| ACTIN |
One of the two main contractile proteins in a muscle fiber. |
| ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATASE (ATPase) |
The enzyme involved in the splitting of ATP and the release of energy. |
| ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE (ATP) |
A chemical compound that breaks down to release the energy responsible for muscle contraction. |
| AEROBIC |
Energy created with oxygen, or in the presence of oxygen. |
| AEROBIC LAYOFF |
A state of aerobic exercise inactivity causing an average decline of 25% conditioning during the first month, followed by continued gradual diminishment. |
| AEROBIC MAINTENANCE |
The retaining of a level of cardiovascular fitness without progress; usually accomplished by repeating an exercise plan without progression on a twice weekly basis. |
| AEROBIC SELF TEST |
Any standardized procedure for determining an individual's maximum oxygen uptake per kilo of body weight. |
| AEROBIC STEADY STATE |
A level of metabolism when the oxygen consumption satisfies the energy expenditure and the heart rate required for oxygen transport stabilizes. |
| ANAEROBIC |
Energy created without oxygen, or in the absence of oxygen. |
| ANAEROBIC GLYCOLYSIS |
The breakdown of carbohydrate (sugar) in the absence of oxygen; one of the major methods of producing energy in muscle fibers. |
| ANAEROBIC LAYOFF |
A state of anaerobic exercise inactivity causing an average decline of 20% of muscle strength and endurance during the first month, followed by continued gradual diminishment. |
| ANAEROBIC MAINTENANCE |
The retaining of a level of physical strength and endurance without progress; usually accomplished by repeating anexercise plan without progression once weekly. |
| ANAEROBIC SELF TEST |
Any standardized procedure for determining an individual's isometric or isotonic muscle strength. |
| ATROPHY |
A decrease in the overall size of an organic tissue. |
| BALLISTIC |
With a movement. |
| BLOOD PRESSURE |
The pressure of the blood in the blood vessels; usually refering to arterial blood pressure divided into diastolic (the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats) and systolic
(the pressure when the heart is contracting). |
| BLOOD SHUNT |
The reduction of the blood volume in the body organs and its movement to the working skeletal muscles. |
| BODY COMPOSITION |
The whole of the body measured by the percentage of weight ratio of one part to another (body fat to lean muscle mass, ect.). |
| BODY FAT |
The total amount of fat in the body. |
| BODY FAT TESTING |
A scientific method used to measure body fat as compared to lean tissue; skin calipers, hydrostatic weighing, girth measurement, electrical impedence, ultrasound. |
| BODYBUILD |
A sport or fitness activity with emphasis on muscle development, proportion, and size. |
| CALORIE |
A measure of heat; usually a large calorie (kilocalorie, KC, or C) which is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree Celsius. |
| CAPILLARIES |
The smallest blood vessels where oxygen, foods, and hormones enter the cells and carbon dioxide and wastes are removed. |
| CARBOHYDRATE |
A group of compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; comprising all the sugars (glucose, glycogen, starch, fiber, cellulose, and saccharides). |
| CENTER OF GRAVITY |
The point of intersection of the three primary planes ofthe body; the exact center of the body. |
| CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM |
The brain and spinal cord. |
| CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENT |
The measurement of changes in muscle size and body proportion with the use of a tape measure. |
| CONCENTRIC |
A contraction that involves the shortening of a muscle. |
| CONNECTIVE TISSUE |
The supporting and connecting structures of the body. |
| COOL-DOWN |
A gradual reduction of activity after vigorous exercise for the purpose of reducing the heart rate back to aresting level, the dissipation of heat, the maintenance of blood flow
, and the recovery of the muscles. |
| COORDINATION |
The act of various muscles working together in a smooth concerted way; correct and precise timing of muscle contractions. |
| CORE TEMPERATURE |
The temperature of the deep tissues of the body. |
| CRAMP |
An involuntary, spasmodic, painful contraction of a muscle or muscles caused by a strain, heat, and/or electrolyte loss. |
| CREATINE PHOSPHATE |
A molecule in muscle fibers that breaks down to liberate energy for the construction of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). |
| CROSS BRIDGE |
Projections of myosin (protein) that form links with actin filaments (protein) and pull them forward causing a contraction. |
| DEHYDRATING |
The reduction of the body water to below the normal level; water output exceeds water intake. |
| DURATION |
The amount of time spent exercising in the aerobic state during each exercise session. |
| ECCENTRIC |
A contraction that involves the lengthening of a muscle. |
| ELECTROLYTES |
A solution that contains ions and can conduct electricity; often the ions of salts such as sodium and chloride. |
| ENDORPHINS |
A brain chemical that eases or suppresses pain. |
| ENDURANCE-STRENGTH |
The ability of a muscle to produce prolonged effort. |
| ENZYME |
A protein that promotes the chemical processes occurring in living tissue without itself being altered or destroyed. |
| FAST-SLOW-TWITCH FIBER |
A striped type of muscle fiber that exhibits both slow fatigue and quick fatigue characteristics depending on the demands placed upon it. |
| FAST-TWITCH FIBER |
One of the two major types of muscle fiber that contracts and fatigues quickly and relies mainly on anaerobic energy. |
| FAT |
Triglycerides; a combination, or ester of three fatty acids and glycerol. |
| FAT PATTERNING |
The deposition of fat in specific areas of the human body,such as the stomach, thighs, or hips. |
| FATIGUE |
A generalized or specific feeling of tiredness that may have a multitude of causes both mental and physical. |
| FATTY ACID |
One of the building blocks of fats; used as fuel for muscle contraction. |
| FLEXIBILITY |
That property of muscles and connective tissue which allows full range of motion. |
| FORM AND FUNCTION |
The way in which an object does something as defined by it's shape. |
| FREQUENCY |
The number of times in a day or a week spent in aerobic exercise. |
| FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY |
A quantified comparison of cardiovascular ability by percentage of expected maximum capacity as modified for age, gender and body weight. |
| GLUCOSE |
The most common sugar and the main fuel for muscle
contraction. |
| GLUCOSE SPARING |
The preference of muscle fibers for fatty acids as fuel rather than glycogen or glucose. |
| GLYCOGEN |
A carbohydrate of several glucose molecules; the main form of glucose storage in the body. |
| HEART ARRHYTHMIA |
An irregular rhythm or beat of the heart. |
| HEAT EXHAUSTION |
Weakness or dizziness caused by overexertion in a hot environment. |
| HEAT STROKE |
Elevated body temperature of 106 degrees F. or greater caused by exposure to excessive heat, creating increased internal heat production combined with diminished heat loss.
