PlainExercise
Browse 800+ exercises by muscle group, equipment, and progression. Each entry shows form cues, safer substitutions, and equipment variations drawn from open exercise databases and peer-reviewed strength training research.
Definitive plain-language encyclopedia of 2,500+ exercises: form guides, muscles worked, safe subs, equipment vars, progression paths from open DBs + med sources.
Every exercise, structured.
A structured, free reference for exercises, muscle groups, equipment, and workout routines. No video, no signup, no hype — just clear information on how each movement works and when to use it.
- Exercises
- 873
- Muscles
- 20
- Equipment
- 16
- Variations
- 883
- Workouts
- 186
Exercises by equipment (top 8)
What you will find here
The goal of PlainExercise is to be the reference you look at before training, not during. Each exercise page answers four questions quickly:
- What muscle does this train, primarily? Every exercise is tagged with a primary muscle and any secondary contributors.
- What do I need? Equipment is explicit — bodyweight, dumbbells, barbell, cable, bands, machine, kettlebell, etc.
- How do I actually do it? Numbered, plain-language steps. No flowery prose.
- What can go wrong? Each page lists common mistakes and safety notes specific to the movement.
When one exercise is not the right fit, the page also links to variations (same movement, different equipment or grip) and to peer exercises that target the same muscle. Use the How to Read an Exercise Page guide to get the most out of each record.
Exercise Intensity Zones
How common activities map to MET intensity — from light walking to very vigorous sprinting. Data from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al., 2011).
Guides
Plain-language guides for choosing, sequencing, and progressing exercises.
Frequently asked questions
What is PlainExercise?
A free, structured database of 800+ exercises covering every major muscle group and equipment profile. Each page documents what the exercise is, which muscles it trains, what equipment you need, how to perform it, common mistakes, and safer variations.
Where does the data come from?
Exercise records derive from the public-domain Free Exercise DB (CC0) and the AGPL-licensed wger.de corpus. We merge, normalize, and frame the data with original editorial context (common mistakes, safety notes, progression paths). Raw instruction text retains its upstream attribution.
Is this medical or personal training advice?
No. PlainExercise publishes general educational information. Consult a physician or certified trainer before starting any new exercise program, especially if you have pre-existing conditions or recent injuries.
Is PlainExercise free to use?
Yes. No signup, no paywall. The site is supported by non-intrusive advertising. All data is free to browse, and editorial content may be quoted with attribution.
General information only. PlainExercise publishes educational material, not medical or personal training advice. Consult a physician or certified trainer before starting any new exercise program, especially if you have pre-existing conditions or injuries.
Related Guides
Editorial context for the plainexercise dataset — methodology, comparisons, and deep dives into the underlying records.