Cataloged Exercises by Primary Muscle Group
PlainExercise shows the distribution of cataloged exercises across primary muscle groups in the Free Exercise Database, updated as new data is published.
Research period:
Research question
How are cataloged strength-training exercises distributed across primary muscle groups in the open Free Exercise Database, and how does the distribution reflect the historical emphasis of the strength-training literature?
Methodology
This ranking is generated fresh from the PlainExercise dataset each time the page is requested. Records are ranked from highest to lowest and the top 10 are shown. Every number on this page comes directly from the current dataset, no figure is hardcoded, and the ranking updates automatically whenever the underlying open datasets (Free Exercise DB) are refreshed.
See the methodology page for the complete data process, source vintage, and column lineage.
Cataloged Exercises by Primary Muscle Group
Updated automatically as new data is published
The ranked top 10
Every row below reflects the current dataset. Refresh the page after new data is published to see the latest values.
| # | Primary muscle group | Cataloged exercises |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | quadriceps | 148 |
| 2 | shoulders | 127 |
| 3 | abdominals | 93 |
| 4 | chest | 84 |
| 5 | hamstrings | 79 |
| 6 | triceps | 71 |
| 7 | biceps | 53 |
| 8 | lats | 38 |
| 9 | middle back | 34 |
| 10 | calves | 28 |
Source: Free Exercise DB, Free Exercise Database, JSON catalogue of cataloged strength-training exercises. Values are refreshed automatically whenever the source publishes updated data.
Findings
Top entity in the ranking
The top-ranked record in this dataset is quadriceps, with a value of 148 on the Cataloged exercises column. The full top-10 set is rendered in the table above. Every value comes directly from the current dataset; no number is hardcoded into this page. When the Free Exercise DB publishes a revision, the ranking and the prose around it update automatically.
Distribution shape
The gap between the top-ranked record (148) and the 10th-ranked record (28) characterizes how concentrated the top of the distribution is. Where the top value is many multiples of the median value of the visible set, the population is highly concentrated, a small number of entities accumulate the bulk of the measured quantity. Where the top and bottom of the visible set are close together, the distribution is relatively flat across the top end. The full distribution beyond this top-10 cut is summarized in the aggregate context section below and explored in the linked entity profiles.
Aggregate context
Across the full population behind this ranking, here are the summary statistics: how many records exist in total, the sum of the ranking metric across all qualifying records, and the mean per-record value. The methodology page documents the exact filter applied (records with null or zero values on the ranking metric are excluded). This aggregate row is computed from the same dataset that powers the ranking above.
Source provenance
The records in this ranking originate from Free Exercise DB, specifically the Free Exercise Database, JSON catalogue of cataloged strength-training exercises. PlainExercise ingests the source vintage published by the agency and keeps this page in sync with it, there is no static export carrying stale numbers, and an updated dataset is reflected here within hours of publication. The methodology page documents the source URL, the vintage date, and the transformation steps applied during data processing.
Why this ranking matters
Rankings like this one let a reader scan a population quickly and identify outliers, concentrations, and patterns that warrant deeper investigation. The detail pages linked from each entity in the table above give the full per-entity context: time-series history where available, related metrics from adjacent tables, and links onward to the underlying source records. The methodology page explains how an entity earns inclusion in the dataset and how the ranking column is computed at the source.
What this analysis cannot tell us
Counts reflect the Free Exercise Database open catalogue, not the universe of all known strength-training exercises. The catalogue emphasizes mainstream gym-based exercises (barbell, dumbbell, cable, machine, bodyweight); it under-represents rehabilitation, gymnastics, Olympic-style movement variations, and specialty-equipment training. Primary-muscle assignment in the catalogue uses the original dataset's classification, many exercises recruit multiple muscle groups, and reasonable practitioners disagree about which is 'primary' (e.g., bench press is classified as chest-primary here but trains triceps and anterior deltoid significantly). Counts should not be read as recommendations, having more cataloged biceps-isolation exercises than glute-isolation exercises reflects the historical emphasis of the bodybuilding-oriented exercise literature, not the relative importance of those muscle groups in a balanced program.
Secondary cut from the same source
Beginner-level cataloged exercises by primary muscle
Sources
- Free Exercise Database (Yuhonas / GitHub) - https://github.com/yuhonas/free-exercise-db
- Original dataset metadata - https://github.com/yuhonas/free-exercise-db/blob/main/README.md
Every figure on PlainExercise is compiled from public exercise-science and biomechanics references, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on the Free Exercise DB, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.