Glossary of Weight Lifting Equipment Terms

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This glossary weight lifting and sports nutrition terms and definitions is organized alphabetically for your convenience. It is our hope that this will become an excellent reference headquarters for you.

Click on appropriate section for terms starting with:

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Obliques – The large diagonally arranged abdominal muscles on either side of the torso.

Oil - See Posing Oil.

Olympic Bar or Barbell – A solid steel bar seven feet long (a non Olympic bar is 4 to 6 feet long), an Olympic bar also weighs 45 lbs (20kg). This weight and length is standardized for competitive weight lifting contests. Olympic barbells are strong enough to be loaded up to 1,500 pounds. Please see Barbell Exercises for more info.

Olympic Weights - There are typically two types of weight plates available on the market. One is Olympic Weights and the other is Standard Weights. Weight plates come in a huge variety of styles and finishes. Most commercial gyms use so-called Olympic weights/plates that have a large-diameter center hole or bore. Most home equipment uses a smaller hole or bore, and this equipment is called standard or standard weights. Note: you cannot mix and match Olympic and standard sized plates and bars. An Olympic bar has a bigger diameter, is longer and weighs more too; see Olympic Bar for more specific information on Olympic size standards.

One Arm Cable Crossovers – Chest Exercise – Grasp handle of an overhead pulley on a cable crossover machine with your right hand. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and bend slightly forward at the waist, keeping your pelvis tilted forward. Slowly pull the handle down and across your body in a semicircle. When your hand crosses the midline of your body, squeeze your chest muscles so that you feel a contraction. Reverse direction by releasing the cables back to their starting position. Repeat for your designated number of reps and then repeat with your left arm. For information on other chest exercises please see: Chest Exercise - Incline Dumbbell Flys, Chest Exercise - Low Cable Crossovers, Chest Exercise – Cable Crossovers, Chest Exercise – Peck Deck Flys, Chest Exercise – Push Ups.

One Arm Overhead Dumbbell Extensions – Triceps Exercise – With your feet firmly on the floor, grasp a dumbbell in your right hand. Bend your elbow and hang the weight behind your head as far as comfortably possible. Slowly straighten your right arm, keeping your elbow back and pointed to the ceiling. Contract your right triceps. Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat with your left arm after finishing the desire reps on your right.

One Ton Hooks – See: 1 Ton Training Hooks

Overcompensation - Muscle actually grows according to a process we scientists refer to as "OVERCOMPENSATION." In other words, when fueled properly, the muscle that is subjected to overload in the form of very heavy weight, will first experience stress, then recover and finally grow. It adapts to the stress state and overcompensates to ready itself for future muscle stresses.

Overhead Rope Extensions – Triceps Exercises – Turn away from a high cable pulley. Bend forward and with your palms facing each other, grasp a rope attached to the pulley. Keeping your elbows at your ears, bend your elbows and hang your hands behind your head as far as comfortably possible. Slowly straighten your arms, keeping your elbows back. Contract your triceps. Return to the starting position and repeat for your designated number of reps.

Overlays -

Overtraining -

Partial Reps – Reducing the range of motion in a particular exercise. This allows you to train with a heavier weight, thus you are maximizing the load to the muscle in its strongest range. Note: in a full range of motion exercise you are limited to the weight that you can lift past your sticking point (weakest angle in your range or motion).

Peak - As a bodybuilder prepares for a contest, he/she cuts bodyfat to an unusually low level to bring out maximum muscularity that can be maintained for only a short time, usually only a few days.

Pec Deck -

Pec Deck Flys – Chest Exercise – Place your forearms on the pads of a pec deck machine. Your elbows should press into the pads and your back should remain motionless throughout the movement. Press the pads together, gently touching them directly in front of your chest. Hold this position for two or three counts while contracting your chest muscles. Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat for your designated number of reps. For information on other chest exercises please see: Chest Exercise - Incline Dumbbell Flys, Chest Exercise – Cable Crossovers, Chest Exercise - Low Cable Crossovers, Chest Exercise - One Arm Cable Crossovers, Chest Exercise – Push Ups.

