Glossary

• Iso-Lateral Exercises

  Iso-lateral exercises pertain to unilateral training: exercising one side of the body at a time to correct muscular imbalances and increase strength. Examples of iso-lateral exercises include alternating dumbbell curls, one-arm push-ups, dumbbell rows, dumbbell triceps kickbacks, dumbbell triceps extensions, and concentration curls.

• Muscle Imbalances

  Muscle imbalances occur when a muscle on one side of your body is bigger or stronger than its counterpart muscle located on the opposite side of your body. For example, your right bicep may be bigger than your left bicep.

  The reason behind muscle imbalances is an unbalanced usage of both muscles. The bigger or stronger muscle had been overused or overtrained while the weaker, smaller, or tighter muscle hadn’t been used or trained as often. One way to correct muscle imbalances is to include unilateral exercises such as concentration curls in one’s fitness programme.

• Muscle Ups

  This is an advanced strength training exercise where one starts with a radial pull-up and then executes a dip on a pull-up bar. Muscle-ups can also be performed with gymnastic rings.

• VO2 Max

  This refers to the amount of oxygen the body can absorb and utilise during intense exercise. It is also called maximal oxygen uptake.

• Free Weights

  Free weights refer to strength training equipment that is not attached to another apparatus. Examples of free weights include dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, and slam or medicine balls.

  Compared to machines, free weights force your stabiliser muscles to work harder. They also offer you a greater range of motion (ROM).

• Supersets

  This refers to two exercise sets combined into one set with little to no rest between them. Aside from saving you time, supersets also increase your power, metabolism, and hypertrophy (muscle growth).

  There are three kinds of supersets:

  1. Agonist-antagonist sets (ex. dumbbell bench press and chest-supported dumbbell rows)
  2. Similar muscle groups (ex. back squats and box jumps)
  3. Upper and lower muscle groups (ex. front squats and inverted rows)

• Drop Sets

  Drop sets are a strength training technique where the lifter “drops” or reduces the resistance after completing each set. The reduction should be around 20% of the initial, heaviest weight. The goal is to reach a point of muscular fatigue or muscle failure which results in adequate training stimulus and muscle growth.

  For example, after you have completed one set of 90 kg bench presses, rest for 20 seconds max (the less time you rest, the better) before starting your second set. For your second set, lift with a reduced resistance of 72 kg. Complete the second set and rest again for 20 seconds max. Continue to the third set with a reduced resistance of 58 kilos and so on.

  Lifters can perform drop sets with dumbbells, barbells, fixed-bar weights, or machines.

• Slam Ball

  A slam ball is a piece of fitness equipment made of leather, rubber, or plastic. It is roughly the size of a regulation-sized soccer ball.

  Holding a medicine ball during exercises such as squats, sit-ups, overhead presses, and lunges helps enhance the movements. Personal trainers also advocate the use of medicine balls for throwing exercises to help build muscle mass, lose fat, increase endurance, and improve hand-eye coordination.

• Deadlifts

  Deadlifts are a classic compound bodybuilding or strength training movement which primarily targets the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and spinal erectors. Synergist muscles include the quads, hamstrings, Adductor magnus, and soleus.

  In the setup phase, the lifter stands behind the bar, hinges at the hips, and grips the bar wider than shoulder-width. In the ensuing drive phase, the lifter braces his core and pushes through his heels, and attempts to lift the barbell off the ground. Finally, in the lockout phase, he stands completely erect whilst contracting the lumbar area and glutes to engage the target muscles.

• Clean and Press

  This an Olympic and CrossFit lift which is a variation of the overhead press. In the clean phase, the lifter executes a triple extension of the hips, knees, and ankles. He then shrugs his trapezius muscles, drops into a squatting position, and spins his hands around the bar so his elbows extend in front of his upper body. In the press phase, the lifter executes an overhead press with his arms locked out overhead and body standing erect.

• Olympic Lifts

  These are lifting techniques similar to those done at the Summer Olympics. More specifically, these are the snatch and the clean and jerk lifts normally included in CrossFit training programmes.

• Durometer

  An instrument which measures the hardness of materials.