Workout glossary / 99 terms
Functional Fitness & Workout Glossary
Looking up EMOM, Rx, RPE or HSPU? Find plain-English definitions of workout formats, CrossFit abbreviations, common movements and HYROX terms. Each entry helps you understand what a workout is asking you to do.
New to workout notation? Learn how to read a workout.
99 terms
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0–9
1RM
One-Repetition Maximum
The greatest load you can lift for one repetition of a specific exercise under the chosen standards. A 3RM or 5RM is the heaviest load for three or five repetitions, respectively.
A
Aerobic
Describing energy supply through processes that use oxygen. In workout language, “aerobic work” commonly means sustained conditioning, but it is not the name of one universal heart rate zone.
Affiliate
In CrossFit context, a gym licensed to operate under the CrossFit name. An affiliate’s own workout instructions determine the day’s movements, scaling and standards.
Air bike
A fan-resistance exercise bike, often with moving handles as well as pedals. AssaultBike and Echo Bike are examples; their displayed calories should not be treated as interchangeable with every other machine.
AMRAP
As Many Rounds or Reps As Possible
A workout with a fixed time window in which you accumulate rounds or repetitions. In a strength program, AMRAP can instead describe a single set; check the prescribed stopping rule.
Example: AMRAP 12: repeat the exercise list for 12 minutes and record completed rounds plus extra reps.
Anaerobic
Describing energy-supply processes that do not directly require oxygen. These processes contribute alongside aerobic energy supply; crossing a zone boundary does not switch one system off and another on.
Assisted
A movement performed with support that reduces the demand, such as a band-assisted pull-up. Note the type and amount of assistance when comparing results.
B
Back squat
A squat performed with a barbell supported across the upper back. Reps, load, depth and any tempo or pause follow the prescription.
Back-off set
A set performed with a reduced load after a heavier top set. Repetitions and rest still follow the program rather than a universal formula.
Benchmark
A repeatable workout or test used to track performance over time. For a useful comparison, keep the prescription and standards consistent, or note what changed.
Sources: CrossFit: Terms Explained
BikeErg
Concept2’s stationary cycle ergometer. It is distinct from an air bike with moving handles; match the machine and target unit named in the workout.
Box
Informal CrossFit language for a gym. In a movement prescription such as “box jump,” the same word refers to the piece of equipment.
Sources: CrossFit: Terms Explained
Box jump
Jumping onto a box or raised platform and completing the required finish. A box jump-over is a different prescription; check whether a step-down or step-up is permitted.
Burpee
A movement linking a standing position, a descent to the floor and a return to standing, often with a jump. Chest contact, jump and hand requirements vary, so check the prescribed version.
Burpee broad jump
A burpee followed by a forward broad jump, repeated to cover a prescribed distance or rep count. Competition rules define the acceptable burpee, takeoff and landing.
Butterfly
A pull-up cycling technique that uses a continuous circular body motion. It is a kipping variation, distinct from a strict pull-up or a conventional back-and-forth kip.
Buy-in / cash-in
Work prescribed before the main part of a workout or block. Check whether it happens once for the whole workout or repeats inside each interval, and whether it is included in the scored time.
Example: One continuous For Time clock: 500 m row once, then 5 rounds of 10 burpees + 15 wall balls, then 500 m row once. Both rows count toward the finishing time in this example.
C
C2B
Chest-to-Bar
A pull-up variation requiring the chest to reach the bar under the applicable contact standard. It asks for a different finish from a chin-over-bar pull-up.
Cadence / RPM
The rate of repeated movement, such as pedal revolutions or rowing strokes. RPM means revolutions per minute; rowing commonly uses strokes per minute instead. A higher cadence alone does not guarantee a faster pace.
Calories
On a workout machine, “cal” usually refers to the monitor’s calorie counter as a work target. It is a device estimate, not a direct measurement of your body’s energy use or a universal distance conversion.
Cash-out / buy-out
Work prescribed after the main part of a workout or block. It may be part of the scored workout or a separate finisher; it is not automatically a cooldown.
Example: If the instructions say “500 m row cash-out, included in time,” stop the clock after the final row.
Chipper
A workout built around a sequence of tasks, usually completing all prescribed reps of one movement before moving to the next. Check the list for repeat rounds, a time cap or a different scoring rule.
Sources: CrossFit: Terms Explained
Clean
Moving a weight into the front-rack position at the shoulders. “Hang” specifies an elevated start, “power” a higher receiving position, and “squat clean” a full squat; a muscle clean uses no second knee bend to receive the weight.
Clean and jerk
A clean to the shoulders followed by a jerk overhead. A push jerk receives with bent knees and feet roughly parallel; a split jerk receives with one foot forward and the other back.
Concentric
A muscle action in which an active muscle shortens while producing force. Standing up in a squat is the concentric portion typically described by the third tempo position.
