Exercise names list: every gym and home exercise, in 3D

An exercise names list is only useful if you know what each name actually looks like in motion. This library covers 189 gym and home exercises, and every single one comes with a free 3D demonstration, so instead of guessing from a photo you can watch the full rep, rotate the view, and see which muscles light up as the athlete moves.

How to use the filters

Use the filter bar above the grid to narrow the list to exercises you can actually do right now. Filter by where (gym, home or both) to separate barbell and machine work from bodyweight and dumbbell moves; by muscle to build a session around chest, back, legs or another group; by equipment to match what you own — dumbbells, a resistance band, a pull-up bar, or none at all; and by level to keep beginner exercises separate from advanced ones while you are still learning. The search box also matches other names for an exercise, so searching "bench press" or "flat bench" finds the same barbell bench press page.

What each exercise page shows

Open any card and you get the 3D coach with a tempo line, the primary and secondary muscles worked (highlighted on the body), the exercise's level and equipment, sets and reps for strength, muscle and endurance goals, step-by-step setup and execution, common mistakes with fixes, easier and harder variations, and the workout plans that use it. This is deliberately more than a name and a picture — it is everything you need to add the movement to your own routine correctly the first time.

Gym exercises for beginners

If you are new to a gym, do not try to learn all 189 exercises at once. Start with a small set of compound movements that train several muscles per rep: a squat pattern (back squat or leg press), a horizontal push (barbell bench press or push-up), a horizontal or vertical pull (seated cable row or lat pulldown), a hip hinge (Romanian deadlift), and an overhead press (dumbbell shoulder press). These five patterns cover most of what a beginner full-body routine needs; the Beginner Full-Body Gym Workout is built around exactly this idea, and the gym for beginners guide explains gym etiquette and how to structure your first weeks.

Exercises for training at home

Filter by "home" or "no equipment" to see the bodyweight side of the library — push-up variations, squats, lunges, planks, glute bridges and mobility work that need no equipment at all, plus dumbbell and band exercises if you have a small home setup. These are not lesser substitutes: with the right rep ranges and progression, home exercises build real strength and conditioning, and they make up the entire 30-Day Home Workout Plan. For a full equipment-by-equipment breakdown, see exercises by equipment.

Finding exercises for a specific goal

The library also covers common goal-based searches: exercises for weight loss lean on higher-rep compound and cardio-style moves like burpees, kettlebell swings and mountain climbers; exercises to strengthen the lower back include bird dog, back extension and glute bridge, which build the muscles that support the spine rather than loading it directly; and exercises for knee pain generally favour controlled, joint-friendly options such as leg extension, wall sit and step-up over deep, ballistic movements. If you have an existing injury or ongoing pain rather than normal training soreness, check with a doctor or physiotherapist before choosing exercises, especially for the back, knee or shoulder.

From a single exercise to a full plan

Once you know which exercises fit your goal and equipment, you rarely need to plan a week by hand. Every exercise page lists the workout plans that already use it, or you can go straight to the plan builder and get a complete weekly routine built from this same library, matched to your days, level and equipment.

Reading the level and equipment tags

Every card shows a small plate icon and a level — beginner, intermediate or advanced — next to the equipment it needs. Level is based on how much coordination, balance or joint control the movement demands, not how tired it makes you: a bodyweight pistol squat is rated advanced because of the balance and mobility it requires, even though it uses no external load, while a leg press is beginner-friendly because the machine controls the bar path for you. When you are unsure whether an exercise suits you yet, pick the easier variation listed on its page and work up to the harder one over a few weeks rather than starting at the top.

Exercise names and their other names

Fitness terminology is not fully standardised: a "bent-over row" and a "barbell row" are the same exercise, a "chin-up" and a "supinated pull-up" are the same exercise with a different grip name attached, and regional English varies too — what is called a "press-up" in the UK is a push-up almost everywhere else. Each exercise page lists its other common names, so if you searched for a name and it is not on this list yet, try the search box first; it matches those alternate names, not only the primary one.