workout

Deverbal from work out.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈwɜːk.aʊ̯t/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈwɝk.aʊ̯t/

workout (plural workouts)

1. An exercise session; a period of physical exercise.
   • 2008, Jim Montgomery, Mo Chambers, Mastering Swimming, page 157:

     The following guidelines for smart weekly scheduling can simplify this piece of the planning: Swim three or four workouts each week.

   • 2017 February 17, Dana Santas, “Recovering from surgery or stress? Yoga can help”, in CNN‎^[1]:

     Whether you need to recover from a stressful day, a strenuous workout or even an injury or surgery, restorative yoga may be just the thing for you.

   • 2025 July 8, Issy Ronald, “Matching your workouts to your personality could make exercise more enjoyable and give better results”, in CNN‎^[2]:

     More extroverted people, for example, prefer high-intensity training sessions with others, such as team sports, while people who scored highly on “neuroticism,” a metric that measures someone’s emotional instability, preferred private workouts without people watching them and punctuated by short breaks.

2. A schedule or program of specific exercises, especially one intended to achieve a particular goal.
   • 2007, Peter Twist, Complete Conditioning for Hockey, page 170:

     If athletes do too much too soon, they will be stiff and sore 24 to 48 hours after a new workout.

   • 2010, Mark Alvisi (quote from a reader), "Mark of a Champion", Muscular Development 47(1): 350

     I read in another magazine about a workout that can put a whole inch on your arms in just one day!

3. (by extension) Any activity that requires much physical or mental effort, or produces strain.
   • 2001, Jan Karon, A Common Life: The Wedding Story, page 41:

     Cynthia's phone got a workout, as well. In approximately three days since the news had hit the street, a total of five bridal showers had been booked, not to mention a luncheon at Esther Cunningham's and tea at Olivia Harper's.

   • 2019 May 19, Alex McLevy, “The final Game Of Thrones brings a pensive but simple meditation about stories (newbies)”, in The A.V. Club‎^[3], archived from the original on 22 May 2019:

     After the camera pans around and we welcome back a lot of familiar faces (Edmure Tully! Yara Greyjoy! Brienne!), the themes of opposition to fate, emotional appeals, and ethical duty get an even better workout.

• outwork