Planning a Training Program
An individual is consulting with a personal trainer or a friend about setting up a training program for a specific goal, like running a marathon, building muscle, or improving overall endurance.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
endurance
The ability to keep going for a long time without getting tired, especially during physical activities like running.
keen on
To be very interested in or enthusiastic about something, like a goal or activity.
fitness level
A measure of how fit and healthy someone is, based on their current exercise habits.
jog
To run at a slow, steady pace, often for exercise or to build stamina.
bodyweight exercises
Exercises that use your own body weight for resistance, like push-ups or squats, without needing equipment.
gradually
Happening slowly over time, step by step, to avoid sudden changes or risks.
incorporate
To include or add something into a plan or routine, making it part of the whole.
commit
To promise or dedicate time and effort to something, like a training schedule.
cross-training
Doing different types of exercises, like running and swimming, to improve overall fitness and prevent overuse injuries.
compound exercises
Exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once, such as squats, for efficient strength building.
nutrition
The food and nutrients you eat to support health and energy, especially for exercise performance.
burnout
A state of physical or mental exhaustion from too much work or training without rest.
comprehensive
Complete and including all important parts, like a full training plan covering exercise and rest.
fine-tune
To make small adjustments to improve something, like tweaking a schedule for better results.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
I'm really keen on improving my overall endurance.
This sentence expresses strong interest in a goal using 'keen on' + gerund (improving). It's useful for stating personal motivations in fitness discussions. Use it when sharing your aims with a trainer.
Could you tell me a bit about your current fitness level?
A polite question using 'could you' for requests and 'tell me about' to ask for information. Great for gathering details in planning sessions. Grammar: Indirect question form softens the request.
We definitely need to build up your running mileage gradually.
This suggests a plan with 'need to' for necessity and 'build up...gradually' for step-by-step progress. Useful for advising on safe training. It shows how to use adverbs to describe processes.
How many days a week are you able to commit to training?
An open question about availability using 'able to commit to' for dedication. Practical for scheduling workouts. Focus on modal 'are you able to' for polite inquiries.
What do you think about incorporating some cross-training?
This seeks opinions with 'What do you think about' + gerund phrase. Ideal for suggesting ideas in conversations. It encourages discussion and uses 'incorporating' to mean adding to a plan.
Absolutely, cross-training is excellent for endurance.
Strong agreement with 'Absolutely' followed by a reason. Useful for positive responses in advice-giving. Grammar: Simple present 'is' for general facts about benefits.
Nutrition and adequate rest are crucial for progress.
States importance with 'are crucial for' + noun. Helpful for explaining key elements in fitness plans. Use in summaries to highlight essentials; plural subject agrees with 'are'.
How about we sync up again next Tuesday?
A suggestion using 'How about we' + verb for proposing meetings. Practical for follow-ups. 'Sync up' is informal for coordinating; it's a casual way to plan future actions.