Going to train at a new gym can be intimidating.
So we can only imagine what it’s like if you are going to a new gym in a new country.
Let’s say you are planning on living or working in China in the future but want to also stay in shape. You’re going to want to know these vocabulary words and phrases to make a comfortable transition.
Today’s focus is on a specific activity “举重 (jǔ zhòng) weightlifting”.
Whether you are just starting out or you are highly experienced, all of the information will guide you through sucessfully training in a gym while only speaking Chinese.
Before we start weightlifting, we must find the weight plates. The weight plates that you find at the gym are usually called “杠铃片 (gàng líng piàn) barbell plate” and they come in 2 units of measurement.
●磅 (bàng) pound
●公斤 (gōng jīn) kilogram
qǐng bāng wǒ jiā yī zhāng shí bàng de gàng líng piàn.
请 帮 我 加 一 张 十 磅 的 杠 铃 片 。
Please add a ten pound plate for me.
qǐng nǐ gěi wǒ jiā 10 jīn.
请 你 给 我 加 10 斤 。
Please give me 10 pounds .
Then you can decide how long and how many you do this time.
● 组 (zǔ) set
●次 (cì) reps
zhè yī zǔ wǒ dǎ suàn zuò wǔ cì.
这 一 组 我 打 算 做 五 次。
I plan to do 5 reps on this set.
●深蹲 (shēn dūn) squat
●硬拉 (yìng lā) deadlift
●卧推 (wò tuī) bench press
shēn dūn, yìng lā, wò tuī bèi chēn wéi sān dà huáng jīn dòng zuò .
深 蹲， 硬 拉，卧 推 被 称 为 三 大 黄 金 动 作。
Squats, deadlifts , and bench presses are called the three golden movements.
They can all be modified so you can use either “杠铃 (gàng líng) barbells” or “哑铃 (yǎ líng) dumbbells” too. Have fun in the gym by mixing it up between using “杠铃 (gàng líng)” and “哑铃 (yǎ líng)” for your lifts.
While many people can work out alone in the weight room, once you become more advanced, for safety reasons it is necessary to have someone “spot” you during heavier lifts.
This is when either a friend or another weightlifter with similar ability or better helps you out while you perform your movement so if you begin to fail they come to your rescue and save you from being squished under all the weight.
In this context the person who is helping with the weights is called a “spotter”. In Chinese you can simply call this person a “训练伙伴 (xùnliàn huǒbàn) training partner”.
●训练伙伴 (xùn liàn huǒ bàn) training partner
nǐ kě yǐ zuò wǒ de xùn liàn huǒ bàn ma?
你 可以 做 我 的 训 练 伙 伴 吗？
Can you be my spotter?
It may feel uncomfortable asking a stranger to help you with your exercise but an advanced weightlifter or trainer is always happy to help a fellow athlete perform their best.
Plus, they know that after you asked for assistance that they are free to ask you for assistance as well. It’s a win-win situation.
Another way to talk to other gym members is to compliment them or give them useful advice.
One such topic often comes up in the form of how well they are doing a specific movement. When you want to address someone’s form during a movement you can call it “姿势 (zī shì)” which translates to “posture”.
●姿势 (zī shì) posture
nǐ de zī shì fēi cháng hǎo.
你 的 姿 势 非 常 好。
Your posture is very good.
What’s your favorite lift and do you use a spotter when you lift heavy? Let us know what other useful, everyday Chinese expressions you’d like to learn next.
“Expressions You Need to Know About Money”
“The Mystery of Brand Names in Chinese Revealed”
”Do You Believe Every Chinese Idiom Has 2 Sides?”
