Learn English Phrasal Verbs:In the Gym
This pack is for talking about training, skipping a session, and the small admin around a gym: signing up, filling in a form, handing something in.
sign up for
enrol
She decided to sign up for yoga classes to improve her flexibility.
She decided to enrol in yoga classes to improve her flexibility.
🚀 Ready to practice?
get out of
avoid
He tried to get out of his workout by pretending he was busy.
He tried to avoid his workout by pretending he was busy.
🚀 Ready to practice?
get into
join
She wants to get into kickboxing after seeing her friend’s progress.
She wants to join kickboxing classes after seeing her friend’s progress.
🚀 Ready to practice?
hear of
know about
Have you heard of this fitness guru?
Do you know who this new fitness guru is?
🚀 Ready to practice?
come across
see accidentally
I came across a great deal on gym memberships online.
I accidentally saw a great deal on gym memberships online.
🚀 Ready to practice?
work out
exercise
They work out every evening to stay fit.
They exercise every evening to stay fit.
🚀 Ready to practice?
fill in
complete
Don’t forget to fill in your fitness goals on the form.
Don’t forget to complete your fitness goals on the form.
🚀 Ready to practice?
put on
gain (weight)
He put on some weight during the holidays but plans to lose it.
He gained some weight during the holidays but plans to lose it.
🚀 Ready to practice?
blow up
enlarge
Could you blow up the schedule poster for the gym wall?
Could you enlarge the schedule poster for the gym wall?
🚀 Ready to practice?
pop in
visit briefly
She decided to pop into the gym to check out the new equipment.
She decided to visit the gym briefly to check out the new equipment.
🚀 Ready to practice?
hand in
submit
Remember to hand in your application form before the deadline.
Remember to submit your application form before the deadline.
🚀 Ready to practice?
About this set
Work out here means exercise, not solve a maths problem — that other meaning lives in the school and office sets.
A few verbs are about starting or avoiding a habit (get into, get out of), which is how people actually talk about fitness.
Usage notes
- work out. Intransitive for exercise: I work out three times a week. In other topics the same verb can mean solve or calculate.
- put on. Separable. Put on weight means gain weight. Put on a jumper is a different, more literal use.
- get out of. Here it means avoid doing something: get out of going to the gym. Stress and context separate it from leaving a building.
- sign up for. Inseparable as a three-word verb. Sign up for the class, not sign the class up for (that would mean register someone else).
Common questions
Does work out always mean exercise?
In this set, yes. Elsewhere work out can mean solve (a problem) or calculate (a cost). If there is no gym or training in the sentence, check the other meaning.
What does put on mean at the gym?
Here it is put on weight — gain weight. It is separable: he put weight on / put it on. It is not the same as put on clothes from the shopping set.