Glossary

• Bulking

  Bulking refers to a process where one tries to increase muscle mass by performing muscle-building exercises and establishing a caloric surplus.

• Bodyweight exercises

  Exercises which one can perform using the body as resistance. Examples include push-ups, dips, chin-ups, pullups, and bodyweight squats.

• Bodybuilder

  A person who’s into bodybuilding or someone who has an aesthetic physique and joins amateur or professional physique-based contests.

• Bench press

  This is a classic compound movement which primarily targets the pectoral muscles. The bench press also hits the posterior deltoids and rhomboids as secondary muscle groups.

• Arm day

  A day dedicated to arm exercises at the gym. Examples include barbell curls, preacher curls, concentration curls, reverse-grip bent-over rows, skullcrushers, and close-grip bench presses.

• Anterior tilt

  Also known as an anterior pelvic tilt, this is a postural weakness where the front of your pelvis tips forward and the back portion rises. This creates a curve and ultimately, an imbalance, in the spine.

• Anabolic

  This usually refers to a state where the body obtains energy so its parts – particularly the muscles – grow. Normally, an individual reaches an anabolic state whenever he establishes a caloric surplus.

• Aesthetic

  In bodybuilding lingo, this refers to an individual with a lean, muscular, and symmetrical physique

• Activation

  This means making a specific group of muscles more responsive before doing a compound lift. For example, doing a squeeze press and flye superset before doing bench presses activates the pecs.

• Accessory work

  These are strength-building isolation exercises which complement your bigger lifts. Examples include reverse lunges, stability ball hamstring curls, pull-ups, skullcrushers, and bent-over rows.

• Warm-up

  A warm-up is a prelude to the actual exercise session to increase blood flow to the working muscles and ramp up one’s heart rate. Fitness experts recommend doing dynamic stretching and light cardio for one’s warm-up session.

• Traps

  This is a shortened term for the trapezius muscle, which runs from the back of the head and neck to the shoulders and back. Your traps help you shrug your shoulders, move your neck, and stabilise your shoulder blades.