2008年ESL之就医 11 Exercising at the Gym

11 Exercising at the Gym

GLOSSARY 1

weight machine – a piece of equipment that one uses to build one’s muscles,usually by pulling or pushing a heavy part of the equipment* Shane started using a new weight machine at the gym last month and his arms are already much larger than they were before.

to try (something) out – to do or use something a small number of times or for ashort period of time to find out whether one likes it and wants to continue* Kelly tried out five different types of bicycles before she decided 2 which one tobuy.

muscle – one of many body parts that is connected to bones and allows one tomove* Their leg muscles hurt a lot after their 18-mile hike up and down that mountain.

to ache – to hurt with a dull pain that lasts over time; to feel discomfort 3 with aweak pain* His tooth has been aching for a week, so he’s going to schedule anappointment with the dentist.

gym – a building where people go to exercise indoors 4; a place where people goto play sports and to exercise* Some employers 5 give all their employees free membership 6 to a gym becausethey want to encourage their workers to be healthy and active.

cardio – cardiovascular; related 7 to the heart and/or activities designed to makethe heart beat more quickly for exercise* Running, swimming, and bicycling are all great cardio activities.

workout – a period of physical exercise to improve one’s health; a series ofphysical exercises to lose weight* Hercilia had a great workout yesterday, running five eight-minute miles.

treadmill 8 – a machine that one stands on, where the part below one’s feetmoves so that one can walk or run at any speed* Some people enjoy walking on a treadmill while they watch TV so that they canget some exercise while seeing their favorite shows.

stationary 9 bike – a machine that is like a bicycle, but the wheels do not touchthe ground, so the user 10 doesn’t go anywhere* I like riding a real bicycle more than a stationary bike because it is good to beoutside and get some fresh air.

free weights – small, heavy pieces of metal or plastic that one can hold in one’s hands or attach to one’s wrists or ankles for exercise* Prissy has started carrying free weights on her evening walks so that she canget more exercise.

strength-training – the practice of exercising to build one’s muscles andbecome stronger* Doctors recommend that women do strength-training exercises a few times aweek to protect their bones later in life.

personal trainer – a person whose job is to help other people learn how toexercise correctly and meet their health goals* Wendy hired a personal trainer who helped her lose 20 pounds in just threemonths.

regimen – a special plan that one follows, especially to improve one’s health* Dr. Litchman put us on a new dietary regimen that includes a lot of fruits,vegetables, and fish.

to look out for (someone) – to look for someone; to look around and see ifsomeone is in a particular place* You should look out for Marcus when you go to that grocery store because healways shops there.

to sweat – to lose water through the very small holes in one’s skin, usually because one’s body is hot and needs to cool down* If you sweat a lot, you need to drink extra water to replace the water that yourbody is losing.

locker 11 room – a large room in a gym where people can take a shower andchange their clothes* The men’s locker room always smells like dirty socks!

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1.  Which of these might you use for strength-training?

a)  A weight machine.

b)  A treadmill.

c)  A locker room.

2.  What does Sally mean by saying, “I’ll look out for you”?

a)  She is offering to help Jae learn to use the equipment.

b)  She wants to protect Jae from something dangerous.

c)  She is promising 12 to look for him when she’s at the gym.

______________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

trainerThe phrase “personal trainer,” in this podcast, means a person whose job is tohelp other people learn how to exercise correctly and meet their health goals:

“The gym gives all of its new members one free session 13 with a personal trainer.” A “trainer” can be anyone who helps another person learn how to do something:

“Kirk is working with a great trainer to improve his throwing technique.”  Or: “Thecompany wants to find a good trainer to teach its employees how to usecomputers more effectively.”  Finally, “cross-trainers” are shoes that can be usedfor many different kinds of sports: “Do I need to buy special shoes to play on thetennis courts, or can I wear my cross-trainers?”

to look out forIn this podcast, the phrase “to look out for (someone)” means to look around andsee if someone is in a particular place: “I’m looking out for Michael because Ineed to ask him something today.”  The same phrase can also mean to protectand take care of someone: “Young children need adults to look out for themwhen they cross the street.”  The phrase “to look out for (something)” means toavoid doing something wrong or bad: “Look out for snakes when you walk through the tall grass!”  Finally, the phrase “look out” is used to tell someone tobe careful, especially when something bad is about to happen: “Look out!  Youalmost stepped into that hole in the sidewalk!”

