Shoulders Exercises
335 Free Exercise DB records tag the shoulders as a primary or secondary muscle. Tagged inventory and primary-muscle count are ranked separately.
182 beginner · 127 intermediate · 26 advanced, computed across all tagged exercises.
#1 tagged · #2 primary
According to the Free Exercise DB corpus on PlainExercise, Shoulders is #1 of 18 by tagged inventory (335 records) at primary-count #2 (127) ≠ Quadriceps #1 primary (148 records, tagged #4).
- Shoulders is #1 of 18 by tagged inventory (335 records) at primary-count #2 (127) ≠ Quadriceps #1 primary (148 records, tagged #4).
- 335 tagged records · 127 primary-field records
- Free Exercise DB (CC0) live extract
Catalog lens
Tagged inventory is not primary-muscle count
According to the Free Exercise DB corpus on PlainExercise, Shoulders is #1 of 18 by tagged inventory (335 records) at primary-count #2 (127) ≠ Quadriceps #1 primary (148 records, tagged #4).
Tagged inventory
#1 of 18
335 tagged records. Shoulders leads tagged.
Primary-muscle count
#2 of 15
127 primary-field records. Quadriceps leads primary.
Shoulders vs all muscles by tagged exercise inventory
Where this muscle's Free Exercise DB tagged-record count sits among every muscle with at least one tag (catalog density, not training priority)
335 Top 6% more tagged exercises than 94% of 18 muscles
Muscles, banded by tagged Free Exercise DB record count
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more muscles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source Free Exercise DB · 2026-07-10
- 335
- Exercises
- 182
- Beginner-friendly
- 258
- Compound lifts
- 27
- Equipment-free
Shoulders exercises by equipment
According to the open Free Exercise DB datasets, the 335 shoulders tagged records split across equipment types as below - barbell leads the listed set, and 27 listed records are labeled body only.
Shoulders movements by equipment
What the Shoulders Exercise Data Reveals
The PlainExercise database catalogues 335 records that tag the shoulders as a primary or secondary muscle. That tagged inventory is not the primary-muscle map: According to the Free Exercise DB corpus on PlainExercise, Shoulders is #1 of 18 by tagged inventory (335 records) at primary-count #2 (127) ≠ Quadriceps #1 primary (148 records, tagged #4).. Within the listed set, 182 are tagged beginner, 127 intermediate, 26 advanced, and 0 carry no explicit level classification. Every record is sourced from the public-domain Free Exercise DB.
Context matters: this database tracks exercise taxonomy. "Primary muscle" is a source field, not a claim that a listed movement isolates the shoulders. Compound lifts tagged here may recruit this muscle as a secondary mover. This page is a catalog extract, not medical or personal-training advice.
Beginner (182)
Foundational movements to learn the pattern.
- Alternating Cable Shoulder Presscable · compound
- Alternating Deltoid Raisedumbbell · isolation
- Alternating Floor Presskettlebells · compound
- Anti-Gravity Pressbarbell · compound
- Arm Circlesisolation
- Back Flyes - With Bandsbands · compound
- Backward Medicine Ball Throwmedicine ball · compound
- Band Pull Apartbands · isolation
- Barbell Bench Press - Medium Gripbarbell · compound
- Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Gripbarbell · compound
- Barbell Incline Shoulder Raisebarbell · compound
- Barbell Rear Delt Rowbarbell · compound
- Battling Ropesother · compound
- Bench Dipsbody only · compound
- Bench Press - With Bandsbands · compound
- Bent Over Barbell Rowbarbell · compound
- Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise With Head On Benchdumbbell · isolation
- Bent Over Low-Pulley Side Lateralcable · isolation
- Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Rowdumbbell · compound
- Bradford/Rocky Pressesbarbell · compound
- Cable Chest Presscable · compound
- Cable Crossovercable · isolation
- Cable Internal Rotationcable · compound
- Cable Rear Delt Flycable · isolation
- Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rowscable · compound
- Cable Seated Lateral Raisecable · isolation
- Cable Shoulder Presscable · compound
- Car Driversbarbell · isolation
- Catch and Overhead Throwmedicine ball · compound
- Chair Upper Body Stretchother
- Chest And Front Of Shoulder Stretchother · isolation
- Chest Push (multiple response)medicine ball · compound
- Chest Push (single response)medicine ball · compound
- Chest Push from 3 point stancemedicine ball · compound
- Chest Push with Run Releasemedicine ball · compound
- Clean Shrugbarbell · compound
- Close-Grip Barbell Bench Pressbarbell · compound
- Close-Grip Dumbbell Pressdumbbell · compound
- Close-Grip EZ-Bar Presse-z curl bar · compound
- Close-Grip Front Lat Pulldowncable · compound
- Cross Over - With Bandsbands · compound
- Crucifixother · isolation
- Decline Barbell Bench Pressbarbell · compound
- Decline Dumbbell Bench Pressdumbbell · compound
- Decline Push-Upcompound
- Decline Smith Pressmachine · compound
- Dip Machinemachine · compound
- Dips - Triceps Versionbody only · compound
- Dumbbell Bench Pressdumbbell · compound
- Dumbbell Bench Press with Neutral Gripdumbbell · compound
- Dumbbell Incline Rowdumbbell · compound
- Dumbbell Incline Shoulder Raisedumbbell · isolation
- Dumbbell Raisedumbbell · compound
- Dumbbell Scaptiondumbbell · isolation
- Elbow Circlesisolation
- Elbows Backisolation
- Extended Range One-Arm Kettlebell Floor Presskettlebells · compound
- External Rotationdumbbell · isolation
- External Rotation with Bandbands · compound
- External Rotation with Cablecable · isolation
- Front Cable Raisecable · isolation
- Front Dumbbell Raisedumbbell · isolation
- Front Incline Dumbbell Raisedumbbell · isolation
- Front Raise And Pulloverbarbell · compound
- Front Two-Dumbbell Raisedumbbell · isolation
- Goblet Squatkettlebells · compound
- Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Pressdumbbell · compound
- Heavy Bag Thrustother · compound
- Incline Bench Pullbarbell · isolation
- Incline Cable Chest Presscable · compound
- Incline Dumbbell Bench With Palms Facing Indumbbell · compound
- Incline Dumbbell Flyesdumbbell · compound
- Incline Dumbbell Flyes - With A Twistdumbbell · compound
- Incline Dumbbell Pressdumbbell · compound
- Incline Push-Upbody only · compound
- Incline Push-Up Close-Gripbody only · compound
- Incline Push-Up Depth Jumpother · compound
- Incline Push-Up Mediumbody only · compound
- Incline Push-Up Reverse Gripbody only · compound
- Incline Push-Up Widebody only · compound
- Internal Rotation with Bandbands · isolation
- Isometric Chest Squeezesbody only · compound
- Isometric Wipersbody only · compound
- JM Pressbarbell · compound
- Kettlebell Pirate Shipskettlebells · compound
- Kneeling Arm Drill
- Landmine 180'sbarbell · compound
- Lateral Raise - With Bandsbands · isolation
- Leverage Chest Pressmachine · compound
- Leverage Decline Chest Pressmachine · compound
- Leverage Incline Chest Pressmachine · compound
- Leverage Shoulder Pressmachine · compound
- Low Cable Crossovercable · isolation
- Low Pulley Row To Neckcable · compound
- Machine Bench Pressmachine · compound
- Machine Shoulder (Military) Pressmachine · compound
- Medicine Ball Chest Passmedicine ball · compound
- Medicine Ball Full Twistmedicine ball · compound
- Medicine Ball Scoop Throwmedicine ball · compound
- Mountain Climbersnone (bodyweight exercise) · compound
