Comparison of Categories, Equipment, and Muscles in Exercise Cards

Analysis of Categories and Primary Muscles in Exercise Cards

The documentation of exercise cards allows for a comparison of category classifications and the association with primary muscles listed for each movement.

A first comparison concerns exercises related to the abdomen. The card for Wipers (gambe tese) is placed solely in the 'Addome' category and lists 'Retto addominale' and 'Ileopsoas' as primary muscles. The Allungamento a gamba tesa singola shares the exact same primary muscles ('Retto addominale' and 'Ileopsoas'), but associates three distinct categories: 'Anche e glutei', 'Gambe', and 'Addome'. The Sit-up janda, which is also recorded under the 'Addome' category, lists 'Retto addominale' and 'Obliquo esterno'.

Regarding the 'Anche e glutei' category, several combinations of primary muscles can be observed:

• The Frog pump a corpo libero associates the 'Anche e glutei' category with the muscles 'Grande gluteo' and 'Adduttore lungo'.
• The Stacco rumeno con bilanciere falls under 'Anche e glutei' and lists 'Ischiocrurali' and 'Grande gluteo'.
• The Balance board (variante 2) and the Donkey kick base incrociato share the same category ('Anche e glutei') and the same primary muscles, specifically 'Grande gluteo' and 'Medio gluteo'.
• The Squat pliometrico con croci belongs to the 'Anche e glutei' category but reports 'Grande gluteo' and 'Quadricipite femorale'.

In the remaining categories, further specifications are found:

• The card for Preacher curl a un braccio in piedi ai cavi belongs to the 'Braccia' category and specifies a single primary muscle, 'Bicipite brachiale'.
• The entry for Torsione con piegamento in avanti e presa della punta del piede is classified under 'Allungamento' and indicates three primary muscles: 'Ischiocrurali', 'Gran dorsale (Latissimus dorsi)', and 'Gastrocnemio'.

Comparison of Required Equipment Across Cards

The equipment specified in the cards ranges from bodyweight movements to the use of specialized machinery or weights.

A series of entries shares the equipment listing 'Nessun attrezzo (corpo libero)' combined with 'Tappetino da ginnastica (opzionale)':

• Wipers (gambe tese)
• Allungamento a gamba tesa singola
• Frog pump a corpo libero
• Croci a terra da sdraiato ('Petto' category, primary muscles 'Gran pettorale' and 'Dentato anteriore')
• Torsione con piegamento in avanti e presa della punta del piede
• Balance board (variante 2)
• Squat pliometrico con croci
• Donkey kick base incrociato
• Sit-up janda

In contrast to these bodyweight exercises, other cards require specific hardware:

• The card for Hammer press su panca inclinata con kettlebell, falling under the 'Petto' category with primary muscles 'Gran pettorale (parte sternale)' and 'Deltoide anteriore', lists 'Kettlebell' as required equipment.
• The Stacco rumeno con bilanciere specifies three items: 'Bilanciere', 'Dischi', and 'Fermadischi'.
• The Preacher curl a un braccio in piedi ai cavi requires 'Macchina a cavi con carrucola' and 'Impugnatura adeguata'.

Comparing the two cards from the 'Petto' category, while Croci a terra da sdraiato lists 'Nessun attrezzo (corpo libero)' and 'Tappetino da ginnastica (opzionale)', Hammer press su panca inclinata con kettlebell explicitly lists 'Kettlebell', while also differing in the primary muscles specified.