|
| HUMIDITY |
A high level of dampness or moisture in the air. |
| HYDROSTATIC WEIGHING |
A scientific method for determining body composition that uses Archimedes Principal of water displacement; the difference between body weight measured on land and in a tank of
water. |
| HYPERHYDRATE |
The practice of increasing the body-water stores by additional fluid consumption prior to intensive prolonged aerobic exercise in a hot environment. |
| HYPERTROPHY |
An increase in the overall size of a tissue. |
| HYPERVENTILATE |
A rapid series of quick, deep, and forceful breathes causing over oxygenation of the blood with accompanying dizzyness or light headedness. |
| INTENSITY |
The relative heart rate, speed, or level of exertion expressed as a percentage of the maximum allowable. |
| ISOMETRIC |
A contraction in which muscle tension increases, but the muscle does not shorten because it does not overcome the resistance. |
| ISOTONIC |
A contraction in which muscle tension increases, and the muscle shortens (sliding filament theory) as it overcomes the resistance. |
| JOINT |
A place where bones meet and are connected by ligament to each other and by tendons to the muscle. |
| KILOGRAM METER (KGM) |
A measure of work whereby one kilogram of weight is moved through a distance of one meter. |
| LACTIC ACID |
A product of glucose and glycogen metabolism, which insufficient concentration causes fatigue. |
| LEAN TISSUE |
The body weight minus the body fat, composed mainly of muscle, bone, and other nonfat tissue. |
| LEVERAGE |
The movement of resistance by rotation about a fixed axis or fulcrum, which lifts or sustains the resistance at one point by means of applied force at the second point. |
| LIPID |
A class of fats or fat like substances characterized by their insolubility in water and solubility in fat solvents, fatty acids, phospholipids, and cholesterol are important lipids in
the body. |
| MACRO CYCLE |
The alternating of a four to six week high intensity microcycle followed by a four to six week low intensity microcycle into a single unit. |
| MASS |
That property of a body to which its inertia is ascribed, being a measure of its acceleration upon application of a given force. |
| MAXIMUM HEART RATE |
The maximum rate of heart beats per minute acceptable relative to age. |
| MAXIMUM INTENSITY |
The maximum exertion level acceptable for an individual during exercise. |
| METABOLISM |
The sum total of all physical and chemical processes occuring in the body. |
| METs |
A measurement unit of energy expenditure; one MET equals approximately 3.5 milligrams of oxygen consumed per minute per kilogram of body weight. |
| MICRO CYCLE |
A high or low intensity exercising period lasting four to six weeks for the purpose of developing muscle size and/or muscle density. |
| MITOCHONDRIA |
One of the many small sacs inside the muscle fibers containing enzymes that help convert food to energy. |
| MUSCLE |
A tissue consisting of elongated fibers which contract on stimulation and produce bodily motion. |
| MUSCLE FIBER DENSITY |
The amount of muscle fibers compacted into a given volume of muscle tissue. |
| MUSCLE TONE |
Muscle firmness in the absence of a voluntary contraction. |
| MYOFIBRIL |
One of many fibrils consisting mainly of protein that filla muscle fiber. |
| MYOSIN |
One of the two main contractile proteins in a muscle fiber. |
| NEUROLOGICAL SYSTEM |
The total biological interaction necessary to transmit an electrical impulse from the brain to another part of the body and then return a feedback responce to the brain. |
| NEUROTRANSMITTER |
A chemical that spills across the synoptic gap between neurons, transmitting an electrical impulse. |
| NUTRIENT |
Substances found in food that provide energy, promote growth and repair of tissues, and regulate metabolism. |
| OBESITY |
An excessive accumulation of body fat; usually reserved for those individuals who are 20-30 percent or more above the average weight for their size. |
| OVERTRAIN |
A state in which the body's ability to recover and re-energize itself is diminished to the point of long term exhaustion. |
| PERIODIZATION |
The organizing of a long term physical peak on a specific predetermined date; usually accomplished by taking the peak date and figuering the micro cycles back to a starting point.
