En el Gimnasio
Going to the gym · a free Spanish immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Voy al gimnasio tres veces por semana.
I go to the gym three times a week.
Literal I go to the gym three times per week.
Expresses a regular habit using the present tense of 'ir' (to go). 'Por semana' means 'per week' and is used with frequencies.
- 'Voy' is the first-person singular of the irregular verb 'ir' (to go)
- 'por semana' = per week; use 'por' with time periods for frequency expressions
Me registro en la recepción cuando llego.
I check in at the front desk when I arrive.
Literal I register myself at the reception when I arrive.
Uses the reflexive verb 'registrarse' for checking in. 'Cuando' introduces a time clause with the present tense for habitual actions.
- 'registrarse' is reflexive: 'me registro' = I check myself in
- 'cuando' + present tense describes a repeated or habitual sequence
¿Hay clases de yoga disponibles esta tarde?
Are there yoga classes available this afternoon?
Literal There are yoga classes available this afternoon?
'Hay' is the impersonal form of 'haber' meaning 'there is/are'. Placing it at the start turns it into a natural question about availability.
- 'Hay' = there is / there are (invariable impersonal form of 'haber')
- 'disponibles' is plural to agree with 'clases'
Hago pesas antes de correr en la cinta.
I lift weights before running on the treadmill.
Literal I do weights before running on the treadmill.
'Hago pesas' is the idiomatic Spanish phrase for weightlifting — literally 'I do weights'. 'Antes de' followed by an infinitive means 'before doing something'.
- 'Hago' is the irregular first-person singular of 'hacer' (to do)
- 'antes de' + infinitive = before + -ing verb in English
Me duelen los músculos después del entrenamiento.
My muscles hurt after the workout.
Literal The muscles hurt me after the training.
'Doler' works like 'gustar': the thing that hurts is the grammatical subject, and the person experiencing the pain is the indirect object. 'Los músculos' triggers the plural 'duelen'.
- 'doler' follows the gustar pattern: indirect object pronoun + verb + subject
- 'me duelen' = they (muscles) hurt me; plural subject requires plural verb
- 'después del' = 'después de' + 'el' contracted
¿Puedes corregirme la postura en este ejercicio?
Can you correct my form in this exercise?
Literal Can you correct me the posture in this exercise?
Uses 'poder' + infinitive for a polite request. The indirect object pronoun 'me' attaches directly to the infinitive 'corregir', which is common in Spanish.
- 'puedes' = can you (second-person singular of 'poder')
- object pronoun 'me' attaches to the infinitive: corregir + me = corregirme
Quiero aumentar mi resistencia en los próximos meses.
I want to increase my endurance over the next few months.
Literal I want to increase my endurance in the next months.
'Quiero' + infinitive is a natural way to express a desire or personal goal. 'Los próximos meses' means 'the coming months', placing the adjective before the noun for a forward-looking feel.
- 'quiero' + infinitive = I want to (do something) — very common goal expression
- 'próximos' placed before the noun emphasizes sequence: the next (upcoming) months
Levanta las pesas despacio y baja con control.
Lift the weights slowly and lower them with control.
Literal Lift the weights slowly and lower with control.
Both 'levanta' and 'baja' are affirmative tú imperatives — the form trainers use when giving instructions. For regular -ar verbs, the tú imperative equals the third-person singular present.
- tú imperative for -ar verbs = third-person singular present: levanta, baja
- used for direct instructions or coaching; common in gym and sports contexts
Me siento más fuerte desde que empecé a entrenar.
I feel stronger since I started training.
Literal I feel myself more strong since that I started to train.
'Sentirse' (to feel) is a reflexive verb used with adjectives to describe physical or emotional states. 'Desde que' + preterite sets a past starting point that continues into the present.
- 'sentirse' is reflexive: me siento = I feel (a state)
- 'desde que' + preterite = since + a past event
- 'empecé' is first-person preterite of 'empezar' (z→c spelling change before -é)
Mañana voy a intentar el circuito de fuerza.
Tomorrow I'm going to try the strength circuit.
Literal Tomorrow I go to try the circuit of strength.
'Voy a' + infinitive is the near future construction in Spanish, equivalent to English 'going to'. 'Mañana' establishes the future time frame and reinforces the structure.
- 'voy a' + infinitive = near future (ir a + infinitive)
- 'mañana' = tomorrow; future time markers commonly appear with this construction
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
el gimnasio
the gym
El gimnasio abre a las seis de la mañana.
The gym opens at six in the morning.