- One Arm Dumbbell Bench Pressdumbbell · compound
- One-Arm Dumbbell Rowdumbbell · compound
- One-Arm Incline Lateral Raisedumbbell · isolation
- One-Arm Medicine Ball Slammedicine ball · compound
- One-Arm Side Lateralsdumbbell · isolation
- Otis-Upother · compound
- Pallof Presscable · isolation
- Pallof Press With Rotationcable · compound
- Parallel Bar Dipother · compound
- Plyo Push-upbody only · compound
- Power Partialsdumbbell · isolation
- Prowler Sprintother · compound
- Push Up to Side Plankbody only · compound
- Push-Up Widebody only · compound
- Push-Ups With Feet Elevatedbody only · compound
- Pushupsbody only · compound
- Pushups (Close and Wide Hand Positions)body only · compound
- Pyramidexercise ball
- Return Push from Stancemedicine ball · compound
- Reverse Flyesdumbbell · isolation
- Reverse Machine Flyesmachine · isolation
- Round The World Shoulder Stretchother
- Sandbag Loadother · compound
- Seated Cable Rowscable · compound
- Seated Cable Shoulder Presscable · compound
- Seated Dumbbell Pressdumbbell · compound
- Seated Side Lateral Raisedumbbell · isolation
- Shoulder Circles
- Shoulder Press - With Bandsbands · compound
- Shoulder Raise
- Shoulder Stretch
- Side Bridgebody only
- Side Lateral Raisedumbbell · isolation
- Side Laterals to Front Raisedumbbell · isolation
- Side Wrist Pullisolation
- Single Dumbbell Raisedumbbell · isolation
- Sled Overhead Backward Walkother · compound
- Sled Reverse Flyeother · isolation
- Sledgehammer Swingsother · compound
- Smith Incline Shoulder Raisebarbell · isolation
- Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrugmachine · isolation
- Smith Machine Bench Pressmachine · compound
- Smith Machine Bent Over Rowmachine · compound
- Smith Machine Close-Grip Bench Pressmachine · compound
- Smith Machine Decline Pressmachine · compound
- Smith Machine Incline Bench Pressmachine · compound
- Smith Machine One-Arm Upright Rowmachine · compound
- Smith Machine Overhead Shoulder Pressmachine · compound
- Smith Machine Upright Rowmachine · compound
- Spell Casterdumbbell · compound
- Spider Crawlbody only · compound
- Standing Alternating Dumbbell Pressdumbbell · compound
- Standing Bent-Over One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extensiondumbbell · isolation
- Standing Biceps Stretchother · isolation
- Standing Bradford Pressbarbell · compound
- Standing Cable Chest Presscable · compound
- Standing Cable Liftcable · compound
- Standing Cable Wood Chopcable · compound
- Standing Dumbbell Pressdumbbell · compound
- Standing Dumbbell Upright Rowdumbbell · compound
- Standing Low-Pulley Deltoid Raisecable · isolation
- Standing Military Pressbarbell · compound
- Standing One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extensiondumbbell · isolation
- Standing Overhead Barbell Triceps Extensionbarbell · isolation
- Standing Palm-In One-Arm Dumbbell Pressdumbbell · compound
- Standing Two-Arm Overhead Throwmedicine ball · compound
- Star Jumpbody only · compound
- Straight Raises on Incline Benchbarbell · isolation
- Supine Chest Throwmedicine ball · compound
- Supine One-Arm Overhead Throwmedicine ball · compound
- Supine Two-Arm Overhead Throwmedicine ball · compound
- Suspended Push-Upother · compound
- Svend Pressother · compound
- Tricep Side Stretch
- Underhand Cable Pulldownscable · compound
- Upright Barbell Rowbarbell · compound
- Upright Row - With Bandsbands · compound
- Upward Stretch
- V-Bar Pullupbody only · compound
- Vertical Swingdumbbell · compound
- Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowncable · compound
- Wrist Rollerother · isolation
Intermediate (127)
Movements that require basic strength and coordination.
