Fitness and Exercise Abbreviations
35 abbreviations · part of Sports Abbreviations
Abbreviations used in gyms, training programs, fitness apps and nutrition plans: workout formats such as HIIT, AMRAP and EMOM, strength-training terms such as 1RM and RPE, equipment shorthand, and energy-balance measures such as BMR and TDEE. They appear in workout logs, CrossFit whiteboards, coaching templates and wearable dashboards. Medical terms are explained only in their fitness sense; health concerns should be discussed with a qualified professional.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1RM | One-rep max | Heaviest weight a person can lift for a single complete repetition of an exercise with proper form. |
| AMRAP | As many reps as possible | Workout format in which athletes complete as many repetitions or rounds of a set circuit as they can within a fixed time. |
| BB | Barbell | Long bar loaded with weight plates on each end and lifted with both hands, used for squats, deadlifts, bench presses and Olympic lifts. |
| BCAA | Branched-chain amino acids | Three essential amino acids, leucine, isoleucine and valine, sold as a supplement claimed to support muscle growth and reduce fatigue. |
| BMR | Basal metabolic rate | Energy a body uses at complete rest, after fasting, in a comfortable temperature, to keep organs functioning. |
| BW | Bodyweight | Exercise performed using only the body's own weight as resistance, such as push-ups, pull-ups and air squats, or a load expressed relative to body weight, as in "squat… |
| C&J | Clean and jerk | Olympic weightlifting movement in two parts: the clean lifts the bar from the floor to the shoulders, and the jerk drives it overhead. |
| DB | Dumbbell | Short, hand-held weight used one in each hand or singly, the most common free weight in gyms. |
| DOMS | Delayed-onset muscle soreness | Muscle pain and stiffness that appear 12 to 24 hours after unaccustomed or intense exercise and usually peak at 24 to 72 hours. |
| EAA | Essential amino acids | Nine amino acids the human body cannot make and must get from food: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. |
| EMOM | Every minute on the minute | Interval format in which an exercise or set starts at the top of each minute, and the time left in that minute is rest. |
| EPOC | Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption | Elevated oxygen use and calorie burn that continue after a workout while the body restores itself, popularly called the "afterburn effect". |
| FTP | Functional threshold power | Highest average power, in watts, a cyclist can sustain for about one hour, used to set training zones on smart trainers and power meters. |
| HIIT | High-intensity interval training | Workout style alternating short bursts of near-maximal effort with brief recovery periods, such as 30 seconds of sprinting followed by 60 seconds of walking. |
| HRV | Heart rate variability | Variation in time between consecutive heartbeats, measured in milliseconds. |
| IIFYM | If it fits your macros | Flexible dieting approach in which any food is allowed as long as daily totals of protein, carbohydrates and fat hit set targets. |
| KB | Kettlebell | Cast-iron weight shaped like a ball with a handle, used for swings, snatches, Turkish get-ups and carries. |
| LBM | Lean body mass | Body weight minus fat mass, including muscle, bone, organs and water. |
| LISS | Low-intensity steady state | Cardio done at a comfortable, consistent pace for an extended time, such as brisk walking, easy cycling or light jogging for 30 to 60 minutes. |
| MET | Metabolic equivalent of task | Unit expressing the energy cost of an activity as a multiple of resting metabolism: sitting quietly is 1 MET, brisk walking about 3 to 4, running at 6 mph about 10. |
| MHR | Maximum heart rate | Highest number of beats per minute a person's heart can reach during all-out effort, used to set heart-rate training zones. |
| NEAT | Non-exercise activity thermogenesis | Calories burned through everyday movement outside deliberate exercise, such as walking, standing, fidgeting, housework and yard work. |
| OHP | Overhead press | Standing barbell lift in which the bar is pressed from the shoulders to straight arms overhead, without using leg drive. |
| PPL | Push/pull/legs | Training split that groups exercises by movement: push day (chest, shoulders, triceps), pull day (back, biceps) and leg day. |
| PT | Personal trainer | Fitness professional who designs workouts and coaches clients one-on-one or in small groups. |
| RDL | Romanian deadlift | Hip-hinge exercise in which the lifter lowers a barbell or dumbbells along the legs with slightly bent knees and a flat back, then stands up, mainly working the… |
| RHR | Resting heart rate | Heart rate measured at complete rest, ideally right after waking, in beats per minute. |
| RIR | Reps in reserve | Number of additional repetitions a lifter could have done before failure at the end of a set. |
| ROM | Range of motion | Extent of movement possible at a joint, measured in degrees with a goniometer or estimated visually, and described for each motion such as flexion or abduction. |
| RPE | Rate of perceived exertion | Subjective scale for how hard an effort feels. |
| TDEE | Total daily energy expenditure | Total calories burned in a day, combining basal metabolism, digestion, exercise and everyday movement. |
| TUT | Time under tension | Total time a muscle is working during a set, controlled by the tempo of each repetition. |
| VO2 max | Maximal oxygen uptake | Highest rate at which the body can take in and use oxygen during intense exercise, measured in milliliters per kilogram of body weight per minute. |
| WOD | Workout of the day | Daily prescribed workout posted by a CrossFit gym (box) or coach, written on a whiteboard and logged by members. |
| Z2 | Zone 2 | Easy aerobic training intensity, usually about 60 to 70 percent of maximum heart rate, at which a person can still hold a conversation. |