Exercise & the Gym Vocabulary

Part 1: Exercise & the Gym Collocations

Collocations are words that naturally go together. These phrases are common when talking about exercise & the gym.

Collocation	Example	Meaning
work out regularly	"He works out regularly to stay fit."	Exercise on a regular basis
build muscle	"Lifting weights helps build muscle."	Increase muscle mass
burn calories	"Running is a great way to burn calories."	Use up energy through exercise
personal trainer	"She hired a personal trainer to help with her goals."	A professional exercise coach
hit a plateau	"I've hit a plateau and can't lose more weight."	Stop making progress
stay in shape	"He plays football every week to stay in shape."	Remain physically fit

Collocation	Example
muscle soreness	"I've got muscle soreness after yesterday's leg day."
cardio session	"She does a cardio session every morning."
fitness goals	"Write down your fitness goals to stay motivated."
proper form	"Using proper form prevents injury."
rest day	"Don't skip your rest day, muscles need recovery."

1. He __________ out regularly to stay fit.

2. Lifting weights helps __________ muscle.

3. Running is a great way to __________ calories.

4. She hired a personal __________ to help with her goals.

5. I've hit a __________ and can't lose more weight.

Idioms add colour and natural expression to your English when talking about exercise & the gym.

no pain, no gain – you must work hard or suffer to improve "It's tough, but no pain, no gain."
go the extra mile – put in more effort than expected "She always goes the extra mile in training."
feel the burn – feel the physical strain of exercise "By the last set, you'll really feel the burn."
get back into shape – return to a good level of fitness "After the holidays, I need to get back into shape."
push yourself to the limit – exercise as hard as physically possible "He pushed himself to the limit in the final race."
couch potato – a lazy person who doesn't exercise "He used to be a couch potato before joining the gym."

1. It's tough, but no __________, no gain.

2. She always goes the extra __________ in training.

3. By the last set, you'll really feel the __________.

4. After the holidays, I need to get back into __________.

5. He used to be a couch __________ before joining the gym.

These phrasal verbs are commonly used when talking about exercise & the gym.

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
warm up	prepare your body before exercise	"Always warm up before lifting weights."
cool down	relax the body after exercise	"Cool down with some stretches."
work out	exercise	"I work out three times a week."
keep up	maintain the same pace as others	"It was hard to keep up with the group run."
push through	continue despite difficulty	"Push through the last few reps."

Warm up and "cool down" are essential parts of any workout routine, always used before/after exercise.

Work out can be a noun ("a workout") or a phrasal verb ("to work out").

Push through implies mental determination, not just physical effort.

1. Always __________ up before lifting weights.

2. __________ down with some stretches.

3. I __________ out three times a week.

4. It was hard to __________ up with the group run.

5. __________ through the last few reps.

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