German Phrase
Welche Muskeln trainiert diese Übung?
Meaning
The sentence asks which specific muscles are being worked by a particular exercise. It is a neutral, informational question commonly used in gyms, sports classes, or when reviewing a workout plan.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to know the target muscle groups of an exercise – for example, when a trainer demonstrates a new movement, when you read a workout video, or when you compare two similar exercises.
✦Grammar Breakdown
WelcheMuskelntrainiertdieseÜbung?
Welche (interrogative determiner)
‘Welche’ is used to ask about a plural noun and matches the case of the noun it modifies; here it is accusative because ‘Muskeln’ is the direct object.
Muskeln (plural noun, accusative)
‘Muskeln’ is the plural of ‘der Muskel’; in this sentence it is the accusative object of the verb ‘trainieren’.
trainiert (verb 3rd person singular)
‘trainiert’ is the present‑tense form of ‘trainieren’ for ‘er/sie/es’; it agrees with the singular subject ‘diese Übung’.
diese (demonstrative determiner)
‘diese’ points to a specific noun; it is nominative feminine singular to agree with ‘Übung’.
Übung (noun, nominative subject)
‘Übung’ is a feminine noun; in this question it is the subject of the verb ‘trainiert’.
Word order in yes‑no/wh‑questions
German places the finite verb in second position; the question word occupies the first slot, pushing the verb to position two.
🗨In Conversation
Welche Muskeln trainiert diese Übung?
Which muscles does this exercise train?
Sie trainiert hauptsächlich die Brust‑ und Schultermuskulatur, aber auch die Trizeps.
It mainly trains the chest and shoulder muscles, and also the triceps.
✕Common Mistakes
Was Muskeln trainiert diese Übung?
‘Was’ asks for a thing, not a plural noun; use ‘welche’ when asking about multiple muscles.
Welche Muskeln trainiert dieser Übung?
The demonstrative must match gender and case; ‘diese’ is correct for nominative feminine ‘Übung’, but learners sometimes use ‘dieser’ or ‘dieses’.
Welche Muskeln trainieren diese Übung?
In a question the verb must be conjugated to match the subject; ‘trainieren’ (infinitive) is wrong here.
↔Alternatives
Welche Muskelgruppen werden bei dieser Übung beansprucht?
Which muscle groups are worked by this exercise?
Auf welche Muskeln wirkt diese Übung?
Which muscles does this exercise affect?
Was trainiert man mit dieser Übung?
What do you train with this exercise?
Cultural Tip
In German fitness culture it’s common to talk about ‘Muskelgruppen’ (muscle groups) rather than individual muscles. When speaking to a trainer you’ll usually use the formal ‘Sie’, but with workout buddies the informal ‘du’ is fine. Also, Germans often appreciate precise language – naming the exact muscles (e.g., ‘Brustmuskulatur’, ‘Bizeps’) shows you’re serious about training.