Couplet
A workout or block built from two movements. The format still determines whether you repeat them for rounds, a time window or another rep scheme.
Example: Thrusters and pull-ups in a 21–15–9 sequence.
D
Deadlift
Lifting a weight from the floor to a standing position with the load held in the hands. The stance, implement and completion standard depend on the variation.
Deficit
A variation that increases range of motion relative to the usual setup. In a deficit deadlift, the athlete stands on a raised surface; in a deficit HSPU, the hands are raised relative to the surface reached by the head.
Division
A race category with its own participation and workout requirements. In HYROX, labels such as Open and Pro identify different prescriptions; check the current rulebook for the exact category and season.
Doubles
A two-person HYROX race format. The partners run together and share station work under the doubles rules; it does not simply halve every part of the race for each person.
Drop set
A set extended by reducing the load and continuing with little or no planned rest between reductions. This differs from separately rested back-off sets.
DU
Double-Under
A jump-rope repetition in which the rope passes under the feet twice during one jump. Two single-unders are not one double-under unless a workout explicitly specifies a substitution.
E
E2MOM
Every Two Minutes On the Minute
Start a new set every two minutes; the work and remaining rest share that two-minute window. “Every X minutes” uses the same principle with a different interval length.
Example: E2MOM × 5: start at 0:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00 and 8:00. The final interval ends at 10:00.
Eccentric
A muscle action in which an active muscle lengthens under load. In a squat, the controlled lowering phase is the eccentric portion typically described by the first tempo number.
EMOM
Every Minute On the Minute
Start the prescribed work at the beginning of every minute. Once you finish it, the remainder of that minute is rest.
Example: EMOM 10: ten one-minute intervals, with a new start every minute.
F
Farmers carry
Walking while holding a load in each hand by your sides. The task may specify distance, time, weight per hand and whether setting the weights down is allowed.
For Time
Complete a fixed amount of work and record the elapsed finishing time. Breaks and transitions count while the clock runs; stop at the time cap if one is prescribed.
Front squat
A squat with the load supported in front of the body, typically a barbell in the front-rack position. It differs from supporting the bar across the back.
H
Hang
A lift starting with the weight held above the floor, rather than lifting directly from the floor. The program should specify the hang position, such as above or below the knee.
Heart rate zones
Ranges used to describe exercise intensity through heart rate. In a common five-zone model, the labels progress from very easy in Zone 1 to very hard in Zone 5; the boundaries depend on the method and your settings.
| Zone | Effort label |
|---|---|
| 1 | Very easy |
| 2 | Easy |
| 3 | Moderate |
| 4 | Hard |
| 5 | Very hard |
Heart rate, power and pace zones are different measurements. A zone number alone does not tell you which calculation method was used.
Sources: Polar: Heart Rate Zones · Joe Friel: Setting Training Zones
Hero workout
A named workout created in remembrance of a fallen service member or first responder. The name does not tell you the format or appropriate load; read the complete prescription.
Sources: CrossFit: Terms Explained
HIIT
High-Intensity Interval Training
Training that alternates high-intensity efforts with recovery periods. HIIT describes the effort pattern; an interval timer does not make a session high intensity by itself.
HSPU
Handstand Push-Up
A push-up performed in an inverted handstand position. Strict HSPU (SHSPU) uses no kip; kipping HSPU uses leg and hip drive. A deficit version raises the hands to increase range of motion.
Support, range of motion and hand placement must match the prescribed version. These definitions identify variations; they are not a progression for learning the movement.
HYROX
A fitness race combining running with workout stations. The standard adult race alternates eight 1 km runs with eight stations in a set order.
HYROX Terms Explained: Stations, Roxzone & Race Format
Sources: HYROX: Race Format
I
Interval
A defined period within a workout, such as a work bout, recovery period or repeating work-and-rest window. Read the instructions to see what happens inside each interval.
Example: 40 seconds work / 20 seconds rest × 6 gives six one-minute cycles.
Isometric
Producing force while holding a position without appreciable movement at the relevant joint. A prescribed hold at the bottom of a squat is an example in tempo notation.
K
Kettlebell swing
A movement that uses a hip hinge and drive to swing a kettlebell. Common versions finish around chest height or overhead, so check the required height and standard.
Kipping
Using a coordinated swing or body drive to help complete a movement. Kipping and strict versions are different prescriptions and should be recorded accordingly.
L
Ladder
A rep scheme that changes as the workout progresses. An ascending ladder increases reps, a descending ladder reduces them, and a pyramid goes up and then down.
Example: 2–4–6 means 2 reps of each listed movement, then 4 of each, then 6 of each, unless the workout specifies otherwise.
Load
The external resistance used for an exercise, commonly written in kilograms or pounds. Check whether the number means total barbell weight, each dumbbell, or a combined pair.
