Nishaana
Training terms.
The core training principles — progressive overload, volume, intensity, frequency and the concepts that drive every good program.
103 terms defined
Accommodating Resistance
Using bands or chains to vary resistance through the range of motion.
Active Recovery
Light movement on rest days to promote blood flow and recovery.
Aerobic Exercise
Sustained exercise fueled by oxygen, like running, cycling, or swimming.
AMRAP
As Many Reps (or Rounds) As Possible within a set time or until failure.
Anaerobic Exercise
High-intensity exercise that relies on energy produced without oxygen.
Autoregulation
Adjusting training daily based on how you feel and perform.
Back-Off Set
A lighter set done after heavy work to add extra volume.
Barbell Row
A bent-over pull that builds the upper and mid back.
Bicep Curl
An isolation exercise bending the elbow to work the biceps.
Block Periodization
Training in focused blocks that each emphasize one quality like strength or power.
Bro Split
A split training one muscle group per day across the week.
Cable Machine
A pulley system allowing constant-tension resistance from many angles.
Calf Raise
Rising onto the toes to work the calf muscles.
Cardio
Aerobic exercise that raises heart rate to improve cardiovascular fitness.
Circuit Training
Moving through a series of exercises with minimal rest to keep intensity high.
Cluster Set
A set broken into mini-sets with brief intra-set rest to handle heavier loads.
Compound Set
Two exercises for the same muscle group performed back to back.
Concurrent Training
Combining strength and endurance training within the same program.
Conditioning
Training aimed at improving work capacity, endurance, and overall fitness.
Cool-Down
Gentle activity after exercise to gradually lower heart rate and aid recovery.
Deload
A planned lighter week of training to allow recovery and prevent overtraining.
Density Training
Doing more work in the same time, or the same work in less time, to boost intensity.
Detraining
The loss of fitness adaptations when training stops.
Drop Set
Continuing a set after failure by quickly reducing the weight and repping again.
EMOM
Every Minute On the Minute: starting a prescribed set of work at the top of each minute.
Face Pull
A cable pull to the face that strengthens the rear delts and upper back.
Failure (Training to Failure)
Continuing a set until you can no longer complete a rep with good form.
Fartlek
Unstructured speed play mixing fast and slow running segments.
Forced Reps
Extra reps completed past failure with help from a spotter.
Free Weights
Unfixed weights like dumbbells and barbells that require stabilization.
Full Range of Motion
Moving a joint through its complete available range during a rep.
Full-Body Workout
A session that trains all major muscle groups in one workout.
German Volume Training
A high-volume method using ten sets of ten reps on a main lift.
Giant Set
Four or more exercises performed in a row with little to no rest.
Grease the Groove
Practicing a lift frequently with submaximal effort to build skill and strength.
HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)
Alternating short bursts of intense effort with brief recovery periods.
Hip Thrust
A glute-focused exercise driving the hips up against a loaded barbell.
Hypertrophy
The growth of muscle fibers in size, typically achieved through resistance training and adequate protein.
Isometric Hold
Holding a static position under tension without moving the joint.
Junk Volume
Extra sets that add fatigue without contributing to further gains.
Lat Pulldown
A machine pull that targets the back by pulling a bar down to the chest.
Lateral Raise
Raising the arms out to the sides to target the side delts.
Leg Day
A workout dedicated to training the lower body.
Leg Press
A machine exercise pressing weight away with the legs while seated.
Linear Periodization
Gradually increasing intensity while decreasing volume over a training cycle.
LISS (Low-Intensity Steady State)
Sustained low-intensity cardio held at a steady pace for a longer duration.
Lunge
A single-leg exercise stepping forward or back and bending both knees.
Macrocycle
The full long-term training plan, often spanning months to a year.
Maintenance Volume
The minimum training amount needed to keep current muscle and strength.
Mesocycle
A medium training block, usually 3-6 weeks, focused on a specific goal.
Microcycle
A short training cycle, typically one week of programming.
Mind-Muscle Connection
Consciously focusing on the working muscle to improve its activation during a lift.
Myo-Reps
A rest-pause style technique using one activation set followed by short clusters near failure.
Negative Reps
Emphasizing the lowering phase of a lift, often with heavier-than-max loads.
