Going to the gym in Spanish: All the Spanish fitness vocab

Exercise and physical activity are super important for staying healthy, and it’s really helpful to know the right words when you’re working out. So, whether you are planning to visit Spain or Latin America and wish to keep up with your fitness regimen, or you just seek to expand your Spanish vocabulary, having a grasp of the correct Spanish gym vocabulary will make your experience a lot smoother.

In this post we’ll delve into the essential terms for going to the gym in Spanish, including exercises, facilities, appropriate clothing, and gym equipment in Spanish. As a bonus, we’ll throw in some verbs and phrases to make sure everything is covered.

So, without further ado, let’s begin our Spanish fitness journey!

Gym facilities in Spanish

One of the most important steps in learning gym vocabulary in Spanish is familiarizing yourself with the different gym facilities. By understanding the terms used to describe various areas and amenities, you’ll feel more comfortable and confident navigating the gym environment.

English	Spanish
Gym	El gimnasio
Front desk	La recepción
Locker	El casillero, La taquilla
Locker room	El vestuario, El cambiador
Shower	La ducha
Free weights area	El área de pesas
Cardio area	El área de cardio
Spinning studio	El salón de spinning, El estudio de de spinning
Yoga studio	El estudio de yoga
Stretching area	El área de estiramiento
Multi-purpose room	El salón de usos múltiples
Dance studio	El salón de baile, El estudio de baile
Boxing ring	El cuadrilátero, El ring de boxeo
Swimming pool	La piscina
Sauna	El sauna

Gym equipment in Spanish

Now that we know our way around the gym, let’s focus on the vocabulary related to exercise equipment. We will explore words and phrases for commonly used equipment like treadmills, exercise bikes, dumbbells in Spanish, etc. Being familiar with these terms will make it easier to communicate and utilize the equipment effectively.

English	Spanish
Weight rack	El estante de pesas, El rack de pesas
Weights	Las pesas
Dumbbells	Las mancuernas
Kettlebells	Las pesas rusas, Las kettlebells
Barbell	La barra olímpica
Tricep bar	La barra romana
Curl bar, EZ bar	La barra zeta, La barra Z
Trap bar	La barra hexagonal
Bench	La banca
Treadmill	La caminadora, La cinta de correr
Stepmill, Stair machine	La escaladora
Stationary bike	La bicicleta estacionaria
Elliptical bike, Elliptical machine	La elíptica, La bicicleta elíptica
Leg press	La prensa, La prensa de piernas
Leg extension machine	La máquina de extensión de piernas, La máquina de extensión de rodillas
Leg curl machine	La máquina de flexión de piernas, La máquina de flexión de rodillas
Adductor machine	La máquina de aductores
Abduction machine	La máquina de abducción
Pulley machine, Cable crossover machine	La máquina de poleas
PecDeck	La máquina de apertura de pecho, La máquina de apertura, El contractor
Rowing machine	La máquina de remo
Power rack	El power rack
Plyo box	El cajón
Pull-up bar	La barra, La barra de levantamiento
Ab wheel	La rueda abdominal
Medicine ball	El balón medicinal
Suspension trainers (TRX)	Las correas de suspensión
Rings	Las anillas
Punching bag	El saco de boxeo
Power bands	Las bandas de resistencia
Yoga mat	La colchoneta de yoga, El mat de yoga
Jumping rope	La cuerda de saltar
Scale	La báscula

Exercises in Spanish

No gym visit is complete without understanding the vocabulary related to workouts. In this section, we will cover essential Spanish workout words as well as some other exercise vocabulary in Spanish for you to hit the gym confidently.

English	Spanish
Workout	El ejercicio, El entrenamiento
Exercise	El ejercicio
Routine	La rutina
Reps	Las repeticiones
Intervals	Los intervalos
Set	La serie, El set
Circuit training	El entrenamiento de circuito
Warm-up	El calentamiento
Squat	La sentadilla
Deep squat	La sentadilla profunda
Bulgarian split squat	La sentadilla búlgara
Jumping squat	La sentadilla con salto
Barbell Back Squat	La sentadilla con barra
Lunges	Las zancadas
Calf raise	La elevación de talones
Crunches, Sit-ups	Los abdominales
Hip-thrusts	La elevación pélvica, El hip-thrust
Russian twist	El giro ruso, La rotación de torso
Push-ups	Las flexiones, Las lagartija
Plank	La plancha
Deadlift	El peso muerto
Bicep curl	La flexión de bícep
Overhead press	El press de hombros
Bench press	El press de banca
Lateral shoulder raises	Las elevaciones laterales con mancuernas
Dumbbell shrugs	Los encogimientos de hombros con mancuernas
Pull-ups	Las dominadas
Dips	Los fondos
Burpees	Los burpees
Mountain climbers	Los escaladores
Jumping jacks	Los saltos de tijera, Los jumping jacks
Stationary jogging	El trote estacionario

Training regimes in Spanish

Nowadays, there’s a wide variety of training options available, and luckily, many gyms offer diverse classes to cater to your preferred style of exercise. Whether you enjoy dancing in a zumba class or pushing yourself to the limit in a crossfit session, there are plenty of choices. The best part is that many of these workouts have essentially the same names in both languages, making it easier to learn training vocabulary in Spanish.

