Exercise Glossary

Text Descriptions for Videos

I-V-Ts
- Holding DBs in front of you, raise them in front of you, making an “I”, keeping your arms straight. Perform the prescribed reps. Next, raise them at an angle between front and side, making a “V.” Perform the prescribed reps. Next, raise them to the side, making a “T.” Perform the prescribed reps.
DB bench press
- Laying flat on a bench, press the DBs to extension, touching the bells together at the top.
DB incline press
- Lying on an incline bench, press the DBs to extension, touching the bells at the top.
DB incline curls
- Laying back on an incline bench, hold the DBs at an angle that exposes your bicep and curl them to your shoulders.
One-arm row
- Bending over at the waist and with both feet on the ground, brace one arm against a steady object, a DB rack or bench. With your fee hand, grasp a DB and pull to your ribs. Don’t pull to your pec, pull lower along your side.
DB swings/KB swings - Side view and Front view
- Front view: Initiate movement by swinging the kettlebell/dumbbell backwards through your legs. Keep the back flat, chest up, and weight on heels. Explosively pull the kettlebell through your legs by driving the hips forward to extension
DB elevators
- Sitting on a Swiss ball, press the DBs overhead for the prescribed reps. Roll down to an incline position and press the DBs for the next prescribed number of reps. Roll down to a flat position and press for the prescribed number of reps. (Ex. If it says 4x5,6,8, you do 5 reps sitting and pressing, 6 reps incline, and 8 reps flat to make one set.)
Snatch grip
- To determine you grip, kneel in front of the bar and hold your upper arms parallel to the ground. Bend your forearms 135 degrees to your upper arms and grip the bar. That is your grip.
Snatch
- Start with a wide, snatch grip on the bar. Stand up with the bar in hand. Keeping straight arms, Bow to a point where the bar is at mid thigh and explode and jump up, shrugging with your shoulders at the same time. When the bar gets past your rib cage, drop under the bar and catch it overhead.
Overhead squat (OH squat)
- Holding the bar as you did in the catch of the snatch, squat down until your hips are below the knee.
Clean
- Step under bar with feet hip width apart, and bar almost touching shins. Grip bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder width, wrist curled under the bar, elbows pointing out to the end of the bar, and arms straight. Keeping feet flat, bend hips and knees to a position of chest-over-knees-over-toes. Shoulders are slightly ahead of the bar. Bar should be over 1st shoelace. Back is straight, abs tight, chest inflated with air, shoulder blades pinched together, and eyes focused ahead. Remove all of the slack from the bar and your body before lifting weight from floor. The 1st. pull begins the instant the bar separates from the floor and ends above the knees. Squeeze the bar off floor by extending the legs keeping back straight with chest and shoulders up. The bar should almost touch the shins. Scoop Begins above the knees and ends at the power position or top 1/3 of thigh. As the bar moves above the knees, the hips move forward and up; as this occurs the knees move under the bar. And shoulders move up and back. Second pull Begins at the top 1/3 of thigh and consists of a violent explosion. Jump straight up fully extending hips, knees, and ankles; simultaneously violently shrugging the bar as shoulders move up and back. Over exaggerate full extension and shrug. Toes stay in contact with floor. Quickly shift feet sideways to shoulder width; drop into a ¼ squat with a straight back and flat feet on the floor. Elbows are rotated around the bar and into a “racked” position resembling a front squat position. Stand upright with bar. Exhale and safely return bar to floor and reset for next rep. From LSU
Hang clean
- Similar to the clean, stand up with bar in hand, using a slightly wider than shoulder width. Bow slightly to get the bar to about mid thigh, making sure you keep your shoulders over the bar. Explode up as if you are trying to jump out of the building, shrugging at the same time. Quickly shift your feet out and drop to catch the bar.
Clean shrugs
- Same as clean, except there is no catch. Just the first pull through second pull where you jump and shrug, with an emphasis on lower back position. Keep your torso at the same angle relative to the floor until the bar is past the knee.
Bent-over row (BOR or bent rows)
- With the bar on the ground, grasp with a clean grip. Arch your back and keep it parallel to the ground. Pull the bar to your upper abs/bottom of your ribcage. Return the bar safely to the floor. That is one rep. Every rep starts and ends on the floor.
Shrug
- Proper: Stand up with the bar in a clean grip and stand up with it. Shrug your shoulders up, trying to bring them straight to your ears.
- Improper: DO NOT ROLL YOUR SHOULDERS FORWARDS OR BACKWARDS. This serves no purpose except to make you look a fool.
Overhead lunges (OH lunge) - Side view and Front view
- Holding the bar overhead like you do in the catch of the snatch, lunge forward, making sure your front knee bends to 90 degrees and you back knee is just off the ground. Explode back to a standing position. Repeat with the opposite leg
Squat - Side view and Front view
- Grasp the bar and duck under. With your feet hip width apart, arch your back into the bar, and then settle your hips back under the bar. Stand up and walk out two steps, keeping your back arched and your trunk rigid. Take a deep breath and expand your belly to create intra-abdominal pressure. Hold this breath from before the start of the rep until after you are sure you are going to get the rep. Begin the squat with the hips moving backwards as if you are trying to sit on a toilet. The hips are the part that should move first on the eccentric and concentric portion of the lift. When your hip crease is lower than the top of your knee, push up with your hips and ascend, keeping your back straight the whole time. Note: Your eyes should be looking straight ahead or at a point on the ground ten feet in front of you the entire time.
Press
- Using a clean grip, Hold the bar across your shoulders. Press the bar over head, pushing your head forward once the bar passes your forehead. Do not bend backward overmuch.
Romanian deadlift (RDL)
- Standing in front of the bar, bend to grab the bar in a clean grip. Stand up with the bar in hand. Arch your back and hold it. Your back should stay arched through the entire lift. Bend at the waist and slightly at the knees, push your butt back until you feel like your back can no longer hold its arch. Raise yourself back up to a standing position using your hamstrings. Each rep should try to get slightly lower.
Deadlift
- Standing with your feet under the bar, grasp the bar with an over-under grip. Lower your butt until your chest is up enough that anyone looking at you can read whatever is on your shirt. Try to maintain this back angle throughout the lift. Stand up with the bar in hand. Do not let your hips rise faster than the bar.
Bench press
Close-grip bench press
Reverse grip bench press
- Similar to bench press, lay supine on a bench. Grasp the bar with your palms facing back towards your face and unrack the bar. Take care unracking the bar and getting it in place. Lower the bar to your chest and press back to extension.
Dips
- Between bars: If you do not have a dip stand, set two bars parallel to each other in a squat rack and position yourself between those.
Pull-ups
Dips
- Dip stand: Using a dip stand, lower yourself until your upper arms are parallel to the ground and extend your triceps to raise yourself back up.
GHR
- To do a GHR, you’ll start with your lower body in a horizontal position on the bench with your toes pushed into the toe plate and your torso hanging down. Your knees will be set two inches behind the pad and your back will be rounded with your chin tucked. Using your lower back, raise your torso to a horizontal position. You then push your toes into the pad and curl your body up with your hamstrings while keeping the back rounded. As you approach the top position, squeeze your glutes to finish in a vertical position.
Depth jumps
- Set up two boxes about 18 inches apart. Standing on one box, drop to the ground between the boxes and immediately jump onto the other box. That’s one rep. Try to lead with alternating feet. That is, on rep one, step off with your right foot first, on rep two, step off with your left.
Box jumps
- Stand approx. 6 inches in front of a box. Stand straight up and reach as high as you can. Throw your arms back and drop into a quarter squat position as fast as you can. Once you reach that position, explode up onto the box. Land in a quarter squat position and stand up straight. You should land in a position no lower than the position you dropped to from the start. Remember: Fast down to the quarter squat, fast up. Fast down, fast up.
Med ball jump and throw
- Starting from a kneeling position, grasp a medicine ball in your hands and hold it at your chest. From this position, jump to your feet. As soon as you are on your feet, throw the ball as far as you can.

