I realized a big problem I had last week while working out to my review subscription to Crunch Live: I had no idea what the fitness class instructor was talking about! What on earth is a glut and how can I find it? If you’ve found yourself challenged by fitness terminology that stalls you in the middle of a workout, you know what I mean. And that stall out can lead to dropping the whole thing altogether.
I’ve created a cheat sheet so you can do your fitness class online without any confusion:
Top Fitness Terms You Should Know:
- Glutes: Ok this is a fancy word for your butt. It’s actually short for “gluteal muscles” and it covers you rear end through to the sides of your thighs. Fun facts from Wikipedia: Your ass it the largest of the gluteal muscles and the strongest, so you’d do well to work it out in my routine. You’re welcome!
- Abs: In case you don’t know this one, abs is short for abdominal muscles, as in your stomach – you know, where my future 6-pack will be! (Good luck to me on that one, LOL.) To improve this, you need to workout your core.
- Obliques: These tough-to-trim muscles are located on the outside of your abs, just above your hip and pelvis. You often need to be on your side to do exercises that affect them. An unfit oblique leads to back and side flab. (I know nothing about that, nothing! Stop looking at my side handles!!)
- Hamstrings: These are the muscles behind your knee and you need to be careful not to pull them! This is one reason why stretching is so important.
- Triceps: The muscles in back of your upper arms. You know, the ones that HURT MORE when you work out your arms.
- Biceps: These are the ones in the front of your arms, less painful to work out unless, of course, you want Popeye arms 😉 So this is the “bump” you show off.
- Core: This can be so many things, but most workout places stress that your core contains your abs, your back muscles, your obliques, pelvis and hips. I’ve even heard it called, “everything but your arms and legs.” A strong core is important for balance, walking properly and stability for your spine. This Harvard article list 7 real world benefits of a strong core, including just basic physical activities.
I’d love some feedback if this workout program has helped you or if you’ve had any problems with it. Just comment below and I’ll answer anything I can!