- Ab Rollerother · compound
- Advanced Kettlebell Windmillkettlebells · isolation
- Alternating Kettlebell Presskettlebells · compound
- Arnold Dumbbell Pressdumbbell · compound
- Around The Worldsdumbbell · compound
- Barbell Ab Rolloutbarbell · compound
- Barbell Guillotine Bench Pressbarbell · compound
- Barbell Rollout from Benchbarbell · compound
- Barbell Shoulder Pressbarbell · compound
- Bench Press - Powerliftingbarbell · compound
- Bent-Arm Barbell Pulloverbarbell · compound
- Bent-Arm Dumbbell Pulloverdumbbell · compound
- Board Pressbarbell · compound
- Bodyweight Flyese-z curl bar · isolation
- Bottoms-Up Clean From The Hang Positionkettlebells · compound
- Chain Pressother · compound
- Cleanbarbell · compound
- Clean and Pressbarbell · compound
- Clean from Blocksbarbell · compound
- Clock Push-Upbody only · compound
- Close-Grip Push-Up off of a Dumbbellbody only · compound
- Conan's Wheelother · compound
- Cuban Pressdumbbell · compound
- Decline Close-Grip Bench To Skull Crusherbarbell · compound
- Dips - Chest Versionother · compound
- Double Kettlebell Jerkkettlebells · compound
- Double Kettlebell Push Presskettlebells · compound
- Double Kettlebell Windmillkettlebells
- Drop Pushother · compound
- Dumbbell Cleandumbbell · compound
- Dumbbell Floor Pressdumbbell · compound
- Dumbbell Lying One-Arm Rear Lateral Raisedumbbell · isolation
- Dumbbell Lying Rear Lateral Raisedumbbell · isolation
- Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Pressdumbbell · compound
- Dumbbell One-Arm Upright Rowdumbbell · compound
- Dumbbell Shoulder Pressdumbbell · compound
- Face Pullcable · compound
- Floor Pressbarbell · compound
- Floor Press with Chainsbarbell · compound
- Forward Drag with Pressother · compound
- Front Plate Raiseother · isolation
- Full Range-Of-Motion Lat Pulldowncable · compound
- Hang Cleanbarbell · compound
- Hang Clean - Below the Kneesbarbell · compound
- Heaving Snatch Balancebarbell · compound
- Incline Cable Flyecable · isolation
- Iron Crossdumbbell · compound
- Jerk Balancebarbell · compound
- Keg Loadother · compound
- Kettlebell Arnold Presskettlebells · compound
- Kettlebell Figure 8kettlebells
- Kettlebell Hang Cleankettlebells · compound
- Kettlebell Pass Between The Legskettlebells · compound
- Kettlebell Seated Presskettlebells · compound
- Kettlebell Seesaw Presskettlebells · compound
- Kettlebell Sumo High Pullkettlebells · compound
- Kettlebell Thrusterkettlebells · compound
- Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up (Lunge style)kettlebells · compound
- Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up (Squat style)kettlebells · compound
- Kettlebell Windmillkettlebells · compound
- Kipping Muscle Upother · compound
- Landmine Linear Jammerbarbell · compound
- Leg-Over Floor Presskettlebells · compound
- Log Liftother · compound
- Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extensiondumbbell · isolation
- Lying One-Arm Lateral Raisedumbbell · isolation
- Lying Rear Delt Raisedumbbell · isolation
- Muscle Snatchbarbell · compound
- Muscle Upother · compound
- Neck Pressbarbell · compound
- One Arm Floor Pressbarbell · compound
- One-Arm Kettlebell Cleankettlebells · compound
- One-Arm Kettlebell Clean and Jerkkettlebells · compound
- One-Arm Kettlebell Jerkkettlebells · compound
- One-Arm Kettlebell Military Press To The Sidekettlebells · compound
- One-Arm Kettlebell Para Presskettlebells · compound
- One-Arm Kettlebell Push Presskettlebells · compound
- One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerkkettlebells · compound
- One-Arm Kettlebell Swingskettlebells · compound
- One-Arm Open Palm Kettlebell Cleankettlebells · compound
- Pin Pressesbarbell · compound
