The last episode of the Gym Lingo Series; The Moves. You usually overhear certain terms at the gym that would either sounds funny or not make sense at all. Familiarize yourself with those terms so the next time you’re conversing about the gym, the lead will be yours. Let’s take a look at some of those moves:
The Moves
Bench Press: C’mon! who doesn’t know this one? It’s an all-time upper body favorite. A compound movement that is used to strengthen the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Weights could get heavy on this one, so a spotter is strongly advised.
Burpee: There is nothing rude about letting out a few of these at the gym. It’s a full-body movement that involves adding a “squat thrust” (pushup in the down position), and finishing off the movement with a vertical jump.
Clean & Jerk: A highly-technical Olympic weightlifting move. It’s an explosive two-stage movement that begins by “cleaning” the weight from the floor to shoulders, and then “jerking” it overhead with a solid push from the legs.
Deadlift: Not as scary as it sounds, this movement involves picking a loaded barbell off the floor. Not any type of random picking; your deadlifting form has to be on point. You can checkout the detailed rundown of the form by the legendary strength coach Mark Rippetoe from here.
Dips: While many prefer dips with chips, this athletic version involves both hands. It is usually a movement that involves holding onto two parallel bars, and “dipping” in between them. Two grip variations to hit two muscles: narrow for chest, and wide for triceps.
Military Press: If you’re looking for some serious overhead strength, this is the right movement. From a standing position, with an overhand grip, press the barbell upward until arms are fully extended overhead. Make sure you move your head forward when your arms are fully extended and squeeze those traps to achieve the fully benefit.
Planks: Jack Sparrow’s absolute favorite, this core-stabilizing exercise keeps us on our toes and forearms while working the abs, lower back, and obliques.
Pull-ups: Nope, they are not the “potty training” version. This beastly movement involves hanging off a bar and pulling yourself up using an overhand grip until your face clears the bar, repeatedly.
Chin-ups: The cousins of pull-ups. The movement involves pulling yourself off a bar using an underhand grip.
Skullcrushers: No worries, relatively few skulls have actually been crushed during this dynamic triceps movement. It involves brining a barbell (or dumbbell) within inches of the forehead, while laying down on a bench. A spotter is definitely advised for this one!
Snatch: Arguably, the most technical movement in strength sports. The snatch involves lifting a barbell from the floor to a locked arms overhead position in a smooth, continuous motion. A combination of strength, speed, and precision is needed for this Olympic weightlifting movement.
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