You know when someone uses an acronym you don’t understand, and you smile and nod along as if you know what they’re talking about, but on the inside you’re:
No one likes feeling like a geeky n00b, and for this reason, PEDESTRIAN.TV has conduced some very serious and highly important research into acronyms popular on the gym circuit. We’ve decoded them and used them in easy-to-adopt sentences, too.
PB
Wat? Personal Best.
Definition: Your PB is pretty self-explanatory – it can refer to a sportsperson’s highest score in a game, fastest time on the track or most heaviest weight they’ve ever lifted.
Use it in a sentence: “I ate a whole Nandos paella with Extra Hot basting last night and managed to wait 2 hours before needing to use the toilet – a PB.”
BMI
Wat? Body Mass Index.
Definition: BMI is a value derived from the weight and height of a person. It’s used to quantify the amount of tissues mass (inclusive of muscle, fat and bone) of someone, in order to categorise them as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. You can punch some numbies and figure yours out HERE.
Use it in a sentence: “I don’t know what Adam Devine‘s BMI is, but he looks tite in a maroon budgie smuggler.”
HIIT
Wat? High Intensity Interval Training.
Definition: This type of training involves alternating between very intense bouts of exercise and low intensity exercise. E.g. sprinting for 30 seconds, then walking for 60 seconds, and repeating this over and over again. This kind of training keeps the heart rate up and burns more fat in less time.
Use it in the sentence: “I fucking hate HIIT.”
GTL
Wat? Gym Tan Laundry.
Definition: This phrase burst into the public consciousness back in 2010, thanks to walking carrot Pauly D on Jersey Shore. It’s a sacred ritual one must do before going out for a night on the town. Urban Dictionary cites fist-pumping as a side effect.
Use it in a sentence: Not this…
ATG
Wat? Ass To Grass.
Definition: Not to be confused with the infamous AGB, or what happens when you drink alcohol before smoking a doob, ATG refers to a style of squatting whereby an individual extends to their full ROM (see below) and reaches their butt on the floor.
Use it in a sentence: “I can squat full ATG, and I want a medal.”
ROM
Wat? Range Of Motion.
Definition: ROM is the measurement of movement around a particular joint. To have a good ROM, you’ve gotta have flexible joints. E.g. a good range of motion in a shoulder (ball-and-socket joint) would be it’s ability to move smoothly in all planes and directions.
Use it in a sentence: “I can do a helicopter with my arm and peen, simultaneously.”
BMR
Wat? Basal Metabolic Rate.
Definition: BMR is the amount of energy expressed in calories that you need to keep the body functioning at rest. The processes it assists with include the very important act of circulating blood around your mortal body, keeping your brain functioning, and breathing. Like the BMI, you can calculate yours, HERE.
Use it in a sentence: “My BMR is 1027 k cal per day, what is yours?”
DOMS
Wat? Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.
Definition: DOMS is also called muscle fever, and it’s the stiffness and pain felt in muscles several hours or days after going berserk during a workout.
Use it in a sentence: “I fell face-first down two flights of stairs because DOMS.”
DYEL
Wat? Do You Even Lift?
Definition: A derogatory question, often posed on internet forums such as Reddit, and often followed by ‘Bro’.
Use it in a sentence: “And when I realised my reasoning and/or arguing skills were subpar, the only thing left to type was, DYEL?”
MHR
Wat? Maximum Heart Rate.
Definition: The maximum beats your heart can do in a minute without exploding. ‘220 – age = MHR’, but like almost everything health and fitness related, this varies from individual to individual. You might reach your MHR in high-stress situations such as poor little Ralph did when copping a savage spray from Lisa. Here’s a handy chart to give you an idea of yours:
Use it in a sentence: “I just farted in my sleep with the new person I’m seeing and now I’m sweating bullets and feel like I’m going to have a heart attack because I’ve reached my MHR.”
PC
Wat? Posterior Chain.
Definition: Your PC is a group of muscles consisting mostly of tendons and ligaments at the backside of your body, such as your gluteus maximus.
Use it in a sentence: “Her lower posterior region was off the chain.”
RM
Wat? Repetition Maximum.
Definition: The most amount of repetitions of lifting a weight you can do without dying, pretty much.
Use it in a sentence: “After two reps of deadlifting 100kgs, Greg reached his RM and promptly laid to rest in the weights section.”
And that’s that. Go forth, newly-minted gym rats, and avoid a real PD (Phil Dunphy) situation:
Photo: Dodgeball.