Used universally across Spanish-speaking countries. From Greek 'gymnasion'.
entrenar
to work out / to train
Me gusta entrenar por la mañana.
I like to work out in the morning.
Regular -ar verb. Used for sports training and general fitness alike.
las pesas
weights / dumbbells
Voy a levantar pesas después del calentamiento.
I'm going to lift weights after warming up.
'Hacer pesas' is the idiomatic phrase for weightlifting as an activity.
la cinta
the treadmill
Corro en la cinta durante treinta minutos.
I run on the treadmill for thirty minutes.
Short for 'cinta de correr'. In some Latin American countries also called 'trotadora' or 'caminadora'.
el entrenamiento
the workout / the training session
El entrenamiento de hoy fue muy intenso.
Today's workout was very intense.
Derived from 'entrenar'. Can refer to a single session or the general concept of training.
la postura
posture / form
Es importante mantener buena postura al levantar pesas.
It's important to maintain good form when lifting weights.
In gym contexts, 'postura' covers both posture and exercise technique (form).
la resistencia
endurance / stamina
Quiero mejorar mi resistencia cardiovascular.
I want to improve my cardiovascular endurance.
Also means 'resistance' in physics. Context makes the meaning clear.
calentar
to warm up
Siempre caliento antes de empezar a entrenar.
I always warm up before starting to work out.
Stem-changing verb (e→ie): caliento, calientas, calienta. Also means 'to heat' in non-gym contexts.
el músculo
the muscle
Me duelen los músculos de las piernas después de correr.
My leg muscles hurt after running.
Plural: los músculos. Informally, 'músculo' can also imply physical strength.
el circuito
the circuit
El circuito de fuerza dura cuarenta minutos.
The strength circuit lasts forty minutes.
'Entrenamiento en circuito' = circuit training. Common in group fitness classes.
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Carlos llega al gimnasio a las siete de la mañana y se registra en la recepción. Primero calienta en la cinta durante diez minutos para preparar los músculos. Después hace pesas y le pide al entrenador que le corrija la postura. Al final de la sesión, se siente cansado pero satisfecho, y anota su progreso en su cuaderno de entrenamiento.
Sentence by sentence
se registra en la recepción
checks in at the front desk
Reflexive verb 'registrarse' — the 'se' indicates the action is done to/for oneself. 'La recepción' is the front desk or reception area of the gym.
Primero calienta en la cinta
First he warms up on the treadmill
'Calentar' is a stem-changing verb (e→ie); third-person singular becomes 'calienta'. 'La cinta' = treadmill. 'Primero' sets the order of the routine.
le pide al entrenador que le corrija la postura
asks the trainer to correct his form
'Pedir que' triggers the subjunctive: 'corrija' is the present subjunctive of 'corregir'. This structure (verb of request + que + subjunctive) is essential for asking others to do things.
se siente cansado pero satisfecho
feels tired but satisfied
Reflexive 'sentirse' + adjective describes a personal state. Both 'cansado' and 'satisfecho' are masculine to agree with Carlos.
anota su progreso en su cuaderno de entrenamiento
writes down his progress in his training notebook
'Anotar' = to note/write down. 'Cuaderno de entrenamiento' is a training journal or logbook — practical vocabulary for dedicated gym-goers.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Present Tense for Regular Habits
Spanish uses the present tense (presente de indicativo) to describe habitual or routine actions — things you do regularly. This is extremely common for talking about workout schedules and fitness habits. Unlike English, Spanish does not need a separate auxiliary ('do/does'); the verb form alone carries the habitual meaning. Pair verbs with frequency expressions like 'tres veces por semana' or 'todos los días' to sound natural.
Subject + present-tense verb + (frequency / time expression)
Voy al gimnasio tres veces por semana.
I go to the gym three times a week.
Hago pesas todos los martes.
I lift weights every Tuesday.
Ella corre en la cinta cada mañana.
She runs on the treadmill every morning.
Siempre caliento antes de entrenar.
I always warm up before working out.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
I do weightlifting before running on the treadmill.
Hint Use 'hacer' for 'do' and remember 'la cinta' is the treadmill
Me duelen los _____ después del entrenamiento.
Hint Think about what hurts after exercise
Which sentence correctly describes a gym routine habit?
¿Puedes corregirme la postura en este ejercicio?
Hint Notice the reflexive construction and consider what 'postura' means
Rewrite using present tense: 'Quería aumentar mi resistencia' (keeping the same meaning of a goal or intention).
Hint Use 'quiero' instead of 'quería' to express current intention
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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