CULTURE NOTEPeople who go to a gym in the United States are expected to follow commongym “etiquette 14” (rules and expectations about how one should behave to bepolite and considerate of other people).  In some gyms, these rules are “posted”

(hung where people can see them) on a wall, but in other gyms people aresimply expected to know “proper” (correct) etiquette.

One of the important rules of gym etiquette is to “wipe down” (move a cloth oversomething to pick up a liquid) the exercise machines after using them.  Peoplewho are exercising sweat a lot, and some of that sweat falls onto the machine.  Itis “gross” (disgusting and unpleasant) and “unhygienic” (unclean) if the nextperson has to use a machine that it is covered in someone else’s sweat.  That is why most gyms provide small towels and “spray bottles” (bottles that have a topthat can be squeezed 15 so that a small amount of liquid comes out) to wipe downthe machines.

Another important rule of gym etiquette is to never “hog” (use too much ofsomething, or use something for too long) the machines.  Gyms have limitedequipment, and sometimes there are more people than machines.  Most gyms have a “time limit” (the maximum amount of time for doing something) of 20 or 30minutes for their machines if another person is waiting to use it.  People whowant to use a machine for longer than that time limit need to get off the machineand offer it to others.  If no one else wants it, then they can get back on it andcontinue exercising.

______________Comprehension Questions Correct Answers:  1 – a; 2 – c

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 385: Exercising atthe Gym.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 17 385.  I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

Visit our website at eslpod.com.  You can download a Learning 18 Guide for this episode to help you approve your English even faster.

This episode is called “Exercising at the Gym.”  It’s a dialogue between Jae andSally about common exercise-related vocabulary.  Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Jae:  Hi, are you done with this weight machine?

Sally:  Yeah, I am.  I was just trying it out.  I think I must be doing somethingwrong.  My muscles are aching already. Jae:  Maybe I can help.  I’ve been working out on these machines for a fewmonths, so I’m pretty used to them.

Sally:  I just joined the gym this week.  I usually do a cardio workout on atreadmill or stationary bike, and I’ve used free weights at home before.  But nowit makes sense to do my strength-training here.

Jae:  Have you thought about getting a personal trainer?  When I joined, I signedup for a trainer for a few sessions 19 and she helped me set up a good regimen.

Sally:  That’s a good idea.

Jae:  If you want help with those machines, though, I’m usually here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Sally:  Thanks, I’ll definitely 20 look out for you.  I’m Sally. Jae:  I’m Jae.  Nice to meet you.

Sally:  You, too.  I think I’ve sweated enough today.  I’m off to the locker room.  

Jae:  Yeah, me too.  See ya!

Sally:  Bye!

[end of dialogue]

Our dialogue begins with Jae saying to Sally, “Hi, are you done with this weightmachine (are you finished using this weight machine)?”  A “weight machine” is apiece of equipment that you use to make your muscles bigger, usually by pullingor pushing some heavy weight.  “Weight,” here, refers to any object that is very heavy that is used for exercising, in this case.

Sally says, “Yeah, I am (I am finished – I am done).  I was just trying it out.”  To“try something out” is a phrasal verb meaning to do or to use something a smallnumber of times or for a short period until you see whether you like it or not –until you see whether you want to continue.  “I’m trying out the computer at thecomputer store” – I’m typing on it, I’m trying to see if I will like it. Sally says, “I think I must be doing something wrong.  My muscles are achingalready.”  Your “muscles” are the parts of your body that move the bones thatallow you to have movement.  To “ache” (ache) is a verb meaning to have a pain;you feel discomfort.  It isn’t a strong pain; an ache is something that hurts, but itisn’t very intense 21. Jae says, “Maybe I can help.”  Of course, Jae sees a beautiful woman at aweight machine and he offers to help – what a nice guy!  Jae says, “I’ve beenworking out on these weight machines for a few months, so I’m pretty used tothem.”  To “work out on” means to exercise using these machines.  He says he’s “pretty used to,” meaning he’s very used to them; he knows how they work.

