OMG, lol, brb, ttyl! Have you ever been walking through the gym and heard an acronym that made you go wtf?!
Don’t worry, it’s not just you!
Personally, I love a good acronym! But there are SO many out there, and it gets hard to keep up; so here is a quick roundup of some popular acronyms for your next workout!
- HIIT
How it sounds: hit
What it means: High-Intensity Interval Training
How it’s used: HIIT sessions are high-intensity cardio training, where there will be a period – or interval – of work time followed by an interval of rest time. For example, your HIIT session may start out with 20 seconds of jumping jacks, followed by 10 seconds rest or recovery, then 20 seconds jump squats, followed by 10 seconds rest or recovery; and so on and so forth for the duration of the exercise.
- EMOM
How it sounds: E mom
What it means: Every Minute On the Minute
How it’s used: EMOM trainings are another form of cardio training. With EMOMs, the goal is complete a set number of reps (usually ~10) on a few exercise moves (typically anywhere from 3-6) within a 60 second period. If you finish all reps of all moves before the 60 second mark, any “leftover” time is spent holding a plank position until the minute is up.
- PR
How it sounds: P R
What it means: Personal Record; also PB – Personal Best
How it’s used: Just like the name indicates, a PR is your own record of achievement for a particular workout. This can be expressed in markers such as weight (125lb bench-press PR), number of reps (75 rep crunch PR), or time (7:38 mile PR).
- AMRAP
How it sounds: am rap
What it means: As Many Reps As Possible
How it’s used: AMRAP training involves repeating a certain exercise move at the same weight or speed until your body fatigues and can no longer complete a full repetition with proper form. AMRAP training can also include trying to complete as many repetitions as possible within a certain time period (i.e., do as many air squats as you can in 20 seconds).
- 1-RM
How it sounds: one R M
What it means: One Repetition Max
How it’s used: 1-RM is the maximum weightload you can move through one full range of motion for the specified workout. Be careful trying to find your own 1-RM without a personal trainer – or at least a spotter who can lift more than you!
So there ya have it, folx! I hope this list helped you to feel more up to speed on common gym rat lingo. Make sure to keep an eye out for our next installment of 5 Fitness Acronyms you might not know!
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