🌎 Best Exercises by Muscle Group: Top 5 Most Popular Picks from BurnFit Data

How BurnFit Workout Data Reveals the Best Exercises by Muscle Group

When working out at the gym, everyone has exercises they naturally gravitate toward.

Whether it’s the leg press for legs, lat pulldowns for back, or chest press for chest, everyone’s favorite routine looks a bit different.

So, which exercises do actual gym-goers rely on the most?

We analyzed real workout data from BurnFit users over the past three months to identify the most popular moves. Whether you’re looking for the best exercises by muscle group to build your routine or simply curious about real gym trends, here are the Top 5 most popular exercises across six major muscle groups: Chest, Back, Legs, Shoulders, Arms, and Abs.

1. Chest: A Balance of Free Weights & Machines

Bench Press claimed the #1 spot as the ultimate classic. Alongside this gold standard, user-favorite machines and different bench press variations rounded out the top ranks.

Rank	Exercise	Share within Muscle Group (%)
🥇 1	Bench Press	15.65%
🥈 2	Chest Press Machine	9.57%
🥉 3	Pec Deck Fly Machine	7.83%
4	Incline Dumbbell Bench Press	7.69%
5	Smith Machine Incline Bench Press	5.56%

💡 Key Takeaway: Beyond the standard barbell bench press, users clearly enjoy incorporating various equipment—like dumbbells and Smith machines—to target the chest from different angles.

2. Back: Machine Exercises for Width and Thickness

Lat Pulldown took 1st place as a popular choice for developing back width. Cable and machine row exercises, which build back thickness and definition, also secured high spots.

Rank	Exercise	Share within Muscle Group (%)
🥇 1	Lat Pull down	16.53%
🥈 2	Seated Cable Row	10.48%
🥉 3	Pull-up	8.77%
4	Cable Arm Pulldown	5.85%
5	Seated Row Machine	4.89%

💡 Key Takeaway: The Pull-up, a bodyweight staple, held strong at 3rd place, while machine and cable movements were widely preferred for delivering constant tension to the lats.

랫풀다운 자세와 동작을 보여주는 랫풀다운 운동 방법 GIF — 🥇 **1st Place — Lat Pull down**

3. Legs: Building a Solid Lower Body Base

Leg Extension took the top spot, edging out the iconic squat. It was followed by Barbell Back Squat and Leg Press—exercises that allow users to focus heavily on leg power and volume.

Rank	Exercise	Share within Muscle Group (%)
🥇 1	Leg Extension	11.20%
🥈 2	Barbell Back Squat	9.49%
🥉 3	Leg Press	9.36%
4	Leg Curl	7.52%
5	Hip Abduction Machine	6.64%

💡 Key Takeaway: Because the lower body covers a large surface area with sub-categorized target muscles, popularity was more broadly distributed across a wide range of leg exercises.

4. Shoulders: Creating a Wide, 3D Frame

Dumbbell Lateral Raise claimed 1st place, accounting for 18.17% of all shoulder exercises logged—one of the highest shares across all muscle groups. This reflects users’ strong preference for building shoulder width.

Rank	Exercise	Share within Muscle Group (%)
🥇 1	Dumbbell Lateral Raise	18.17%
🥈 2	Shoulder Press Machine	10.22%
🥉 3	Rear Delt Fly Machine	8.98%
4	Face Pull	5.96%
5	Overhead Press	5.31%

💡 Key Takeaway: Heavy compound presses remain popular for overall shoulder development, while isolation movements targeting the side and rear delts—such as Lateral Raises, Rear Delt Flys, and Face Pulls—also ranked highly.

🥇 **1st Place — Dumbbell Lateral Raise**

5. Arms: Volume and Definition

Cable Push Down took 1st place in arms by delivering intense triceps isolation at 12.52%. Biceps exercises using dumbbells and EZ-bars filled out the rest of the top ranks.

Rank	Exercise	Share within Muscle Group (%)
🥇 1	Cable Push Down	12.52%
🥈 2	Dumbbell Hammer Curl	7.02%
🥉 3	Incline Dumbbell Curl	6.87%
4	Dumbbell Curl	6.22%
5	EZ-Bar Curl	5.58%

💡 Key Takeaway: For triceps, Cable Push Down was the clear favorite for maintaining continuous tension. For biceps, dumbbell variations like Hammer Curls and Incline Curls were preferred for targeted isolation and arm thickness.

6. Abs: Direct Core Tension & Lower Abdominal Focus

Ab Crunch Machine took 1st place with 14.58%, offering an easy way to add load for high-intensity core work. Leg Raise variations also ranked highly, making up two of the top five spots.

Rank	Exercise	Share within Muscle Group (%)
🥇 1	Ab Crunch Machine	14.58%
🥈 2	Hanging Leg Raise	10.23%
🥉 3	Leg Raise	8.20%
4	Crunch	7.44%
5	Ab Rollout	6.85%

💡 Key Takeaway: Many users preferred machines over bodyweight crunches to increase resistance. Leg raise variations were also heavily used to target the lower abdominal region.

🔍 Gym Workout Trends We Found in BurnFit Data

Looking at the data across all six muscle groups reveals several clear patterns in BurnFit user preferences.

Strong Preference for Machines & Cables
- Machines or cables took 1st place in 4 out of 6 muscle groups (Back, Legs, Arms, Abs). This highlights a strong preference for machine- and cable-based exercises that provide controlled, targeted resistance.
Different Distribution by Body Part
- Chest, Back, and Shoulders showed a higher concentration among the top-ranked exercises, whereas Leg exercises had a much broader distribution.
A Focus on Detail & Definition
- Isolation exercises targeting the side and rear delts, biceps, and abdominal muscles are also commonly incorporated into routines for more targeted muscle development.

🔥 Build Your Workout Routine with BurnFit

Analyzing real BurnFit user data revealed the top exercises by muscle group.

Use these popular exercises as a starting point, then build a combination that fits your own goals, preferences, and training style.

If you’re wondering which exercises to pick for your next session, explore the Top 5 exercises by muscle group in BurnFit and add them directly to your routine. Tracking your progress consistently can help you build a lasting workout habit.