Hi and welcome to the Espresso English Podcast, where you can improve your English in just a few minutes a day.
My name is Shaina and I'm the teacher at Espresso English.
Make sure to visit the website EspressoEnglishnet, where you can get online courses and e-books that will help you learn English even faster.
Let's get started with today's lesson.
Lots of people make New Year's resolutions to lose weight and get stronger by going to the gym.
But if you're learning English, there's another challenge.
How to talk about exercise naturally in English.
In this video, I'm going to teach you 50 essential vocabulary words for fitness.
These are the words native English speakers use when we talk about working out.
Working out means exercising.
You'll definitely want to download today's lesson PDF to review the vocabulary.
Click on the link in the description, enter your email address, and I'll send you that free PDF.
Okay, we'll start with words for gym equipment, then learn verbs for specific exercises and finally some super common phrases about fitness.
First, the equipment.
We have a treadmill.
That's a machine you can walk or run on while staying in one place.
There's also a stationary bike.
That's a bike that doesn't move.
You pedal in one place.
An elliptical machine is a low impact machine that feels like walking or running without the impact on your joints.
Another common one is a rowing machine.
That's a machine that simulates rowing a boat.
It's great for full body workouts.
We have dumbbells.
Those are small handheld weights, usually used one in each hand.
And a barbell.
That's a long bar that you load up with weight plates on either side.
There's another vocabulary word for you.
Weight plates are the round weights you add to a barbell to increase or decrease the weight.
A kettlebell is a round weight with a handle.
It's very popular for functional training.
We have resistance bands.
Those are stretchy bands that can be used instead of weights.
A yoga mat is a mat for stretching, yoga, or floor exercises.
It makes them a little more comfortable.
For lifting weights we have a bench.
That's a padded seat or platform used for exercises like the bench press.
A box is a solid square cube we use for stepping or jumping up on top of it.
And a hurdle is a frame we jump, hop, or step over.
Your gym might have a punching bag.
That's a hanging heavy bag used for boxing or kickboxing.
There's a pull-up bar.
That's a bar you hang from to do pull-ups, chin-ups, and other exercises.
A medicine ball is a heavy ball used for strength and explosive movements.
That's different from an exercise ball or a stability ball, which is a much larger ball filled with air.
It's used for stretching and gentle exercises.
A foam roller is a hard foam cylinder that can be used to massage sore muscles.
You might also use a jump rope.
That's a rope you jump over repeatedly as you swing it over your head and under your feet.
Use a gym towel to wipe off sweat or to wipe off the equipment after you've used it.
And the locker room is the room where you can change clothes and store your belongings in a locker.
Let's look at some verbs and exercises for the actions you do at the gym.
We lift weights, meaning use weights to build up strength.
To squat means to lower your body like you're sitting in a chair.
Deadlift means to lift a barbell from the floor using your legs and then lowering it back down.
A bench press is to push a barbell or dumbbells upward while lying flat on a bench.
This exercise works your chest muscles.
To curl means to lift weights by bending your arms.
That's usually for your biceps.
Lunge means to step forward and bend both knees.
A push-up is to lower and raise your body in a horizontal position using your arms.
A pull-up means to pull your body upward vertically while hanging from a bar.
And a sit-up means to go from a laying position to a sitting position using your abdominal muscles.
The word plank refers to holding your body straight supported by your arms and toes.
We should also stretch, meaning lengthen your muscles to improve flexibility.
Definitely warm up meaning to do light exercise before more intense training and then cool down meaning to relax your body with slower or lighter movements after your main workout.
Other verbs used for exercise include run to move quickly on foot, jog.
Jogging is running a little more slowly and steadily.
To sprint means to run very fast for a short time.
Cycle is a verb that can mean to ride a bike.
The verb row means to pull with your arms and push with your legs like rowing a boat.
You'll also hear the verb train, meaning to exercise regularly to improve fitness or prepare for a sport or competition.
The trainer or coach at your gym, that's like the teacher, might spot you.
To spot someone means to help a person lift weights safely by adjusting their position and providing support.
And one verb you'll definitely encounter at the gym is sweat meaning when your body produces moisture, when it heats up from exercise.
Finally, a few common phrases and concepts we often use when talking about fitness.
You might hear people talk about cardio.
That's exercise that raises your heart rate.
It makes your heart beat faster.
Another type of training is strength training.
That refers to exercises that are more focused on building muscles.
You might wear a fitness tracker.
That's a device that tracks your steps, your heart rate, or your workouts.
Your core or your abs are the muscles around your stomach and your lower back.
Are you in shape or out of shape?
If someone is in shape, it means they have a good level of physical fitness, and someone who is out of shape is not physically fit.
If you are out of breath, that means you're breathing hard or having a hard time breathing after intense exercise.
And then you might have to pause to catch your breath, meaning to recover your normal rate of breathing.
At the gym, you could work with a personal trainer.
That's a professional who helps plan your workouts.
Your workout routine is your regular exercise plan. it should probably include a rest day.
That's a day with no intense exercise so that you can recover from feeling sore.
If you're sore, it means you're feeling muscle pain after a workout.
Now here's the key thing to remember.
Just like at the gym, we can't just watch the exercises.
We have to do the exercises in the same way.
Learning vocabulary isn't just about knowing words.
It's also about using them yourself. and my Vocabulary Builder courses help you do both.
Inside the courses you'll learn hundreds of the most common, most useful English words and you'll practice using them through quizzes and writing exercises.
The result?
You'll remember the vocabulary better and be able to use it naturally in your own conversations.
So if you want to make your vocabulary stronger by learning and using over a thousand new words in the next month, click the link under this video to check out my Vocabulary Builder courses.
If you want more great English lessons, visit EspressoEnglishnet, where you can sign up by email to receive a free e-book with 500 plus real English phrases.
You'll also find online courses to help you improve your English fast, even if you don't have much time to study.
Keep practicing your English and I hope you have a wonderful day!
