Gym lingo 101: 7 basic terms to know to avoid 'gymtimidation'

Ever overhear a conversation at the gym and think to yourself... I don't know WHAT you're talking about?

Not understanding gym-specific terms can make you feel some 'gymtimidation' -- as van der Westhuizen calls it, where you might feel overwhelmed or nervous hearing things you don't understand.

Understanding common gym terms might also help:

Boost self-confidence and comfort in a space like the gym, especially if you're new to it.
Enhance communication with trainers or people you train with.
Follow your workout accurately.
Reduce injuries by understanding proper form and technique so that you understand what's being asked of you.

Let's get to it, some common gym terms are:

Reps: short for repetitions, referring to the number of times you perform an exercise. For example, doing sit ups, 10 times.
Sets: a group of repetitions. For example, do 10 sit-ups, rest, then do another 10 sit-ups, rest, and finally do 10 more sit-ups.
Supersets: performing two exercises back-to-back without rest in between. For example, doing 10 sets of bicep curls followed by 10 sets of hammer curls.
DOMS: an acronym for: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness - it refers to the pain in muscles that can occur about 12 to 24 hours after a workout.
Isolation exercise: exercise that targets a single muscle group. For example: doing bicep curls to focus on biceps.
Compound exercise: Opposite of isolation exercise because it engages multiple muscle groups. For example: squats, dead lifts.
PR: another acronym for Personal Record: the best performance you achieve in a specific exercise.

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation.