Glossary: Training Terms

Overview

Training programmes are written in a shorthand that nobody explains to you. This is that shorthand, in plain English.

Quick Answer

Key training terms include volume, the total hard sets performed; intensity, the load relative to your maximum; hypertrophy, muscle growth; and RPE, a scale rating how close a set was to failure.

Programme structure

Term	Definition
Set	A group of consecutive repetitions
Rep	One complete execution of an exercise
Working set	A set at your target weight, not a warm up
Volume	Total hard sets, usually per muscle per week
Intensity	Load as a percentage of your one rep max
Frequency	How often you train a muscle or lift per week
Density	Work performed per unit of time
Block	A training phase, typically 8 to 12 weeks
Mesocycle	A block of several weeks with one focus
Periodisation	Planned variation of training across time
Deload	A planned lighter week to clear fatigue
Taper	Reducing volume before a competition

Effort and loading

Term	Definition
1RM	The heaviest weight you can lift for one rep
RPE	Rate of perceived exertion, 1 to 10
RIR	Reps in reserve, how many you left in the tank
AMRAP	As many reps as possible
EMOM	Every minute on the minute
Failure	The point at which another rep is impossible
Technical failure	The point at which form breaks down
Progressive overload	Gradually increasing training demand over time
Linear progression	Adding weight every session or week
Auto-regulation	Adjusting load based on daily readiness

Adaptation and physiology

Term	Definition
Hypertrophy	An increase in muscle size
Atrophy	A decrease in muscle size
Mechanical tension	Force in the muscle, the main driver of growth
Muscle protein synthesis	The process of building new muscle protein
Neural adaptation	Improved recruitment and coordination
DOMS	Delayed onset muscle soreness
Concentric	The lifting or shortening phase
Eccentric	The lowering or lengthening phase
Isometric	Holding a position without movement
Time under tension	How long a muscle is loaded during a set

Movement patterns

Term	Definition
Compound	An exercise using multiple joints, like a squat
Isolation	An exercise using one joint, like a curl
Push	Moving load away from the body
Pull	Moving load towards the body
Hinge	Bending at the hips with a relatively upright shin
Squat pattern	Bending at hips and knees together
Unilateral	Single limb, like a split squat
Bilateral	Both limbs together, like a back squat
Range of motion	The distance travelled during a rep
Lockout	The final, fully extended portion of a lift

Set techniques

Term	Definition
Superset	Two exercises performed back to back
Drop set	Reducing weight and continuing after failure
Rest pause	Brief rests within a single extended set
Cluster set	A set broken into mini-sets with short rests
Pyramid	Ascending or descending weight across sets
Back-off set	A lighter set after a heavy top set
Tempo	Prescribed speed for each phase of a rep
Partial rep	A rep through a reduced range of motion

Common Mistakes

Confusion	Clarification
Volume means total weight lifted	In practice, hard sets per muscle per week is more useful
Intensity means how hard it feels	It means load relative to your max
Failure means you gave up	It means another rep was genuinely impossible
Hypertrophy is a type of training	It is an outcome, achievable through several approaches

Frequently Asked Questions

What does AMRAP mean?

As many reps as possible. Usually applied to the final set of an exercise, taken close to or at failure.

What is the difference between RPE and RIR?

They are the same scale inverted. RPE 8 corresponds to 2 reps in reserve, RPE 9 to 1, RPE 10 to none.

What does compound mean?

An exercise that moves more than one joint and trains several muscle groups at once, such as a squat, deadlift or bench press.

What is a working set?

A set performed at your target training weight, as opposed to a warm up or ramp up set.