Because I am going to be turning 40 in just a few months, I recently started going to the gym – or gimnasio in Spanish – four days a week. Call it my crisis de la mediana edad (mid-life crisis), but I feel so much better for it. I have more energía (energy) to chase around my active four-year-old, I sleep como un tronco (like a log), and I can enjoy many of the things I used to deny myself, all while maintaining a dieta equilibrada (balanced diet), of course!
Latin American Pronunciation
European Pronunciation
The word comes from the Latin gimnasio, which in turn is derived from the Greek gumnasion, from gumnazein, meaning to exercise naked!
Gimnasio is a masculine noun that takes the following definite and indefinite articles:
- el gimnasio = the gym
- los gimnasios = the gyms
- un gimnasio = a gym
- unos gimnasios = some gyms
Voy al gimnasio cuatro días a la semana.
I go to the gym four days a week.
The first time you step into the gym, the array of aparatos de gimnasia (equipment) can feel overwhelming, but with time and practice, you’ll become familiar with it all. A good starting point is with free weights, known as las pesas sueltas or las pesas libres, and dumbbells (las mancuernas). These weights come in various kilograms that you can progressively increase as you gain strength.
Some popular ejercicios (exercises) you can do in the gym include:
- las flexiones = push-ups
- las dominadas = pull-ups
- el remo con mancuernas = bent-over rows
- el peso muerto = dead lift
- el press de banca = bench press
- el press de pecho = chest press
- el press de hombros = shoulder press
- las elevaciones laterales = lateral raises
- el curl = curl
- la plancha = plank
- la sentadilla = squat
- la zancada = lunge
No matter which exercises you do, always make sure to bring una botella de agua (water bottle) to quench your thirst, una toalla (a towel) to wipe away el sudor (sweat), a good pair of zapatillas (sneakers), and comfortable ropa deportiva (gym clothes). You can keep all these things inside una bolsa de gimnasia (gym bag).
Many fanáticas del gimnasio (gym bunnies) also like to wear un reloj inteligente (smart watch) to keep track of their ritmo del corazón (heart rate) and how many calorías (calories) they’ve burned.
¿Vendrás conmigo al gimnasio? No me siento cómoda yendo sola.
Will you come with me to the gym? I don’t feel comfortable going by myself.
Some of my friends don’t enjoy going to the gimnasio, so they’ve built themselves a gimnasio casero (home gym) in their basement. After the initial expense of setting it up, I’m sure it’s much more economical than a monthly membresía del gimnasio (gym membership)!
