A2-12 / CEFR A2 / EPISODE 12

At the Gym

Asking how to approach gym practice

SceneThe first day at the gym, with a trainer.

Tina flexing her arm for a trainer at the gym, with Frank behind her. — Select the illustration to view it at full size in a new tab.

Narrator

It is Tina's first day at the gym. A trainer is showing her how to start.

ティナのジム初日。トレーナーが始め方を教えている。

Trainer01

For your first day, we'll start with this three-pound dumbbell.

初日は、この3ポンドのダンベルから始めましょう。

Tina02

Three pounds? That's really light. Can I try a heavier one?

3ポンド？ずいぶん軽いわね。もっと重いのを試してもいい？

Trainer03

At first, form is more important than weight. We'll do three sets.

最初は、重さよりフォームのほうが大事ですよ。3セットやりましょう。

Tina04

Okay. Will I get sore tomorrow?

わかったわ。明日は筋肉痛になる？

Trainer05

Probably. That means your muscles are working.

たぶんね。筋肉が働いているサインです。

Tina06

Should I come every single day?

毎日来たほうがいい？

Trainer07

No. Rest at least two days a week. Rest is part of it.

いいえ。週に最低2日は休んで。休息も大事なんです。

Tina08

So lying down is part of the plan? I love Earth fitness.

じゃあ、寝転がるのも計画のうち？地球のフィットネス、大好き。

Trainer09

That's... one way to put it.

まあ…そういう言い方もできますね。

Tina10

Perfect. I'll do everything you said. Especially the resting.

完璧。言われたこと全部やるわ。特に休むところ。

WORDS & CONTEXT

Words & context

“three-pound dumbbell” / “three pounds”

A dumbbell is a short weight held in the hand, and a pound is a unit of weight. One pound is about 0.45 kilograms, so three pounds is about 1.4 kilograms. When the weight describes a noun, as in three-pound dumbbell, pound stays singular; when stating the weight alone, it is plural: three pounds. Tina thinks this is light and wants to try a heavier one.

“form is more important than weight”

Here form means exercise technique and body position, rather than a document. The trainer explains that learning correct movement matters more than lifting heavier weights.

“Will I get sore tomorrow?”

Sore describes pain, including muscle pain after exercise. Get sore means to develop that soreness. Another use is a sore throat. Tina's question leads into the trainer's reply about her muscles working.

“lying down is part of the plan”

Lie down means to rest lying on your back, and part of the plan means included in the plan. Tina takes the trainer's point that rest matters in the way that suits her best: lying down is part of the workout plan. This leads to her last line, "Especially the resting."

“That's... one way to put it.”

Put can mean to express something in words, so That's one way to put it. means "That's one way of saying it." It is a set phrase used with a wry smile when someone's description is off the mark or exaggerated. Here the trainer responds mildly to Tina, who is delighted that "lying down is part of the plan."

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