M
Max effort
The greatest effort you can produce for the specified task or duration. An all-out sprint, a maximal lift and a hard multi-rep set are different tasks; read what the program is asking for.
Maximum heart rate
The highest heart rate an individual can reach, commonly abbreviated HRmax. A measured or estimated maximum may be used to calculate zones, and an inaccurate input changes those zone boundaries.
Sources: Polar: Heart Rate Zones
Metcon
Metabolic conditioning
Short for metabolic conditioning: a workout or part of a session focused on conditioning. It is not one fixed timer format and is not automatically the same as HIIT.
Sources: CrossFit: Terms Explained
Meters
A distance target, usually abbreviated m; 1 km equals 1,000 m. Equal displayed distances on a rower, SkiErg and bike do not imply equal work or time.
Muscle-up
A movement from a hang below an apparatus to a support position above it, combining a pull, transition and press-out. BMU means bar muscle-up; RMU means ring muscle-up.
N
No rep
An attempted repetition that does not meet the applicable movement standard and therefore does not count. The required standard and any further consequence depend on the workout or event.
P
Pace / split
Pace expresses time per distance, such as minutes per kilometer or rowing time per 500 m. A “split” can mean that displayed pace or the actual time for one segment, depending on context.
Example: At a steady 2:30 per 500 m, a 1,000 m row takes 5:00. A lower time per distance means a faster pace.
Pause squat
A squat with a prescribed hold at the bottom before standing up. A “2-second pause squat” specifies the hold but does not, by itself, prescribe the timing of every phase.
Percentage-based training
Prescribing load as a percentage of a reference lift, usually a 1RM or a separately defined training max. Check which reference the program uses.
Example: 70% of a 100 kg reference maximum is 70 kg. That percentage does not guarantee a particular RPE.
Power variation
In a power clean or power snatch, receive the bar above a full squat position, with the hip crease above the knees. “Power” describes the receiving position; “hang” describes the start.
PR / PB
Personal Record / Personal Best
Your best recorded performance for a particular task under comparable conditions. It can refer to a lift, finishing time, distance or another defined result.
R
Relay
A team race format in which athletes take assigned portions of the course. HYROX relay follows its own team and handover rules, separate from singles and doubles.
Rep
Repetition
One repetition of a movement that meets the applicable instructions or standards. Check whether alternating movements are counted in total or per side.
Example: 10 alternating lunges in total means 5 on each side; 10 per side means 20 total.
RIR
Repetitions in Reserve
Your estimate of how many more repetitions you could complete before reaching the set’s limit with the intended technique. On a reps-in-reserve lifting scale, 2 RIR corresponds approximately to RPE 8.
Round
One complete pass through the prescribed exercise list. On an interval timer, “round” can instead mean one timed interval, so match the timer count to the workout.
Example: A 12-minute alternating EMOM has 12 timer intervals; two alternating exercises each appear six times.
Rounds + reps
A score that combines fully completed rounds with repetitions from the unfinished next round. Add the extra reps across movements, using the workout’s scoring rules.
Example: In a 5–10–15 circuit, 4 complete rounds plus 5 reps of movement one and 7 of movement two is 4 rounds + 12 reps.
RowErg / rowing machine
An indoor rowing ergometer. RowErg is Concept2’s name for its rower; workout shorthand may simply say “row” with a distance, calorie target or duration.
Roxzone
The transition area connecting the running course with the workout stations in HYROX. It is part of the race route, not a ninth workout station.
RPE
Rating of Perceived Exertion
A rating of how hard an effort feels. In strength programs using a reps-in-reserve RPE scale, RPE 8 means you estimate that about two more repetitions were possible with the same technique at the end of the set.
| RPE | Reps left |
|---|---|
| 6 | About 4 |
| 7 | About 3 |
| 8 | About 2 |
| 9 | About 1 |
| 10 | 0 |
This lifting scale is not a conversion table for running effort, heart rate zones or Borg’s 6–20 scale. RPE 10 can describe a multi-rep set; it does not automatically mean a one-rep maximum.
Rx
Performing the workout as prescribed, including its specified movements, loads and other requirements. Rx describes matching the prescription; it is not a universal fitness level.
Sources: CrossFit: Terms Explained
S
Sandbag lunge
A lunge performed while carrying a sandbag in the prescribed position. A walking version advances along a course and may be scored by distance instead of reps.
Scaled
A workout adjusted in load, movement, repetitions or another variable to suit the athlete and session. Record the adjustments so future results can be compared meaningfully.
Sources: CrossFit: Terms Explained
Set
A group of repetitions performed before the prescribed break or next task. Sets and circuit rounds are not necessarily the same thing.
Example: 3 × 10 means three sets of ten reps, with rest as prescribed, not thirty uninterrupted reps.
