Are you getting ready for your first functional fitness class? Or maybe you’ve got a few under your belt but you’re still a newbie. We hope you’re excited, because you’re embarking on a journey you never could’ve imagined — a journey of better health, better wellness, and a community that will introduce you to people who will become lifelong friends. It’s a very unique environment, and functional fitness has its own language. It’ll help if you familiarize yourself with some of the fitness terminology beforehand. Here are some of the more basic fitness terms, to get you prepped.

You might also like our blog on five movements all beginner athletes should train!

Common Functional Fitness Terms (And What They Mean)

WOD

Workout of the day

Rep

Repetition, one execution of a movement

Set

More than one repetition

Example: 1 set of 10 reps

Metcon

Metabolic conditioning workout, designed to improve conditioning using high-intensity movements

Chipper

A workout with many reps and a variety of movements that you “chip” away at

Psst! Read our blog on six chipper WODs you need to try.

AMRAP

As many reps (or rounds) as possible

Example: A 5-minute AMRAP of burpees means you perform as many burpees as you can in 5 minutes.

EMOM

Every minute on the minute

Example: A 10-minute EMOM of 3 pull-ups + 3 thrusters means at the top of every minute, you perform 3 pull-ups and 3 thrusters and then rest for the remainder of that minute.

BW

Bodyweight

Rx’d

As prescribed, meaning you perform a movement or workout as programmed by your coach

Scaled

You modify your programming to make it easier or harder, so it can be challenging but manageable for you.

Example: Squatting to a box instead of full depth, to reduce the range of motion and make the movement more manageable.

Learn important scaling tips for beginners.

Box

The term used for a functional fitness gym

Break parallel

To squat below parallel, where your hips pass below knee level

For time

To do a WOD as quickly as possible

Example: 200 double-unders for time means to complete 200 double-unders as quickly as possible.

PB

Personal best, or performing a movement better than you ever have

Example: A 100kg clean and jerk, when your previous record was 95k.

PR

Personal record, same as PB (personal best).

RM

Repetition maximum, or rep max — the heaviest weight you can complete a rep (or reps) of a specified movement

Example: A 1RM is the heaviest weight you can complete one rep of a specified movement, like a clean or back squat; a 10RM is the heaviest weight you can complete 10 reps of a specified movement.

Tabata

Four minutes of high-intensity work, consisting of: 20 seconds of max effort + 10 seconds of rest, completed for 8 rounds

Check out our list of fun tabatas you can do anywhere.

UB

Unbroken, or completing reps without stopping in between reps

Example: 10 deadlifts unbroken means completing 10 deadlifts without letting go of the bar or pausing excessively at the top or bottom of the lift.

KB

Kettlebell

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Movements You Should Know

OHS

Overhead squat

C&J

Clean and jerk

PP

Push press

PJ

Push jerk

PU

Pull-up

MU

Muscle-up

CTB/C2B

Chest-to-bar pull-ups

TTB/T2B

Toes-to-bar

PC

Power clean

CLN

Clean

SN

Snatch

PS/PSN

Power Snatch

BS

Back squat

FS

Front squat

BP

Burpee

DL

Deadlift

HSPU

Handstand push-up

SDHP

Sumo deadlift high-pull

GHD

Glute-hamstring developer

GHR

Glute-hamstring raise

SQ

Squat

DUs

Double-unders

ROM

Range of motion

TnG

Touch-and-go