These are your new terms. We have organized for you all the terms you need to know in one convenient place. This is your place to better understand the world of professional fitness, and not be overwhelmed by terms you are unfamiliar with.

terms from the field of training:

Overtraining

is characterized by the following symptoms:

• muscle weakness and a decrease in the maximum quality of work in training. Decreased mechanical efficiency in exercise.
• Decreased “lactic acid threshold” (the stage where lactic acid is formed occurs earlier than usual or when training intensity is relatively low). 
• Difficulty recovering after a workout.
• Increased sweating.
• Increased heart rate and blood pressure at rest.
• Decreased appetite and weight.
• Predisposition to infectious diseases.
• Menstrual Disorder in Athletes.
• Sleep disturbance and chronic fatigue.
• Decreased motivation to exercise and self-esteem.

Training curve 

curve should depend on your goals. In a good and invested training program, every 3-4 weeks there should be a decrease in the load and intensity of the training. When during the 3-4 weeks before the load decrease there should be construction and an increase in the training load.

Specific training

fitness is a fitness designed for a particular sport. Although long-distance running and long-distance swimming work on the aerobic processes body’s, there is still a fundamental difference. A runner and swimmer who swim the same distance, will not reach the same results, and vice versa.

It is true that running can benefit the aerobic fitness of an athlete in a particular sport but aerobic fitness related to the sport of that athlete will yield better results.

For example in tennis, 50 repetitions of hitting from side to side at a slow pace will work on the tennis player’s aerobic ability in a better way, and more efficient than regular running.

Specific training 

training is basically training focused on the goal of the trainee.

Just as a runner will not train on a bicycle, and a football player will not train in tennis, the same is true for the gym. Those who want a bigger breast or a more shapely butt will not work on the twin muscle. While these examples are extreme, it is not uncommon to see athletes investing in non-goal-oriented training.

Active warm up

Warm up aimed at increasing the metabolic rate in the body, and putting the body in a state of readiness. This is done by heating the body’s large muscle systems, proactively, with the help of activity and movement.

An example of active warm up would be low-intensity exercise, until you reach a state of mild sweating.

Specific warm up-

The body warms up with movements that are going to be performed during the workout, but in a slow and controlled manner. For example, repeating a hitting move for a tennis players, or a kick in footballers. 

Passive warm up

Heating the body by raising its temperature passively, for example in a sauna.

The disadvantage of this method is that such heating will flow the blood more towards the skin, rather than the muscles. Therefore such a warm up is not recommended for athletes.

Super set

A set that combines unites exercises ( 2 or more) that work on the same muscle.

For example, a combination of several abdominal exercises without rest (compared to rest after each exercise separately).

Dynamic Stretching 

Dynamic stretching is a stretch that activates a number of different muscles and uses the momentum of the body and the creation of muscular strength, in order to move the joint throughout the range of motion. During muscle activation, the muscle group opposite it is stretched.

An example of dynamic stretching is swinging the legs back and forth.

Static stretching

A motionless stretch, in which you enter and stay in the stretching position. It is recommended to enter slowly and gradually for stretching, and within 10 seconds to reach the maximum range. After about 15 seconds it will usually be possible to reach a deeper stretch.

Biological age

Biological age is the “physical” age of the body. For example two 14-year-olds one tall and muscular, and the other not yet developed. Both are in the same chronological age group, but not in the same biological age group.

Pulse / Pulse Maximum

contraction and dilation of the artery during blood flow. With the help of the pulse, the heart rate can be counted.

Pulse is, among other things, a measure of physical fitness, and can shed light on what is happening inside the body. The average pulse ranges from 60-100. In high-level athletes the heart rate will usually be even below 50, and in people who do not exercise it is above 70. Heart rate is measured at rest, with a preference for measurement immediately after a night’s sleep.

Maximum heart rate is the maximum number of heartbeats per minute that a heart can reach.

The formula for calculating your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age. That is, over the years the maximum number of heartbeats you can reach decreases. For example, at age 23 the maximum heart rate will be 197.

When trying to improve aerobic fitness, and build a strong aerobic base, the heart rate should remain relatively low, in the range of 100 – 140 beats per minute. A good test that the pulse is not too high is whether you are able to speak during the activity.

Terms from the field of energy:

Lactic acid 

Lactic acid is a substance that accumulates in the muscles during intense efforts, and causes a feeling of burning in the muscles.