SkiErg
An indoor ski ergometer using handles and a flywheel to measure work. A workout may prescribe meters, monitor calories or time; those are different targets.
Sled pull
Moving a loaded sled by pulling it, commonly with a rope. The permitted pulling position, lane boundaries and distance are part of the prescription.
Sled push
Moving a loaded sled forward by pushing it along the prescribed course. Load, distance and surface all affect the task; competition setup follows the event rules.
Snatch
Moving a weight to an overhead position in one continuous lift. Hang, power and squat variants describe the start or receiving position; a muscle snatch receives overhead without a second knee bend.
Squat variation
In workout shorthand, “squat clean” or “squat snatch” asks for a full squat as part of receiving the lift. A plain “clean” or “snatch” may leave the variation to the program or event standard.
Strict
Performing a movement without a deliberate kip or leg drive to assist it. The exact standard depends on the exercise and prescription.
SU
Single-Under
A jump-rope repetition with one rope pass under the feet per jump. If used as a substitute for double-unders, follow the rep count given by the workout.
Submaximal
Below the maximum possible for the measure being discussed. A submaximal load is lighter than your maximum lift, but a long set with it can still feel very hard.
T
Tabata
A Tabata-style timer uses eight cycles of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest: four minutes including the final rest. These timings alone do not reproduce the intensity of the original research protocol.
Tempo
The prescribed timing of a repetition. In common four-character notation, the positions describe the eccentric phase, the pause after it, the concentric phase, then the pause after that.
| Position | Action |
|---|---|
| First 3 | Lower for 3 seconds |
| First 0 | No prescribed pause at the bottom |
| Second 3 | Stand up over 3 seconds |
| Second 0 | No prescribed pause at the top |
X means the intent to move quickly with control, not zero seconds. The first written position is not always the first action: a deadlift from the floor starts with the lifting phase. Follow the program’s notation key.
Threshold
An intensity reference whose meaning depends on the method. Aerobic threshold usually refers to a lower transition, while lactate-threshold-based training systems use a specified threshold reference to set intensity ranges; the two terms are not interchangeable.
Read the method named by your coach or device. A zone boundary is not automatically a laboratory-measured threshold.
Sources: Joe Friel: Setting Training Zones
Thruster
A front squat linked directly into an overhead press as you stand up. The movement can use a barbell, dumbbells or other prescribed equipment.
Tie-break
An additional result used to separate otherwise equal scores, such as the time at a specified point in a workout. The event defines what to record and which result wins.
Time cap
The maximum time allowed for a task. If you reach it before finishing, stop and record the work completed according to the workout’s scoring instructions; the cap is not your completed finishing time.
Top set
The main heavy or high-effort set in a lifting block. The program defines its repetitions and target; it is not automatically a maximum attempt.
Touch-and-go
Linking repetitions by briefly touching the implement to the prescribed surface before starting the next rep, rather than fully resetting each time. Control and any event-specific requirements still apply.
Triplet
A workout or block built from three movements. Complete them in the order and quantities given by the prescription.
Example: A circuit of rowing, squats and push-ups.
TTB
Toes-to-Bar
A hanging movement in which the toes are brought to the bar. Whether it is strict or kipping and what makes a valid contact depend on the instructions.
U
Unbroken
Completing a prescribed sequence without the type of break prohibited by the workout. Whether a pause, regrip or resting position breaks the set depends on the movement and instructions.
W
Wall ball
A repetition combining a squat while holding a medicine ball with a throw to a wall target. Required squat depth, target height and ball weight depend on the workout or event.
Warm-up set
A preparatory set used before the working sets to rehearse the movement and approach the intended load. It is not usually included in the working-set count unless stated.
Weighted
A bodyweight movement performed with added external resistance. Record both the movement and extra load, such as a pull-up with an added 5 kg.
WOD
Workout of the Day
The workout selected for the day. It can use many different formats and does not by itself specify intensity, duration or movements.
Sources: CrossFit: Terms Explained
Work/rest ratio
The relationship between the duration of work and recovery. A 2:1 ratio means the work period is twice as long as the rest period; it does not specify intensity.
Example: 40 seconds work and 20 seconds rest is 2:1.
Working set
A set that belongs to the main prescribed work, rather than a preparatory warm-up set. The workout specifies its load, repetitions and effort target.
Workout station
An area assigned to a specific exercise task within a race or circuit. In HYROX, stations are visited in the prescribed order between the runs.
HYROX Terms Explained: Stations, Roxzone & Race Format
Sources: HYROX: Race Format
About this glossary
Written by Aika to help you read workouts and choose the right clock. Definitions describe common usage; a coach’s prescription or the current competition rulebook sets the exact requirements. Technical entries link to their sources.
Reviewed . Aika is an independent workout timer and is not affiliated with CrossFit or HYROX.