Glossary: Training Terms
Every training term you will meet in a programme or a gym conversation, defined in plain English.
Last updated: 1 July 2026
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.
Sources
National Strength and Conditioning Association - https://www.nsca.com/
American College of Sports Medicine - https://acsm.org/