Sally then tells Jae, “I just joined the gym this week.”  “Gym” is short for“gymnasium,” a place where you exercise.  Sally says, “I usually do a cardioworkout on a treadmill or stationary bike.”  “Cardio” is short for “cardiovascular,”

which is a word describing something related to the heart, or things designed tomake the heart beat (or work) faster.  Cardiovascular, what we say simply as “cardio,” is, in this case, a type of exercise like running or jogging to get yourheart to beat faster. Sally says that she does her “cardio workout” (her cardio exercise) on a treadmill. A “treadmill” is a machine where one part of the machine is moving so that youcan walk with your feet, or jog or run, but you stay in one place.  So, the machinemoves, and you walk or jog with it.  To “tread” is a verb meaning to walk.  The “stationary bike” is a bicycle, but a bicycle that doesn’t move.  So you just movethe wheel of the bicycle, we would say you “pedal” the bicycle, but you are notmoving anywhere; you do it just for the exercise. Sally says that she’s used free weights at home before.  A “free weight” is alarge, heavy object that you do not have inside of a machine.  So for example,when you are watching the Olympic weightlifting champions, and they lift a lot ofweights, those weights are called “free weights”; they’re not connected orattached to any machine.  Sally says, “now it makes sense to do my strengthtraining here.”  “Strength-training” is when you do exercise to make your muscles bigger and stronger, like me.  If you see me, you know I do a lot of strengthtraining – I’m just kidding! Sally wants to do some strength-training – make her muscles bigger so she canprotect herself against nice guys like Jae!  Jae then asks, “Have you thoughtabout getting a personal trainer?”  A “personal trainer” is a person who has thejob of helping 22 you exercise correctly, someone who gives you advice and tips about how to use the machines and how to use the weights, someone who is there to motivate you.  A “trainer” (trainer) is any person who trains or gives instruction to another person.  There are a couple of meanings of that word; takea look at our Learning Guide for some additional 23 explanations.

Jae says, “When I joined (meaning when I joined the gym), I signed up for atrainer for a few sessions and she helped me set up a good regimen.”  When hesigned up for the gym (when he joined the gym), he also signed up for a personaltrainer for a few sessions (a few times, maybe two or three different days).  This trainer helped him set up a good regimen.  A “regimen” is a special plan that youfollow, usually something to improve your health – to make you healthier.

Sally says, “That’s a good idea.”  And then Jae says, “If you want help with thosemachines, though, I’m usually here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.” Here we go!  This is what Jae was waiting for, an opportunity to give Sally someextra help – of course, to get to know her better!  Jae says that he is usually atthe gym every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Sally says, “Thanks, I’lldefinitely look out for you.”  To “look out for” someone, in this dialogue, means tolook for someone – to look around to see if you can find a certain person in aparticular place.  To “look out for” has a couple of different meanings in English;take a look at the Learning Guide for those explanations.

So, Sally appears to be interested in Jae.  She introduces herself by giving hername; she says, “I’m Sally.”  Jae says, “I’m Jae.  Nice to meet you.”  Sally says,“You, too,” meaning nice to me you, too.  “I think I’ve sweated enough today,” she says.  To “sweat” means to lose water through your skin.  If you work very hard, you will sweat.  I usually don’t sweat, because I don’t work very hard!  Sally says, “I’m off to the locker room.”  The “locker room” is a large room in a gymwhere you can change your clothes (you can put on special gym clothes, shorts and a shirt) and you can take a shower and clean up after you have sweatedworking out on the weight machines.  Jae says, “Yeah, me too,” meaning I’mgoing to go to locker room, too.  Then he says to Sally, “See ya!” meaning seeyou later, and Sally says, “Bye!”  Of course, we have to come back the nextMonday, Wednesday, or Friday to see what happens with Jae and Sally then!

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Jae:  Hi, are you done with this weight machine?

Sally:  Yeah, I am.  I was just trying it out.  I think I must be doing somethingwrong.  My muscles are aching already. Jae:  Maybe I can help.  I’ve been working out on these machines for a fewmonths, so I’m pretty used to them.

Sally:  I just joined the gym this week.  I usually do a cardio workout on atreadmill or stationary bike, and I’ve used free weights at home before.  But nowit makes sense to do my strength-training here.

Jae:  Have you thought about getting a personal trainer?  When I joined, I signedup for a trainer for a few sessions and she helped me set up a good regimen.

Sally:  That’s a good idea.

Jae:  If you want help with those machines, though, I’m usually here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Sally:  Thanks, I’ll definitely look out for you.  I’m Sally. Jae:  I’m Jae.  Nice to meet you.

Sally:  You, too.  I think I’ve sweated enough today.  I’m off to the locker room. Jae:  Yeah, me too.  See ya!

Sally:  Bye!

[end of dialogue]

The script 16 for this episode was written by someone who always follows a healthy regimen, Dr. Lucy Tse. From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan.  Thanks for listening.  Comeback and listen to us next time on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan.  This podcast is copyright 24 2008.