Aerobic base
The accumulated ability to sustain lower-intensity work with manageable breathing and recovery cost.
Reference
Words that make training clearer.
A working vocabulary for conversations about effort, adaptation and recovery.
Cardiac output
The volume of blood the heart moves per minute, influenced by heart rate and stroke volume.
Progressive overload
A gradual increase in a training demand while keeping the task recoverable and technically sound.
RPE
Rate of perceived exertion: a personal estimate of how demanding a session or interval feels.
Threshold
A useful range where breathing and metabolic demand become challenging to sustain, not a single magical number.
Training monotony
A pattern in which repeated workload and insufficient variation raise fatigue without improving the stimulus.
Stroke volume
The amount of blood pumped by the heart in a single beat, which can improve with consistent aerobic training over time.
Deload
A planned period of reduced training demand used to support longer-term progress and manage accumulated fatigue.
Terms side by side
| Term | Category | Everyday example |
|---|---|---|
| Aerobic base | Endurance | Being able to hold a conversation during a brisk morning walk |
| Progressive overload | Strength | Adding one more comfortable repetition to a carry over several weeks |
| RPE | Perceived effort | Rating a session a 6 out of 10 based on how it felt, not just the numbers |
| Deload | Recovery | Choosing a lighter week after a demanding travel or work period |
| Training monotony | Programming | Running the same route at the same pace every single day without variation |
How to use this glossary
Why define terms at all?
Shared vocabulary makes it easier to compare notes, read research summaries and describe a session accurately to a training partner or professional.
Should a term change how I train today?
Not on its own. A definition explains a concept; applying it sensibly depends on your own history, schedule and current condition.
Where can I see these terms in context?
Each article on this site uses these terms deliberately. Start with the articles page to see them applied to real scenarios.
Before you apply a term
- Check whether the definition matches how the word is being used in the specific article you are reading.
- Consider whether the concept applies to your current training history or to a more advanced stage.
- Note that a single term rarely tells the whole story; most training decisions depend on several factors together.
- When in doubt, compare the term against the methodology page to understand how Genese applies it editorially.
Terms need context.
A definition is a doorway, not a diagnosis. Follow each term into a guide and compare it with the conditions of your own week.
"A term is only useful once it changes how you read the next article."See common questions