English	Spanish
Swimming	La natación
Crossfit	El crossfit
Functional training	El entrenamiento funcional, El funcional
HIIT	El HIIT, El entrenamiento de alta intensidad
Cross-training	El entrenamiento cruzado, El cross-training
Calisthenics	La calistenia
Yoga	El yoga
Pilates	El pilates
Spinning	El spinning
Boxing	El boxeo
Kickboxing	El kickboxing
Muay thai	El muay thai, El boxeo tailandés
Zumba	La zumba
Salsa	La salsa
Aerobics	Los aeróbicos

Note that you could just talk about the training, or perhaps you’re referring to a fitness class. To do this, just add la clase de… before the nouns, without including the article. For example:

• Zumba class is the best. I love to dance! – La clase de zumba es la mejor. ¡Me encanta bailar!

• Yoga class starts at 7am. – La clase de yoga empieza a las 7 a.m.

Gym clothing and gear in Spanish

Wearing suitable workout clothes is essential for both comfort and performance. In this section, we will explore gym vocabulary in Spanish related to workout clothing, covering everything from sport shoes and leggings to boxing gloves and goggles. For a broader selection of clothing types, we recommend you check our post on clothes in Spanish.

Now, let’s dive into the world of gym fashion and equipment in Spanish to ensure you’re dressed for success in your workouts.

English	Spanish
T-shirt	La camiseta
Tank top	La franelilla, La musculosa, La camiseta sin mangas
Sports bra	El sujetador deportivo, El sostén deportivo
Sweatshirt	La sudadera
Compresion shirt	La camisa de compresión
Hoodie	La sudadera con capucha
Tracksuit	El chándal
Joggers, Sweat pants	El calentador, El pantalón de chándal, El pantalón deportivo, El mono
Leggings	La licra, El leggin, Las mallas
Shorts	El short, Los pantalones cortos
Bathing suit, Swimsuit	El traje de baño
Socks	Los calcetines, Las medias
Tennis shoes	Los zapatos deportivos, Los tennis
Hat, Cap	La gorra
Headband	La cinta para el pelo, La vincha, La huincha
Wristband	La muñequera
Kneepad	La rodillera
Shin protectors	Las espinilleras
Mouthpiece	El protector bucal
Boxing gloves	Los guantes de boxeo
Swim cap	El gorro de natación
Goggles	Los anteojos de natación, Los anteojos protectores
Gloves	Los guantes
Weightlifting belt	El cinturón de levantamiento de pesas
Backpack	La mochila, El morral, El bolso
Towel	La toalla

Muscles groups in Spanish

Understanding the different muscle groups is crucial for designing effective workouts and targeting specific areas of the body. Knowing the names of these muscle groups will significantly enhance your gym vocabulary in Spanish, as well as allow you to communicate your workout goals, discuss specific exercises, and understand the importance of targeting different areas during your workouts.

We only cover nouns related to muscles here, but don’t forget to check our post on body parts in Spanish for a fun and complete anatomy lesson.

English	Spanish
Pectorals	Pectorales
Dorsals	Dorsales
Deltoids	Deltoides
Biceps	Bíceps
Triceps	Tríceps
Quadriceps, Quads	Cuádriceps
Hamstrings	Isquiotibiales
Glutes	Glúteos
Abdominals, Abs	Abdominales
Trapezius	Trapecios

Miscellaneous gym vocab in Spanish

In this section, we will explore some extra Spanish gym vocabulary that doesn’t fit into a specific category but is still useful to know.

English	Spanish
Membership pass	La membresía
Membership card	El carnet de socio, La tarjeta de membresía
Day pass	El pase para un día
Lock	El candado
Instructor	El instructor, La instructora
Personal trainer	El entrenador personal, La entrenadora personal
Water bottle	La botella de agua
Energy drink	La bebida energizante, La bebida energética
Pre-workout	El pre entreno, El pre-workout
Protein	La proteína
Protein shake	El batido de proteína

Spanish workout verbs

Finally, let’s focus on essential verbs related to exercise and workouts in Spanish. We’ll divide them in two categories: verbs to describe your fitness goals and verbs used to talk about workouts.

We’ll also include two particular verbs: hacer and tocar, which are used a bit differently in the fitness context.

After each list, we’ll provide you with some examples so you can see them in context.

Verbs to talk about fitness goals

There are two main ways to talk about your fitness goals. The first one is to conjugate the verb querer and then add the goal you want to achieve. The other one is to use the phrase mi meta es… and then add the goal. These goals are usually framed in the future, so it is a good idea to learn more about how to form the future in Spanish.

