Plain-English definitions of the terms we use across personal training, resistance work, and over-40 conditioning — so you understand what we measure, why each programming decision matters, and how we build training that compounds across decades rather than peaks for a season.
Also known as: PT, 1-2-1 Coaching.
One-to-one fitness coaching delivered by a qualified trainer. Combines initial assessment, programme design, in-session technical coaching, and ongoing progression review. Differs from a generic gym induction in being individualised — the programme is built around your starting point, your goals, and the time you can realistically commit each week.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: Small-group PT, Semi-private training.
Coached training delivered to a small group (typically 2–6 people) sharing a single coach. Each member follows their own programme adjusted for the day, but the session runs as a group — sharing equipment, pacing, and accountability. Keeps the per-session cost lower than 1-2-1 while preserving most of the coached attention.
Also known as: Online PT, Remote coaching.
Programme design, technical-form review (via video), and progression management delivered remotely. Suits clients who travel, train on their own equipment at home, or prefer asynchronous coaching. Requires more self-direction than 1-2-1 in person; the programme structure is the same.
The gradual, deliberate increase in the demand placed on the body over time — through load, volume, density, complexity, or range of motion — to drive continued adaptation. The single most important principle in resistance training, and only effective when paired with adequate recovery.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Also known as: Multi-joint exercise, Big lifts.
A multi-joint exercise that recruits several large muscle groups simultaneously — the squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, and row are the canonical examples. Compound lifts deliver the highest training stimulus per unit of time and form the backbone of most well-built programmes for clients over 40.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Also known as: Strength training, Weight training.
Any form of training that asks muscles to produce force against an external load — barbells, dumbbells, machines, body weight, or bands. The NHS and the WHO both recommend resistance training at least twice a week for adults; the benefits compound from the first session and become more important after age 40 as muscle mass naturally declines.
Source: www.nhs.uk
The increase in muscle-fibre size that follows progressive resistance training combined with adequate protein intake and recovery. Distinct from "getting bulky" — hypertrophy in the over-40 population is overwhelmingly about preserving lean mass, joint stability, and metabolic health rather than aesthetic bulk.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
The age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. Begins as early as the third decade and accelerates from the mid-fifties onward. Resistance training is the most effective single intervention against sarcopenia — the reason structured PT becomes more, not less, important after 40.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Active control over a joint's available range of motion — combining flexibility (passive range) with the strength to move within and at the end of that range. Different from flexibility alone: a mobile joint is both supple and controllable. Targeted mobility work is part of every well-built over-40 programme.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Training that strengthens the movements you make in daily life — squatting, hinging, pushing, pulling, carrying, and rotating — rather than isolated body-part work. The goal is real-world capacity (carry shopping up two flights, get up off the floor, lift a grandchild) that holds across decades.
Also known as: RPE, Borg scale (modified).
A 1–10 self-reported scale describing how hard a set felt: RPE 10 means no further reps were possible; RPE 7 means three reps were left in the tank. Lets us prescribe intensity in a way that auto-regulates to how the body actually performs on the day, rather than chasing a fixed weight regardless of recovery.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Also known as: Maximal oxygen uptake, Aerobic capacity.
The maximum rate at which the body can take in, transport, and use oxygen during intense exercise, expressed in millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹). One of the strongest predictors of cardiovascular health and all-cause longevity, and a primary target of well-built over-40 conditioning programmes.
Source: www.nhs.uk
Also known as: Aerobic base, Easy pace.
Steady-state aerobic work at an intensity where the body is primarily using fat for fuel — typically 60–70% of maximum heart rate, or a pace at which you can hold a conversation. Builds mitochondrial density and metabolic flexibility, both heavily implicated in healthspan and the management of metabolic risk after 40.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Low-intensity movement (easy walk, gentle cycle, mobility flow) done between high-intensity sessions to aid recovery. Promotes circulation without adding training stress. Particularly useful for over-40 clients who can no longer recover from back-to-back hard sessions the way a 25-year-old does.
Also known as: NEAT, Background activity.
The energy you burn through everyday movement that is not deliberate exercise — walking to the station, taking the stairs, fidgeting, doing the dishes. NEAT often dwarfs deliberate exercise as a contributor to total daily energy expenditure, and is the single highest-leverage variable for sedentary professionals trying to manage body composition.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
A coaching emphasis on changes you can hold for years — modest, repeatable adjustments to training, nutrition, sleep, and movement — rather than time-limited programmes that revert as soon as the block ends. Particularly important for clients over 40, where consistency over decades drives outcomes more than intensity over weeks.