Aerobic Pathway

A track where there is oxygen involvement allows for relatively low intensity activity over time. The reason for the low intensity is the fact that the energy production cycle in aerobic activity is longer than in the anaerobic pathways. This pathway is relevant to activity over time due to the fact that this pathway has a very good energy production capacity from the breakdown of carbohydrates fats and proteins.

Lactic anaerobic pathway

activity An activity in which the body uses a glucose molecule to produce ATP. At the end of the process, because this pathway does not involve oxygen, lactic acid is formed (in animals only). 

In plants, ethanol known as ‘alcohol’ will be formed.

Anaerobic alactic

Very intense activity in the range of up to 10 seconds, in which the muscles use ATP that is already in the muscle (oxygen is not involved in the process).

No lactic acid is formed in this activity.

An example of this activity is a 100-meter sprint run.

Lactic anaerobic

The lactic anaerobic process takes place together with the glycolysis process. A by-product of this process is lactic acid. The lactic anaerobic process occurs at very high intensities, and when no oxygen is involved in the process lactic acid is formed. This process is the main process in a high-intensity activity, between 10 seconds and 2 minutes of activity.

Terms from the field of injuries:

Overload

Overload injuries are injuries that are caused at once, and are accompanied by pain.

An example of this type of injury is a broken leg.

Overuse

Injuries Overuse are injuries caused by repetitive motion, which causes wear and tear of the injured area.

Examples of this type of injury are the pinch syndrome for swimmers, and shin – split for runners.

Terms from the field of anatomy:

Bone

bone is hard tissue, which is a major part of the human skeleton, and gives it its shape. The bones participate in supporting, moving, protecting, and producing blood cells in the body. Bone is a hard but lightweight tissue.

A ligment

of slightly elastic connective tissue that connects the bones and joints. The function of the straps is to stabilize the joint. Some restrict movement in the joint or prevent certain movement altogether.

Muscle

muscle is a tissue in the body that can contract and shorten, relax and lengthen. Muscles are the ones that allow us to move, and give us the ability to lift or lower things, climb, and crawl.

But, our muscles would not be worth anything without the nervous system, which transmits to them exactly what to do through the brain.

Atendon

fibrous tissue that connects the muscle to the bone at the connection points. The tendons have few blood vessels and therefore usually the tendon will not regenerate on its own. A torn tendon requires medical suturing.

muscle fibers

Manyprobably think that our muscle is homogeneous and made entirely of the same material.

In fact, we can find three different types of muscle fibers, each of which has a different function and structure.

• Slow red fibers – These are fibers that are red in color and shrink slowly, and do not tire quickly due to their ability to constantly produce energy.
• Fast red fibers – They utilize energy at a higher rate than the slow red fibers, so they are used for more intense activity. These fibers are mainly used by athletic athletes (short-distance runners for example), and less in everyday use.
• White fibers – know how to produce energy without oxygen (anaerobic) and be used for very intense activities, for short periods. They participate in sprint processes, long jump, and other processes that require explosive power.

Terms from the field of nutrition:

Carbohydrate

The most available source of energy, the body’s fuel. There are “simple” carbohydrates, carbohydrates that break down in our body quickly and are an instant energy. And there are “complex” carbohydrates. These are carbohydrates that are broken down in our body more slowly and give energy not immediately but over time.

Fats

are essential for the activity of various systems in the body, such as the nervous system, as well as for the formation of cell membranes and cell organelles in the body. We will differentiate between two types of fats: 

• Fats of vegetable origin (usually liquids at room temperature) – examples of these fats are olive oil, avocado and various nuts.
• Animal fats (usually solids at room temperature) – Examples of these fats are meat fat (entrecote for example), and milk fat (for example in cheeses).

Of course there are exceptions. For example, fish oil (omega 3) which comes from animals but is highly recommended for consumption, and hardened palm oil, which of course comes from plants, and yet it should be avoided.

Protein

Protein is one of the three nutrients that are essential for the proper functioning of the body. Protein is a key building block for a large number of tissues in the body such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc.

Glycemic index

The glycemic index is a measure of the increase in blood glucose levels as a result of eating various foods.

A high glycemic value indicates immediate breakdown of food, and an immediate and rapid rise in blood glucose and insulin levels. Respectively, low glycemic value indicates a slow breakdown of food, resulting in lower insulin secretion, and better control of blood sugar over time.

Caloric Balance 

The total calories a person consumes per day, relative to the amount of calories he or she consumes per day.

If for example, you consume 2000 calories a day and you burn 1500 calories a day, you are in a positive calorie balance. If you consume 2000 calories a day and you burn 2500 calories a day, you are in a negative calorie balance.

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