joint.
Hypertrophy:
The increase in size or mass of a cell, tissue, or organ, such as the
increase in muscle fiber size resulting from strength training.
Intensity:
The physiological stress on the body during exercise. Your level of
intensity can be readily determined by measuring your pulse rate
(heart rate) immediately following an exercise bout.
Interval Training:
Training made up of successive bouts of exercise at near maximal
intensity alternated with periods of rest or lighter exercise such as
brisk walking or slow jogging.
Isometric:
This is a type of muscle contraction in which the muscle generates
force but does not undergo significant shortening, such as pushing
against a wall.
Isotonic:
This is a type of muscle contraction in which the muscle generates
force against a constant resistance resulting in movement, such as
curling a 40-pound barbell.
Lean Body Weight:
Your body weight minus the percentage of body weight that is stored fat.
Low Impact Aerobics
Low impact aerobics are routines where one foot is always in contact
with the floor. High-impact routines involve more vigorous movements
including skips, hops, and jumps where both feet may be off the floor at
the same time.
Marathon:
A foot race covering 26.2 miles.
Motor Skill:
The ability of muscles to function harmoniously and efficiently, resulting
in smooth coordinated muscular movement. Motor skill is a reflection
of general athletic skill.
Muscular Endurance:
The ability of muscles to function harmoniously and efficiently, resulting
in smooth coordinated muscular movement. This is a reflection of
general athletic skill.
Plyometrics:
These are exercises designed to generate the greatest amount of force
in the shortest amount of time.
Quadriceps:
These are the muscles on the front side of the thigh that extend the knee.
Recovery Index:
The sum of three 30-second heart-rate recoveries counts after a step test.
Relative Body Fat:
The proportion of fat tissue in the body often expressed as a percentage
of body weight (percent of body fat).
Skinfold Caliper:
An instrument used to measure a selected thickness of a fold of skin
that has been pinched up on the body.
Slow Twitch Muscle Fiber:
This is a type of muscle fiber with slow contractile characteristics.
They have a high capacity to use oxygen. These fibers are used
primarily during endurance type activities such as running, swimming,
and cycling.
Static Stretching:
Increasing the length of a particular muscle or muscle group.
Step Aerobics:
This is a form of aerobics that is described as low impact and high
intensity. It involves stepping on and off a bench ranging in height from
four to twelve inches using a variety of step and arm combinations to music.
Step Test:
A testing procedure for assessing the heart-rate recovery after
stepping on and off a bench for a three minute time period at a
predetermined cadence.
Strength:
The capacity of a muscle to exert a force against a resistance.
Timed Repeats:
The repeated bouts of alternate running and walking using time as
the determinant of the workload.
Training Heart Rate:
A heartbeat rate (or pulse rate) per minute during exercise that produces
significant cardiorespiratory benefits.
Triathlon:
This is a competitive event involving three endurance type activities such
as swimming, cycling and running.
Warm-up:
This is the portion of your exercise workout that prepares your body for a
more vigorous exercise bout. Generally walking, stretching, major muscle
groups, and exercises that stimulate the heart, lungs and muscles moderately
and progressively are done during the warm-up period.