Refresh Your Gym Lingo With These 14 Terms Everyone Should Know

HIIT: The acronym HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. HIIT workouts consist of short, all-out bursts of exercise, followed by very short rest periods. They typically last no longer than 30 minutes and are a great option for those looking to burn fat and build muscle.

Cross-training: Whether you're a runner or an avid weightlifter, you should implement cross-training into your current workout routine. Essentially, it's utilizing more than one method of training in order to improve your physical performance. Running long distances every single day will eventually tear your body down and put you at risk for injury. Doing elliptical, biking, and swimming workouts are just a few examples of cross-training that will still keep you in tip-top shape.

Low-intensity steady-state cardio: Commonly referred to as LISS, this is a style of cardio that is performed at a low-intensity for a longer period of time. Your blood is pumping, but your heart rate will be steady throughout the duration of activity. Examples of LISS are walking on a treadmill at an incline, riding a bike, and running at a moderate pace.

Drop set: A drop set is a weightlifting technique used to increase muscle mass by fatiguing the muscle. To perform a drop set, select a heavy weight and begin performing the exercise. Eventually you'll drop (lower) the weight, selecting a lighter weight to complete the remaining reps in the set.

Superset: A superset is when you perform two exercises back to back without taking any rest. For example, you would do 10 push-ups immediately followed by 10 dumbbell rows. You rest once you've completed both exercises.

Pyramid sets: Pyramid training is performed with either ascending or descending weight and reps. It's a great way to mix up your workout and can help you build strength and size. For example, instead of doing three sets of 12 squats, you could do the following ascending pyramid (the weight will increase as the reps decrease):

• Set 1: 15 reps at a light weight
• Set 2: 12 reps at a light/medium weight
• Set 3: 8 reps at a medium weight
• Set 4: 4 reps at a heavy weight.

To failure: Repeating an exercise "to failure" means performing it until you experience muscle failure. For example, you would do push-ups until you can no longer push your body up, off of the ground.

Reps: One complete motion of a given exercise.

Sets: The amount of cycles you'll perform of the given reps.

Active recovery: Active recovery means that you're still being active, but not at an intense pace. Examples of this are: riding a bike or walking instead of being inactive. During workouts active recovery can be used as a transition between exercises and intensity. For example, sprinting on the treadmill for 30 seconds at 8 mph, followed by a light 30-second jog at 4 mph.

Plyometrics: These are exercises that require explosive movements like plyo lunges, tuck jumps, and jump squats. Plyometric exercises will help you improve your athletic performance, strength, and endurance and help you burn fat.

Unilateral exercises: Instead of working both sides of your body at once with bilateral exercises, unilateral exercises focus on strengthening limbs individually. Most people have muscular imbalances, and consistently training with unilateral movements will help minimize any asymmetry in your body.

Functional exercises: Functional exercises will help improve your performance of day-to-day movements. An example of a functional exercise is a squat. You perform squats every time you sit down and when bend down to pick things up.

Compound exercises: These are exercises that use more groups of large muscle mass like squats and push-ups. Implementing compound exercises into your routine will elicit a greater energy expenditure, helping you burn more calories.