Bodybuilding Glossary

Intensity: Intensity has two definitions in the weight-training world. (1) Relative term that indicates the level of effort exerted during the performance of an exercise. (2) In the strength training circles, intensity refers to the amount of weight being used on a specific exercise.

Insulin: Hormone secreted by the pancreas responsible for carbohydrate metabolism. This hormone determines if the carbohydrates are to be used for energy, for storage inside the muscle cells as glycogen, or for converting and storing the carbohydrates as fats when they are found in excess in the bloodstream.

Isolation Exercises: Exercise movements that are generally single jointed and serve to isolate a single area of the body. Examples of such are dumbbell flyes, concentration curls, triceps kickbacks, leg extensions, and leg curls.

Lactic Acid: Byproduct created by a lack of oxygen flow to the working muscles. Lactic acid is created by anaerobic activities such as weight training exercises. It is believed that its presence causes a surge in growth hormone levels.

Macronutrient: One of the three major nutrients that the body needs for survival. These nutrients are carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Metabolism: The rate at which the body utilizes calories and nutrients in order to sustain its daily activities.

Minerals: Minerals are inorganic compounds (not produced by animals or vegetables) whose main function is to assure that your brain receives the correct signals from the body, as well as to ensure balance of fluids, make muscular contractions possible and allow energy production, as well as the building of muscle and bones. There are two types of minerals: bulk and trace minerals.

Modified Compound Superset: In a modified compound set, you pair exercises for opposing muscle groups or for opposing muscle movements (e.g. Push vs. Pull). First you perform one exercise, rest the recommended amount of seconds and then perform the second exercise (for instance, first do biceps, rest, then do triceps). You then rest the prescribed amount of time again and go back to the first exercise. Using this technique of pairing exercises in a modified superset fashion not only saves time and keeps the body warm, but also allows for faster recovery of the nervous system between sets. This will allow the person to lift heavier weights than possible if he just stayed idle for 2-3 minutes waiting to recover.

Monounsaturated Fats: Fats that have a positive effect on the good cholesterol levels. These fats are usually high in the essential fatty acids and may have antioxidant properties. Sources of these fats are fish oils, virgin olive oil, canola oil, and flaxseed oil.

Muscle Failure: Point during the exercise at which it becomes impossible to perform another repetition in good form. This point is reached due to the lack of oxygen reaching the working muscles and the increased levels of lactic acid.

Neutral Grip: a grip on a parallel bar that allows your palms to be facing each other. In this grip, your thumbs are pointing up. For example, a low pulley row with the traditional V-bar is an exercise that uses a neutral grip. Chest dips on parallel bars also use a neutral grip.

Overtraining: Condition caused by an excess of volume in a training routine that leads to muscle loss, strength loss and fat accumulation. Symptoms include depression, insomnia, lethargy and lack of energy.

Polyunsaturated Fats: Fats that do not have an effect in cholesterol levels. Most of the fats in vegetable oils, such as corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oil are polyunsaturated.

Pronated Grip: a grip on the bar when your palms are facing down and away from you. In this grip your thumbs are pointing inwards to each other. For example, a close grip pulldown to front is an exercise that uses a pronated grip.

Protein: Every tissue in your body is made from protein (i.e. muscle, hair, skin, nails). Proteins are the building blocks of muscle tissue. This macronutrient can be found in poultry, meats, and dairy products.

Note: This glossary is an excerpt from my book The Hardgainer's Bodybuilding Handbook