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Exercises API

The Exercises API provides access to a comprehensive list of over 3000 exercises targeting every major muscle group.

Available endpoints:

  • /v1/exercises - Search for exercises by name, type, muscle group, and difficulty
  • /v1/allexercises - Get a comprehensive list of exercises that target a specific muscle group
(4.4)

From 4,832 users

1,400+

Applications using this API

API Status

Online - All Systems Operational

API Response Times

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/v1/exercises GET

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/exercises

Returns up to 5 exercises that satisfy the given parameters.

Parameters

  • name  optional

    Name of exercise. This value can be partial (e.g. press will match Dumbbell Bench Press).

  • type  optional

    Exercise type. Possible values are: cardio, olympic_weightlifting, plyometrics, powerlifting, strength, stretching, strongman.

  • muscle  optional

    Muscle group targeted by the exercise. Possible values are:

  • difficulty  optional

    Difficulty level of the exercise. Possible values are: beginner, intermediate, expert.

  • equipments  optional

    Equipment required for the exercise. Multiple equipments can be specified using comma separation (e.g. dumbbell,flat bench). This value can be partial (e.g. dumbbell will match exercises using dumbbells).

  • offset  optional premium

    Number of results to offset for pagination. Default is 0.

Headers

  • X-Api-Key  required

    API Key associated with your account.

Response

A JSON array of objects, each containing the following fields, or an error if the request is unsuccessful.

  • name

    Name of the exercise.

  • type

    Exercise type (for example strength, cardio).

  • muscle

    Primary muscle group targeted by the exercise.

  • difficulty

    Difficulty level of the exercise (beginner, intermediate, or expert).

  • instructions

    Text instructions describing how to perform the exercise.

  • equipments

    Array of equipment names required for the exercise.

  • safety_info

    Additional safety guidance and cues for performing the exercise safely.

Sample Request Live Demo!

name
type
muscle
difficulty
equipments
offset premium

Try our APIs in the API playground

Sign up for a free API key to get started — no credit card required.

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/exercises?muscle=biceps

Headers

X-Api-KeyLog in or sign up to get your API Key

Sample Response

JSON
[
    {
      name:"Incline Hammer Curls",
      type:"strength",
      muscle:"biceps",
      difficulty:"beginner",
      instructions:"Seat yourself on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand. You should pressed firmly against he back with your feet together. Allow the dumbbells to hang straight down at your side, holding them with a neutral grip. This will be your starting position. Initiate the movement by flexing at the elbow, attempting to keep the upper arm stationary. Continue to the top of the movement and pause, then slowly return to the start position.",
      equipments:[
        "dumbbells",
        "incline bench",
        "..."
      ],
      safety_info:"Keep your back firmly against the incline bench with feet together; keep upper arms stationary and move only at the elbows. Lift and lower under control without swinging, use a manageable weight, and avoid locking the elbows or arching your back."
    },
    {
      name:"Wide-grip barbell curl",
      type:"strength",
      muscle:"biceps",
      difficulty:"beginner",
      instructions:"Stand up with your torso upright while holding a barbell at the wide outer handle. The palm of your hands should be facing forward. The elbows should be close to the torso. This will be your starting position. While holding the upper arms stationary, curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. Tip: Only the forearms should move. Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second and squeeze the biceps hard. Slowly begin to bring the bar back to starting position as your breathe in. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions. Variations: You can also perform this movement using an E-Z bar or E-Z attachment hooked to a low pulley. This variation seems to really provide a good contraction at the top of the movement. You may also use the closer grip for variety purposes.",
      equipments:[
        "barbell",
        "..."
      ],
      safety_info:"Stand upright with elbows kept close to the torso and upper arms stationary; only the forearms should move. Control the weight, especially on the descent, and coordinate breathing (exhale while curling, inhale while lowering)."
    },
    "..."
]

Code Examples

1 2 curl -X GET "https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/exercises?muscle=biceps" \ -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

If your programming language is not listed in the Code Example above, you can still make API calls by using a HTTP request library written in your programming language and following the above documentation.

/v1/allexercises GET

Business, Professional, or annual subscriptions only

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/allexercises

Returns a comprehensive list of exercises that target a specific muscle group.

Parameters

  • muscle  required

    Muscle group targeted by the exercise. Possible values are:

  • limit  optional

    Maximum number of results to return. Default is 10, maximum is 100.

  • offset  optional

    Number of results to offset for pagination. Default is 0.

Headers

  • X-Api-Key  required

    API Key associated with your account.

Response

A JSON array of strings, or an error if the request is unsuccessful.

Sample Request Live Demo!

muscle
limit
offset

Try our APIs in the API playground

Sign up for a free API key to get started — no credit card required.

https://api.api-ninjas.com/v1/allexercises?muscle=biceps&limit=10

Headers

X-Api-KeyLog in or sign up to get your API Key

Sample Response

JSON
[
    "Incline Hammer Curls",
    "Wide-grip barbell curl",
    "EZ-bar spider curl",
    "Hammer Curls",
    "..."
]

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes, but you must have a premium subscription. Commercial use of the Exercises API is not permitted on the free tier. See our pricing page to choose a plan that fits your needs.
  • Sign up for a free account to instantly get your API key, then pass it in the X-Api-Key header on every request. The documentation above includes ready-to-run examples in cURL, Python, JavaScript, Node.js, and more.
  • Your API requests will simply be denied once you hit your monthly quota — you will never be charged more than the plan you signed up for. To increase your quota, you can upgrade your plan any time on our pricing page.
  • The API responds with a standard HTTP status code and a JSON error message describing the problem. See our error codes reference for the full list of codes and how to resolve each one, or contact support if you need help.
  • The API provides over 3000 exercises targeting every major muscle group, with the muscle parameter accepting values such as biceps, chest, quadriceps, glutes, lats, and abdominals, and the type parameter spanning cardio, strength, powerlifting, olympic_weightlifting, plyometrics, stretching, and strongman. Pair it with the Calories Burned API to build complete workout and fitness tools, or browse the full API catalog.
  • Send a GET request to /v1/exercises with any combination of the optional name, type, muscle, difficulty (beginner, intermediate, or expert), and equipments parameters; the name and equipments values support partial matches and multiple comma-separated equipment items. The endpoint returns up to 5 matching exercises, and you can page through more using the premium offset parameter detailed on the pricing page.
  • Each object in the JSON array includes name, type, muscle, difficulty, step-by-step instructions, an equipments array of required gear, and safety_info with safety cues, or an error if the request fails. You can use these instructions and safety details alongside the Nutrition API to power workout and wellness apps.
  • The /v1/allexercises endpoint returns a comprehensive JSON array of exercise names for a required muscle group, with optional limit (default 10, max 100) and offset parameters for pagination. It is available only on Business, Professional, or annual subscriptions, which you can register for and review on the pricing page.