Useful Terms To Know When Starting On Your Fitness Journey

Caitlyn Davey • April 2, 2025

Starting out at the gym—especially a lively group fitness facility—can feel overwhelming. All the new terms being thrown around might seem baffling, even if you’ve been training for a while.


But fear not! We’re here to help you understand common gym lingo like double unders, macros, snatches, and jerks (and no, we're not talking about the coaches!).


Essential Gym Terms to Know

Macros

When it comes to nutrition, you'll often hear people talk about macros.
Macros (short for macronutrients) are:

  • Carbohydrates
  • Proteins
  • Fats


Your daily calorie intake is broken down into these three groups. Remember:

  • Many foods contain a mix of macros (e.g., foods can have both protein and carbs).
  • If you’re just starting out, focus on your calorie intake and hitting your protein goals.
Coach James Batey says:
"The quantity of food you eat will dictate your size objectively; the quality of food you eat will dictate the way you feel subjectively."

Dead Hang

A dead hang is simply hanging from a bar without any body movement—just holding on with your hands.
Benefits: Strengthens your grip over time.


Toes-to-Bar

A gymnastics movement where you hang from the bar and kick your feet up to touch the bar.


If you’re starting at a strength and conditioning gym like
Rebuild Health and Fitness (or following a CrossFit-style program), you'll likely encounter this movement.


Note: This is a milestone movement—don't expect to master it on your first try!


Kipping

Kipping is a swinging motion used when hanging from a bar to generate momentum.
It's used to:

  • Propel you into pull-ups, toes-to-bar, and muscle-ups.


Context:

  • It’s a contentious movement—some argue strict (no momentum) is better.
  • At Rebuild, we program both strict and kipping movements depending on the day's goal and workout volume.

Double Unders

Double unders are a type of jump rope movement where the rope passes under you twice per jump.


If you're still working on these, you’ll often be allowed to perform
singles (standard jump rope) as a substitute.


Strict Press, Push Press, Push Jerk, and Split Jerk

These are four different overhead movements, often confused:

  • Strict Press: Pressing the barbell overhead without using your legs (pure upper body strength).
  • Push Press: A slight dip of the knees, then pressing the bar overhead while locking out arms and legs.
  • Push Jerk: Dip and drive up, then re-dip and catch the bar before standing up tall.
  • Split Jerk: Similar to a push jerk, but you split your feet when landing (one foot forward, one back).


Progressive Overload

Progressive overload is a scientific training principle crucial for getting results.
It involves:

  • Increasing load (weight)
  • Increasing repetitions
  • Adjusting tempo
  • Enhancing volume over time


This ensures consistent strength and performance improvements while maintaining proper technique.

If you’re not tracking your workouts, you’re not truly training—you’re just exercising.

By applying progressive overload, you build strength and achieve better adaptations with every training cycle.


Need More Guidance?

If you're new to the gym and want personalized help, consider personal training sessions with our world-class coaches.

📧 Send us an email at: team@rebuildhealthandfitness.com



We’re here to help you feel confident, strong, and knowledgeable every step of the way!