Plateau -

Platemate -

Plates -

Posedown - usually held at the end of the mandatory poses in a bodybuilding competition. The announcer will usually make the announcement that it is time for a “posedown”

Posing -

Posing Oil - In bodybuilding terms oil refers to a water-based liquid or a mineral oil that is applied (rubbed in) to the body to highlight the bodybuilder's muscles while performing on stage. A good posing oil helps to dramatically give muscles better definition and muscularity on stage. Most bodybuilders use simple vegetable oils, such as spray on Pam, as they are absorbed by the skin and give it a better shine and texture. Just remember that you only really need a thin, evenly applied coat of oil, some competitors go completely overboard and come onto the stage literally dripping the oil - which does not look nice.

There are some great companies that sell professional bodybuilding oils. These are good options for professional bodybuilders. Two very popular posing oils are ProTan Muscle Juice and the other is Jan Tana Posing Oil. The ProTan offers a little more shine than the Jan Tana. Another very popular option is ProTan Hot Stuff, which is a menthol-based oil that warms you skin and thus enhances your vascularity while on stage. Pro Tan Hot Stuff can be used in place of a regular posing oil, or in addition to it. ProTan also makes an excellent liquid tanning lotion that is very popular with professional bodybuilders; it is quite simply called ProTan.

Posing Trunks - Posing trunks are trunks (they look almost like Speedo bathing suits, but they are skimpier) that professional bodybuilders wear for bodybuilding competitions. Most organizations require that the trunks be of a solid color with no external markings. Thong trunks are not allowed in competitions. Some good recommendations for buying posing trunks are:

• Choose a color and style that complement your skin color and physique.
• Order your posing trunks far in advance of your competitions because they are almost impossible to find and order at the last minute. 90% of all posing trunks have to be custom made, thus a minimum of four-six weeks is usually required for their manufacture and delivery.
• Always buy a second pair as a back up, you would be very upset if you lost your one and only pair or if they ripped or became stained at a competition. A back up pair is always a good idea!
• Keep in mind that because posing trunks are so skimpy they have a great tendency to creep up and into cracks and crevices! There is a great product put out by Pro Tan called Bikini Bite which you apply to the inside of your trunks to act as a glue between them and your skin. This product really helps to keep your trunks where you want them to stay!

Positives -

Powerlifting -

Powertec -

Precontest -

Pre-exhaust -

Prejudging -

Progressive Overload - In order to continue to grow larger and larger muscle, the muscle must be subjected to heavier and heavier weights. This process is called "PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD."

ProTan - A liquid tanning lotion that is used by professional bodybuilders, dancers, models and other athletes. This brand of lotion produces a long lasting professional looking tan. For more information on ProTan please see: ProTan.

Protein -

Pump -

Pumping Iron -

Pumping up -

Push Ups - Chest Exercise – Plant your hands and toes on the floor. Keep your torso and legs stiff while holding your back perfectly straight through the move. Keep your fingers pointing straight ahead, bend your arms and slowly lower your body, stopping just before your upper chest touches the ground. Feel a stretch in your chest. Push up to the starting position. Repeat for your designated number of reps. For information on other chest exercises please see: Chest Exercise - Incline Dumbbell Flys, Chest Exercise – Cable Crossovers, Chest Exercise - Low Cable Crossovers, Chest Exercise - One Arm Cable Crossovers, Chest Exercise – Peck Deck Flys.

Quadriceps -

Recovery -

Repetition (rep) – Commonly referred to as a “rep”, each repetition is the single complete action of an exercise. A program using four to six repetitions is best for increasing strength and power; this rep range is oriented to powerlifting programs. A rep program using eight to twelve repetitions is best for increasing overall muscularity and is oriented toward developing a bodybuilding physique. A rep program using 15-20 reps is best for increasing muscular hardness and definition and is oriented to achieving lean muscle tone.

Resistance -

Rest/Pause Interval – The amount of time allowed between exercise sets, these rests are meant to allow for recovery time.

Reverse Crunches – Abdominal Exercise – See Crunches above. Except instead of lying on the floor, lie on the bench. Hold the sides of the bench and bring your knees to your stomach. Lift your butt and press you upper back to the bench. Contract your abdominals and hold, lower your legs and repeat for your designated number of reps.

Ripped -

Rope Crunches – Abdominal Exercise – Face a cable pulley machine and attach a tricep pulldown rope or bar attachment to the high cable. Now kneel in front of the pulley, grasping the rope attachment, keep your elbows close to your ears and slowly curl forward bringing your elbows to your knees. Contract your abs. Slowly uncurl and return to the sarting position. Repeat for your designated number of reps.

Routine -