Every field has its jargon, and strength training and fitness for adults over 60 is worse than most. This glossary covers the 39 terms that come up again and again in our guides and in the questions readers send us. Definitions are short on purpose: enough to unblock you, with links to deeper guides throughout the site when you want the full story.

Aerobic Exercise

Physical activity that increases your heart rate and breathing for sustained periods, like walking, swimming, or cycling. It improves heart health and endurance.

Antagonist Muscles

Muscles that work opposite to the primary muscles doing the movement. For example, your biceps and triceps are antagonists because they work in opposite directions.

Basal Metabolic Rate

The number of calories your body burns at rest just to maintain basic functions like breathing and circulation. It naturally decreases slightly with age.

Bodyweight Exercise

Movements that use your own body as resistance instead of weights, like push-ups, squats, or planks. These are accessible and can be done anywhere.

Bone Density

A measure of how much mineral is packed into your bones, which affects their strength. Weight-bearing exercise helps maintain bone density as you age.

Cardiovascular Fitness

Your heart and lungs’ ability to deliver oxygen to your muscles during exercise. It’s built through activities like brisk walking, jogging, or dancing.

Core Muscles

The deep abdominal and back muscles that stabilize your spine and support good posture. A strong core helps with daily activities and prevents injury.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

The muscle soreness that typically appears 24 to 72 hours after an intense or new workout. It’s normal and usually decreases as your body adapts.

Dumbbell

A short weight with a handle on both sides, held in one hand during exercise. Dumbbells are versatile tools for strength training at various difficulty levels.

Eccentric Contraction

When a muscle lengthens while under tension, like lowering a weight slowly instead of dropping it. Eccentric movements build strength and muscle endurance.

Endurance

Your body’s ability to sustain physical activity for extended periods without fatigue. Cardiovascular and muscular endurance both improve with regular training.

Flexibility

The range of motion available in your joints and muscles. Stretching and activities like yoga help maintain and improve flexibility.

Form

The correct technique and body alignment used when performing an exercise. Good form prevents injury and ensures you’re working the right muscles effectively.

Free Weight

Any weight not attached to a machine, like dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells. Free weights require more stabilizer muscles than machines.

Functional Fitness

Training that improves your ability to perform everyday activities like climbing stairs, carrying groceries, or getting out of a chair. It focuses on practical, real-world movements.

Gait

The way you walk, including your stride length and speed. Strength training can improve your gait and reduce fall risk.

Grip Strength

The force your hands can exert when squeezing or holding something. It’s an important indicator of overall health and function in older adults.

High-Intensity Interval Training

Brief periods of very intense exercise followed by slower recovery periods. It’s time-efficient and improves cardiovascular fitness.

Hyperextension

Bending or extending a joint beyond its normal range of motion. This can cause injury, so proper form is important to avoid hyperextending joints.

Hypertrophy

The increase in muscle size that results from strength training. Muscles grow larger when they’re consistently challenged with resistance.

Interval Training

Alternating between periods of higher and lower intensity exercise. It can improve fitness more efficiently than steady-paced exercise.

Isometric Exercise

A contraction where muscles work against resistance without the joint moving, like holding a plank or wall sit. These build strength without motion.

Joint Mobility

The ability of your joints to move freely and comfortably through their full range. Exercises that promote mobility help prevent stiffness and injury.

Kettlebell

A weight shaped like a ball with a handle on top, used for dynamic swinging and lifting movements. Kettlebells build strength and cardiovascular fitness simultaneously.

Lean Body Mass

All the weight in your body except fat, including muscle, bone, and water. Building lean body mass through strength training supports metabolism and function.

Ligament

Tissue that connects bone to bone and stabilizes your joints. Ligaments can be stretched or torn through injury.

Load

The weight or resistance used during an exercise. Progressive load means gradually increasing the weight over time.

Machine

Exercise equipment with guided paths that move in specific directions, like leg press machines or cable machines. Machines are often easier to use safely than free weights.

Muscle Fiber

Individual cells that make up muscle tissue and contract to create movement. Different fiber types respond to different types of training.

Muscle Soreness

Pain or discomfort in muscles after exercise, usually from new or intense activity. It typically fades within a few days.

Progressive Overload

Gradually increasing the challenge in your workouts by adding weight, repetitions, or difficulty. This principle is essential for continued strength gains.

Range of Motion

The full distance and direction a joint can move through. Maintaining good range of motion supports mobility and prevents stiffness.

Recovery

The period between workouts when your muscles repair and strengthen. Adequate rest, sleep, and nutrition are crucial for recovery.

Repetition

One complete cycle of an exercise, from starting position through the full movement and back. A set typically contains multiple repetitions.

Resistance Training

Exercise using any form of resistance like weights, bands, or your body weight to build strength. It’s essential for maintaining muscle mass as you age.

Set

A group of consecutive repetitions of an exercise performed without rest. Multiple sets of an exercise are typically done in one workout.

Stability

Your body’s ability to maintain balance and control during movement and daily activities. Core strength and lower body strength improve stability.

Tendon

Tissue that connects muscle to bone and allows movement when muscles contract. Tendons can be strained through overuse or improper form.

Warm-up

Light activity performed before a workout to prepare your muscles and joints for exercise. A good warm-up increases heart rate and flexibility.