One-Rep Max (1RM)
The maximum weight you can lift for a single repetition of an exercise.
Overhead Press
Pressing a barbell or dumbbells from the shoulders to overhead.
Overreaching
Short-term overtraining that can boost gains if followed by recovery.
Overtraining
A state of excessive training and poor recovery that hurts performance.
Partial Reps
Reps performed through only part of the full range of motion.
Periodization
Organizing training into planned phases to peak performance and manage fatigue.
Plank
An isometric core hold supporting the body on forearms and toes.
Post-Exhaustion
Following a compound lift with an isolation move to fully fatigue the muscle.
Pre-Exhaustion
Fatiguing a muscle with an isolation move before a compound exercise.
Progressive Overload
Gradually increasing weight, reps, or volume over time to keep forcing muscles to adapt and grow stronger.
Pull Day
A workout focused on pulling muscles like the back and biceps.
Push Day
A workout focused on pushing muscles like the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Push-Pull-Legs (PPL)
A split dividing workouts into pushing, pulling, and leg-focused days.
Pyramid Set
Gradually increasing weight while decreasing reps across successive sets.
Range of Motion (ROM)
The full distance a joint or muscle moves during an exercise.
Rep Range
The number of repetitions performed per set, often tied to goals like strength, size, or endurance.
Repeated Bout Effect
Reduced muscle soreness after repeating a workout your body has adapted to.
Repetition (Rep)
One complete movement of an exercise, such as lowering and raising a weight once.
Reps in Reserve (RIR)
An estimate of how many more reps you could do before reaching failure.
Resistance Training
Any training that makes muscles work against an external force such as weights, bands, or body weight.
Rest-Pause
Taking short pauses within a set to squeeze out extra reps past failure.
Romanian Deadlift
A hip-hinge deadlift variation that keeps tension on the hamstrings and glutes.
RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion)
A 1-10 scale rating how hard a set or workout feels.
Set
A group of consecutive repetitions performed before resting.
Specificity
The principle that training adaptations match the demands you place on the body.
Spotter
A person who assists and protects a lifter during heavy sets.
Steady State Cardio
Continuous cardio held at a constant moderate intensity.
Strength Training
Exercise using resistance to build muscular strength, power, and size.
Superset
Performing two exercises back to back with no rest in between.
Tabata
A HIIT protocol of 20 seconds work and 10 seconds rest for eight rounds.
Tempo Runs
Sustained runs at a comfortably hard pace to build aerobic threshold.
Tempo Training
Controlling the speed of each phase of a lift to increase time under tension.
Time Under Tension
The total time a muscle is working during a set, often manipulated for hypertrophy.
Top Set
The heaviest set of an exercise in a session.
Training Frequency
How often you train a muscle group or perform a workout within a week.
Training Intensity
How hard a set is, often expressed as a percentage of your one-rep max.
Training Split
The structure dividing which muscles or movements you train each day.
Training Volume
The total amount of work done, usually calculated as sets times reps times weight.
Tri-Set
Three exercises performed back to back without rest.
Tricep Extension
An isolation exercise straightening the elbow to work the triceps.
Undulating Periodization
Varying volume and intensity frequently, often within the same week.
Upper-Lower Split
A program alternating upper-body and lower-body training days.
Volume Landmarks
Guidelines like minimum, maximum, and optimal weekly sets per muscle.
Volume-Equated
Comparing programs that match total training volume to isolate other variables.
Warm-Up
Light activity before training to raise body temperature and prepare muscles.
Warm-Up Set
A lighter preparatory set done before heavier working sets.
Work Capacity
The total amount of work you can perform and recover from over time.
Working Set
A challenging set that counts toward your training goals, beyond warm-ups.
Workout Split
How you divide muscle groups or movements across your training week.
Common questions.
What does the training glossary cover?
The Nishaana training glossary defines 103 terms, including Accommodating Resistance, Active Recovery, Aerobic Exercise. Each entry leads with a plain, one-sentence definition, then a worked example with real numbers so you can apply it in the gym.
Are these training definitions free?
Yes. Every glossary definition is free and open — no signup, no paywall. When you are ready to apply a concept, Nishaana turns it into your actual training: it tracks it and auto-progresses your weights for you.
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