Discussing Workout Routines
Friends or acquaintances at the gym are catching up and discussing their current workout routines, goals, or progress.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
consistent
Means doing something regularly without stopping, like exercising every week. Useful for talking about habits in fitness or daily life.
routine
A regular plan or schedule, often for workouts or daily activities. In gym talks, it refers to your exercise plan.
functional training
Exercises that improve everyday movements and strength for real-life activities, not just building big muscles. Good for discussing modern fitness goals.
bodyweight exercises
Workouts using your own body as resistance, like push-ups or squats, no equipment needed. Practical for home or gym settings.
kettlebells
A type of weight equipment shaped like a cannonball with a handle, used for swings and lifts to build strength and cardio.
mobility
The ability to move your body freely and easily, like bending or reaching. Important in fitness for preventing injuries and improving flexibility.
circuit training
A workout method where you do several exercises in a row with little rest, combining strength and cardio for efficiency.
cardio
Short for cardiovascular exercise, activities that raise your heart rate like running or cycling to improve heart health and burn fat.
endurance
The ability to keep going for a long time without getting tired, key for sports like running or long workouts.
disciplined
Being strict with yourself to follow rules or plans, like sticking to a workout schedule even when it's hard.
motivated
Feeling eager and driven to do something, like staying excited about your fitness goals to keep exercising.
workout buddy
A friend or partner who exercises with you to make it more fun and hold each other accountable.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Still hitting those weights hard, I see.
This is a casual way to comment on someone's intense weightlifting. 'Hitting the weights' is an idiom for lifting weights vigorously. Use it to start a friendly gym conversation. Note the present continuous for ongoing action.
Trying to stay consistent.
Means making an effort to keep up a regular habit. 'Trying to' shows effort. Useful for discussing fitness goals; it's a common phrase for personal challenges.
What's your routine looking like these days?
Asking about someone's current exercise plan. 'Looking like' is informal for describing appearance or status. Great for catching up with friends at the gym.
I've been focusing more on functional training lately.
Uses present perfect continuous ('I've been focusing') to show a recent ongoing action. Useful for sharing changes in habits; 'lately' means recently.
I've mostly stuck to traditional weightlifting.
'Stuck to' means continued doing something without change. 'Mostly' softens it to 'mainly.' Good for describing your usual routine when comparing to others.
Circuit training is great for that!
'Great for' means very suitable or beneficial for a purpose. Exclamation adds enthusiasm. Use this to recommend exercises positively in conversations.
How do you manage to stay motivated?
Asking for advice on maintaining drive. 'Manage to' means succeed in doing something difficult. Common in goal-oriented talks like fitness or studying.
Having a clear goal helps.
Simple present for general truths. 'Helps' means assists or makes easier. Useful for giving advice; it's a straightforward way to share tips.
Switching up my workouts keeps things fresh.
'Switching up' is slang for changing or varying. 'Keeps things fresh' means prevents boredom. Informal expression for maintaining interest in routines.
Maybe we should try to link up for a session sometime.
Suggesting to meet casually. 'Link up' means connect or meet; 'sometime' is flexible for time. Good for proposing plans without pressure.