Previous Blogs

July 22, 2025
If you live in Wynnum or Capalaba , chances are you’ve seen a bootcamp in action — high-intensity sessions in parks, with lots of burpees, sprints, and shouting. While bootcamps can be a fun way to get sweaty, there’s a reason more people are choosing structured strength training instead. At Rebuild, we often meet people who’ve jumped from one bootcamp to another, chasing results they never quite achieve, or can’t maintain. Here’s why strength training, not bootcamp-style fitness, is the smarter long-term approach for your health and body. 1. Progress Over Punishment Bootcamps often focus on burning calories and pushing people to their limits every session. It feels intense — but it’s usually random. There’s no plan beyond “go hard”. Strength training is different. It’s measured, progressive, and adaptable . Whether you’re lifting a barbell or doing bodyweight movements, the goal is to build skill, strength, and confidence over time. You're not punished for where you're at — you're coached toward where you want to be. 2. Stronger Muscles = Better Results Cardio-heavy bootcamps might help you lose weight quickly, but they rarely help you build muscle, and muscle is the key to long-term fat loss, strength, and mobility . When you train with resistance (weights, bands, or bodyweight), your body becomes more efficient. You burn more calories at rest, move better, and feel more capable in everyday life. And unlike bootcamps, strength training actually preserves lean mass while you're in a calorie deficit — which matters if your goal is body composition, not just weight loss. 3. Individual Coaching Matters Most bootcamps have one instructor yelling instructions to a big group. There’s rarely time to check your technique, let alone adjust for injuries, experience, or confidence levels. At Rebuild, our group sessions are coach-led and purpose-built . We take time to teach proper form, scale movements to your ability, and track your progress. You're not just surviving a workout — you’re learning how to move better and train smarter. 4. It’s Not Just About Today’s Workout Bootcamps often lack structure. You show up, do something exhausting, and leave. There’s no continuity or long-term planning. Strength training follows a programmed approach , meaning each week builds on the last. You’ll have sessions designed to improve specific movements and outcomes — whether that’s lifting more weight, increasing core strength, or mastering your first pull-up. That structure keeps you consistent, motivated, and injury-free. 5. Sustainability Over Shock Tactics If you’re tired of the “go hard or go home” mentality, strength training is for you. It’s adaptable to all ages, bodies, and goals . You’ll get fitter, stronger, and more confident — without burning out or breaking down. Ready to train with purpose? If you're looking for something better than a bootcamp in Wynnum or Capalaba , join us at Rebuild. We coach real people — not fitness models — to get real results. 📍 Structured training 📍 Expert coaches 📍 Community that has your back You don’t need to be fit to start. You just need to start.
July 22, 2025
A lot of people have completed a marathon but how many people have collapsed at 40km?

Sometimes you do everything right, and shit still doesn’t go to plan.
 Last weekend I ran in the Gold Coast Marathon, my first ever marathon. I trained properly, my body felt relatively good (all things considered when preparing to run 42.2km), I carb-loaded, and my race day nutrition was dialled in.
 I was ready.
 We set off. Jess and the kids met me at different points on the course with signs, the atmosphere was great. I loved seeing the kids with their signs. Pacing felt on point. The first 21km? Easy. I felt great. Maybe I should’ve drunk more water, but I didn’t think too much of it at the time.
 At 25km, I felt slower, but pace wise I was still holding well. I’d kept telling myself throughout the day "The race starts at 30km." And let me tell you, it does.
 By 30km, the sun was out, and I was starting to struggle. My watch started glitching so I had no real idea of my splits. I thought I was slowing down a lot (turns out I wasn’t), but the effort to keep the same pace suddenly felt 10x harder.
 I hadn’t taken on enough water. Usually, I can get away with lower fluids. Not this time. Dehydration crept in. hard.
 At 35km I was in survival mode, one foot in front of the other, flicking between moments of pain and little short lived waves of “let’s go.” But by 39km I was delirious. I could see the finish line, I hit the 40km mark (where I thought enjoyment might return to finish), and I collapsed.
 I was gone. Scary stuff.
 The last few hundred metres were a complete blur. All I remember is the crowd, the medics, and about five paramedics suddenly around me. I was vomiting, shaking, confused, in and out of it. I had this overwhelming, indescribable feeling, and honestly, for a moment, I thought I could die.
 My memory went. I couldn’t recall the day, the year, where I lived, or how to spell. I only knew who Jess and the kids were, and that I didn’t want them to see me with wires in me. 
 My temperature had hit 40°C. Blood pressure crashed. Thankfully, the medics and paramedics were incredible, I had a drip running into me within 10 to 15 minutes.
 As I already knew, I’m stubborn. I wanted to run it all. Not walk. Not stop and breathe and In hindsight, I should have. 
 Seems like my mind was just a bit stronger than my body on the day. I never thought I could push myself there in all honesty. 

Am I gutted? Of course, I was only 2km away but I gave it everything I had on that day. Heat stroke, exhaustion, and dehydration got me. 

I am always reminded here of the quote ‘The man in the arena’ look it up if you need. 
 Will I run 42.2km again? Yes, I feel I need to. 

Would I do things differently, now I’ve run 40km under race conditions? You bet, lessons learnt. Always lessons. Never be scared to not succeed. Be scared to never try in the first place. 
 We go again.
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