LEXICAL PATTERNS OF FITNESS WORKOUT IN THE USA

Abstract

The paper investigates lexical patterns that American fitness instructors currently use to conduct online workouts with the focus on common and specific features of the patterns. The material was selected from video workouts representing 3 types of fitness training: cardio, Yoga and strength. The speakers were renown certified American instructors (two women and a man, aged 27–35). The total duration of the material was 16 minutes 30 seconds. We processed the material using auditory, classification and quantitative methods along with contextual analysis. As a result, 5 thematic groups of lexical units were selected: 1) verbs describing body moves and its parts moves, 2) names of workouts, 3) body parts, 4) names of exercise types, 5) motivating vocabulary. Groups 1, 3 and 4 turned the largest. Terms were least frequent in Group 1 and most frequent in groups 2 and 4. No terms were found in group 5. Besides terms, we identified professional and general slang, acronyms and diminutive word forms. Groups 3 and 4 displayed features specific for the three types of workouts. Units from Groups 1, 3 and 4 were present in all 3 types of workouts equally, units from group 5 were not present in Yoga workout. It can be explained by higher dynamism of cardio and strength workouts and meditative atmosphere of Yoga.