- Power Cleanbarbell · compound
- Power Snatch from Blocksbarbell · compound
- Power Stairsother · compound
- Push Press - Behind the Neckbarbell · compound
- Push-Ups - Close Triceps Positionbody only · compound
- Push-Ups With Feet On An Exercise Ballexercise ball · compound
- Rack Deliverybarbell · compound
- Reverse Band Bench Pressbarbell · compound
- Reverse Flyes With External Rotationdumbbell · isolation
- Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rowsbarbell · compound
- Reverse Triceps Bench Pressbarbell · compound
- Ring Dipsother · compound
- Rocky Pull-Ups/Pulldownsother · compound
- Rope Climbother · compound
- Seated Barbell Military Pressbarbell · compound
- Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raisedumbbell · isolation
- See-Saw Press (Alternating Side Press)dumbbell · compound
- Side To Side Chinsother · compound
- Single-Arm Linear Jammerbarbell · compound
- Single-Arm Push-Upbody only · compound
- Smith Machine Hang Power Cleanmachine · compound
- Snatchbarbell · compound
- Snatch Balancebarbell · compound
- Snatch Shrugbarbell · compound
- Split Cleanbarbell · compound
- Split Jerkbarbell · compound
- Standing Barbell Press Behind Neckbarbell · compound
- Standing Dumbbell Straight-Arm Front Delt Raise Above Headdumbbell · isolation
- Standing Front Barbell Raise Over Headbarbell · isolation
- Standing Low-Pulley One-Arm Triceps Extensioncable · isolation
- Standing Palms-In Dumbbell Pressdumbbell · compound
- Straight-Arm Dumbbell Pulloverdumbbell · compound
- Suspended Falloutother · isolation
- Tate Pressdumbbell · isolation
- Tire Flipother · compound
- Two-Arm Kettlebell Cleankettlebells · compound
- Two-Arm Kettlebell Jerkkettlebells · compound
- Two-Arm Kettlebell Military Presskettlebells · compound
- Upright Cable Rowcable · compound
- V-Bar Pulldowncable · compound
- Weighted Bench Dipother · compound
- Wide-Grip Barbell Bench Pressbarbell · compound
- Wide-Grip Decline Barbell Bench Pressbarbell · compound
- Wide-Grip Decline Barbell Pulloverbarbell · compound
- Wide-Grip Pulldown Behind The Neckcable · compound
- Wide-Grip Rear Pull-Upbody only · compound
Advanced (26)
Complex or highly loaded movements for experienced lifters.
- Barbell Ab Rollout - On Kneesbarbell · compound
- Behind Head Chest Stretchother · isolation
- Bench Press with Chainsbarbell · compound
- Bent Presskettlebells · compound
- Circus Bellother · compound
- Clean and Jerkbarbell · compound
- Double Kettlebell Snatchkettlebells · compound
- Handstand Push-Upsbody only · compound
- Hang Snatchbarbell · compound
- Hang Snatch - Below Kneesbarbell · compound
- Kettlebell Pistol Squatkettlebells · compound
- One-Arm Kettlebell Snatchkettlebells · compound
- One-Arm Kettlebell Split Snatchkettlebells · compound
- One-Arm Overhead Kettlebell Squatskettlebells · compound
- Open Palm Kettlebell Cleankettlebells · compound
- Overhead Squatbarbell · compound
- Plyo Kettlebell Pushupskettlebells · compound
- Power Jerkbarbell · compound
- Power Snatchbarbell · compound
- Press Sit-Upbarbell · compound
- Push Pressbarbell · compound
- Seated Bicepsbody only · isolation
- Seated Front Deltoidbody only
- Snatch from Blocksbarbell · compound
- Split Snatchbarbell · compound
- Squat Jerkbarbell · compound
Nationwide muscle groups with similar catalog scale
Two Free Exercise DB peer sets for Shoulders, each excluding this muscle so the neighborhoods are attribute-based, not self-containment (the exercise lists above stay the within-group path).
Similar tagged inventory
Nearest other muscles by primary+secondary tagged records (335 here).
Similar primary-muscle count
Nearest other muscles by exercises where this muscle is the primary field (127 here).