English	Spanish
Gain muscle	Ganar músculo
Gain weight	Ganar peso
Lose weight	Perder peso, Bajar de peso
Burn fat	Quemar grasa
Burn calories	Quemar calorías
Get in shape, Get fit	Ponerme en forma
Stay in shape, Stay fit	Mantenerme en forma
Feel better	Sentirme mejor
Become stronger	Volverme más fuerte, Ser más fuerte
Become faster	Volverme más rápido, Ser más rápido
Become more agile	Volverme más ágil, Ser más ágil
Become more flexible	Volverme más flexible, Ser más flexible
Tone up	Tonificar
Strengthen	Fortalecer
Relax	Relajarme

• I want to lose weight. – Quiero bajar de peso.

• My goal is to tone my abdomen. – Mi meta es tonificar el abdomen.

Verbs to describe workouts

Now it’s time for some of the most commonly used verbs in the gym. Mastering these verbs and the movements they describe is essential for mastering gym vocabulary in Spanish.

English	Spanish
To train	Entrenar
To exercise, To work out	Hacer ejercicio, Ejercitarse
To warm up	Calentar
To cool down	Enfriar
To stretch	Estirar
To breathe	Respirar
To walk	Caminar
To jog	Trotar
To jump, To skip	Saltar
To lift	Levantar
To raise	Elevar, Levantar
To put down	Bajar
To flex, To bend	Flexionar
To stretch out, To extend	Extender
To contract	Contraer
To relax	Relajar
To get up	Levantarse
To crouch	Agacharse
To lie down	Acostarse
To increase	Aumentar
To lower, To reduce	Bajar, Reducir
To rest	Descansar

• At 3pm I’m at the gym working out. – A las 3 p.m. estoy en el gimnasio haciendo ejercicio.

• Bend your legs carefully when you do that exercise. – Flexiona las piernas con cuidado cuando hagas ese ejercicio.

• Are we going to work out later? – ¿Vamos a entrenar más tarde?

• Don’t raise your arms when jumping. – No levantes los brazos al saltar.

Hacer

Spanish speakers use hacer in many ways when talking about exercise. When used to talk about training a specific body part or muscle group, hacer is used as an equivalent to the English to work on or to train.

• Today I’m going to work on my glutes. – Hoy voy a hacer glúteos en el gimnasio.

• Yesterday I worked on my chest. – Ayer hice pecho.

You can also use hacer, meaning to do, to talk about specific exercises, or to talk about the number of repetitions or sets your workout is going to have.

• Today I’ll do deadlifts and squats. – Hoy haré peso muerto y sentadillas.

• I’m going to do twenty lunges. – Voy a hacer veinte zancadas.

• I’m going to do three sets of twenty repetitions. – Voy a hacer tres sets de veinte repeticiones.

Finally, hacer is also used to talk about the duration of a workout.

• I do five minutes of stretching after I finish my weight routine. – Hago cinco minutos de estiramientos después de terminar mi rutina de pesas.

• You can do an hour of cardio at the end of class. – Puedes hacer una hora de cardio al final de la clase.

To talk about your sets and reps accurately and confidently, of course it’s also helpful to know the numbers in Spanish.

Tocar

Tocar usually means to touch in Spanish. When used to talk about workouts, tocar is used to refer to specific body parts, muscle groups, or exercises that we plan to work on during a particular day. Sometimes, we can also combine it with the verb hacer.

• Today is biceps and back day. – Hoy toca bíceps y espalda.

• On Mondays I work on legs and glutes. – Los lunes me toca hacer piernas y glúteos.

• Yesterday I focused on chest and triceps. – Ayer me tocó entrenar pecho y tríceps.

• On Tuesdays I have to jump rope after finishing the circuit. – Los martes me toca saltar la cuerda después de terminar el circuito.

Useful gym phrases in Spanish

• Are you using this machine? – ¿Estás usando esta máquina?

• The machine is free to use. – La máquina está libre.

• How many sets do you have left? – ¿Cuántas series te faltan?

• How many reps should I do? – ¿Cuántas repeticiones debo hacer?

• What can I do to…[fitness goal]? – ¿Qué puedo hacer para…?

• Can we share this machine? – ¿Podemos compartir esta máquina?

• Can you recommend a workout routine for…[part of the body]? – ¿Me puedes recomendar una rutina para…?

• Have you considered doing the [type of workout] class? – ¿Has pensado en hacer la clase de…?

• Can you teach me how to do that exercise? – ¿Me puedes enseñar a hacer ese ejercicio?

• Can you spot me? I’m lifting more weight today. – ¿Puedes ayudarme? Hoy estoy levantando más peso.

Conclusion

Good job! We covered a lot today, like a good workout routine. Now, let’s do a quick recap before leaving.

Today we focused entirely on Spanish gym vocabulary. We provided some nice comprehensive vocab lists covering gym facilities, equipment, exercises, clothing, muscle groups, and even some miscellaneous vocab.

Once we were done with nouns, we moved on to verbs. We saw verbs that are used to talk about workouts, and verbs to talk about your fitness goals. We also learned how to use hacer and tocar in a fitness context.

Finally, we introduced some useful phrases you may need while at the gym.

We hope you enjoyed this post to help you with your workouts in Spanish. Go ahead and share it with your training partners so you can practice your Spanish language skills together while at the gym!