|
| PHYSICAL CAPACITY TESTING |
Any one of a complex of scientific tests used to measure the body's ability to perform maximum activity; strengthtests, cardiac stress tests, flexibility tests, lung function
tests. |
| PHYSIOLOGY |
The science dealing with the normal functions of living animal organisms or their organs. |
| PLATEAU |
A time or area in development when neither progress nor decline takes place. |
| POINT OF DIMINISHED RETURN |
The point where the advancement of muscle development decreases in proportion to the amount of effort required for continued improvement. |
| POWER-STRENGTH |
The amount of work accomplished by a muscle relative to the duration of the effort (work divided by time). |
| POWERLIFT |
A competitive sport in which the winner is selected by lifting the most weight resistance one time in the bench press, squat, and deadlift exercises. |
| PROGRESSIVE RESISTANCE |
A program in which the amount of resistance is regularly increased as the muscles gain in strength; maintaining continual overload. |
| PROTEIN |
Any one of a group of complex organic compounds containing nitrogen; formed from various combinations of amino acids. |
| PYRUVIC ACID |
The chemical precursor of lactic acid. |
| RANGE OF MOTION |
The amount of movement that can occur in a joint expressed in degrees. |
| RATE OF PERCEIVED EXERTION |
A subjective rating on a numerical scale, used to express the perceived difficulty of a given work task. |
| RATE OF PROGRESS |
An anticipated amount of improvement over time based upon fitness level and experience level. |
| REPETITION |
A single complete movement of an exercise. |
| RESISTANCE |
Any opposing force (mass, air pressure, ect.) which causes a muscle to tense or shorten in an effort to overcome it. |
| SEDENTARY |
Accustom to sitting; inactive. |
| SET |
A fixed number of repetitions. |
| SKELETAL MUSCLE |
The most prevalent type of muscle in the body; usually anchored to bone to carry out voluntary movement. |
| SKELETAL MUSCLE FIBER |
Cylindrical, multinucleated cells with contractile threads that shorten when stimulated. |
| SKIN CALIPERS |
A clamping device with marked measurements and a constant spring pressure used to determine body fat percentage by the thickness of skin folds and scientific formulas. |
| SLIDING FILAMENT THEORY |
The leading theory of muscle contraction holding that protein filaments in muscle fibers slide past each other when a muscle contracts. |
| SLOW-TWITCH FIBER |
One of the two major types of skeletal muscle fiber; it contracts and fatigues slowly and relies mainly on aerobic energy. |
| SPECIFICITY |
The choice of an exercise style for a single overall purpose. |
| SPEED-STRENGTH |
The short term explosive power of a muscle, dependant upon the density, size, and quickness of muscle fiber recruitment. |
| SPOTTER |
One or more individuals that aid in the saftey, positioning, and performance of a weight resistance exercise. |
| STAIRCASE EFFECT |
A condition in which a succession of individual muscle twitches produce greater and greater degrees of contraction. |
| STATIC |
Without any movement. |
| STICKING POINT |
The area in a range of motion where the resistance is furthest away from the center of gravity. |
| STROKE VOLUME |
The amount of blood ejected by a ventricle of the heart with one beat. |
| TARGET HEART RATE |
The precise amount of heart beats per minute appropriate for aerobic conditioning based on age, gender, body weight, and VO2 max. |
| TESTOSTERONE |
Male growth hormone responsible for muscle growth and masculine characteristics (facial hair, deep voice, aggressiveness, ect.). |
| TRAINING HEART RATE |
The minimum heart rate required to produce an aerobic steady state. |
| TRAINING HEART RATE RANGE |
The range of heart beats per minute appropriate for aerobic conditioning based on age, gender, body weight, and VO2 max. |
| TROPOMYOSIN |
A long threadlike protein that circles actin filaments and covers binding sites receptive to myosin cross bridges. |
| TROPONIN |
A protein that works with calcium when muscle fiber is stimulated, helping to set the contractile mechanism into action. |
| TWITCH |
A simple muscle contraction lasting only a fraction of a second. |
| VARIATION |
The use of alternating similar exercises on a monthly bases. |
| VO2 MAX |
The maximum oxygen uptake; measured during exercise and expressed in kilograms per minute. |
| WARM-UP |
Low-level exercises used to increase the muscle temperature and/or stretch the muscles prior to strenuous activity. |
| WATT |
A unit of power equal to about 6 kilogram-meters per minute. |
| WEIGHTLIFT |
A competitive athletic sport in which the winner is selected by lifting the most weight resistance one time in the snatch and clean with jerk exercises. |
| WORK |
Effort expended to accomplish something (force times distance). |
| WORKLOAD |
The total of resistance as measured by time and/or effort into days, weeks, or months. |