31. Floor press

lay on the floor with your eyes under the racked barbell. Using a spotter, unrack the barbell to over your chest. Lower the bar under control until your upper arms contact the floor. Pause for a split second and drive the bar back up forcefully.

32. Clap push-ups

In a push-up position, push yourself up forcefully and clap your hands before you return to the floor.

33. Sumo deadlift - Front view, Side view

With a wide stance (wider than shoulder width), sit your butt down and back. Grasp the barbell with a grip that is between your legs, while still on the bars knurling. Keeping a high chest and an arched back, drive your heels into the floor and finish by contracting your glutes and driving your hips through.

34. Barbell bent-over row (AKA bent-over row or bent row)

Bend over the loaded bar until your back is parallel to the floor. Grasp the bar with the same grip you use on bench press. Keeping an arch in your back, pull the bar to the bottom of your rib cage. Every rep should start from the floor.

35. Plate rotation

Grasping a plate, squat down. Shift weight to one side and extend plate to that side. (The key is to keep your hips square while the shoulders turn.) Twist your upper body and as you do so, stand a bit and pull the plate to your chest. Continue twisting to a standing position and finish with the plate extended and hips turned.

36. Star lunge

Start in a standing position. Lunge forward and push back to start. With the same leg, lunge and pivot at an angle 45 degrees from straight ahead. Return to the starting position. Again, with the same leg, lunge laterally, keeping your feet pointing straight. Return to the starting position. With the same leg, lunge behind you. Repeat the process with the other leg. One rep is all the way around. Use DBs or a barbell, your choice.

37. Lateral step-ups

Stand to the side of a box or bench that is about knee height, step up onto it and drive your opposite knee up. Make sure you extend your knee and hip that you are stepping with. Use DBs.

38. Negative pull-up

Jump up to the pull-up bar. Hold your forehead even to the bar for a two count. Lower yourself as slowly as you can.

39. Seated med ball punch

find a bench/box that puts your hips slightly above parallel when you sit on it. Situate the box a few feet away from a solid wall. While seated, punch the med ball against the wall. Do not let the ball come all the way back to your chest; it should be caught and punched back within a split second.

40. Med ball overhead throw

With your feet about shoulder-width, squat down and bring the med ball down between your legs. Explode up and throw the med ball behind you and over your head. Make sure to get FULL EXTENSION with your hips, knees, and ankles. Try to hit an angle about 45 degrees above horizontal.