筋トレ

• Reading: きんトレ
• Romaji: kintore
• Kanji breakdown: 筋 (muscle, sinew) + トレ (abbreviation of トレーニング, from English 'training') → muscle training
• Pronunciation: /kiɴ.to.ɾe/

Meaning

Weight training or muscle-building exercise — the go-to abbreviation for any resistance training.

筋トレ is an abbreviation of 筋力トレーニング (muscle strength training) and is universally used in Japan to refer to any form of resistance exercise, from bodyweight pushups at home to serious barbell work at the gym. The 2010s-2020s fitness boom made 筋トレ a lifestyle keyword, with dedicated YouTube channels, Instagram accounts, and bestselling books. It carries a positive, aspirational tone — saying you do 筋トレ signals discipline and self-improvement.

Examples

1. 最近筋トレにハマってて、週4でジム行ってる。 I've been hooked on weight training lately — I'm hitting the gym four times a week.
2. 筋トレ始めてから肩こりが全然なくなったんだよね。 Since I started lifting, my shoulder stiffness completely disappeared.
3. 仕事のストレスは筋トレで発散するのが一番だわ。 Working out is the best way to blow off work stress.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, social media, fitness, daily conversation

Tone: positive, aspirational

Do Say

• 今日は筋トレの日だから先に帰るね。 (Today is my training day so I'm heading home early.)
• 筋トレ初心者におすすめのメニューある？ (Got any recommended routines for a training beginner?)

Don't Say

• 目上の人に「筋トレしたら？」は失礼 — 体型に関するアドバイスは慎重に (Telling someone senior 'why don't you work out?' is rude — be careful with unsolicited fitness advice)

Common Mistakes

• Assuming 筋トレ only means heavy weightlifting — it covers any muscle-building exercise including bodyweight training at home

Origin & History

Abbreviation of 筋力トレーニング (kinryoku torēningu, muscle strength training). The shortened form 筋トレ became the standard casual term as fitness culture grew in Japan from the 2000s onward.

Cultural Context

Era: 2000s abbreviation, mainstream fitness boom from 2010s

Generation: All ages, especially 20s-40s

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. The fitness boom has made 筋トレ one of the most common lifestyle keywords, driven by fitness YouTubers and social media culture.