The goal for each exercise session is to stimulate as much muscle fibers as possible. Thus, the way you place your exercises during your training session has an impact on performance. This is because some exercises demand a lot more effort than others. Given this, you want to place the exercises that require more effort in the beginning and the ones that require less effort at the end.
Exercise Order
1. Complex/ Skill
Complex movements that require skill need a great amount of energy and a lot of neuromuscular coordination. Therefore, it is best to place them at the start when your energy storage has not been used yet. An example of a complex exercise would be Squats on a Bosu ball as you need to balance while maintaining perfect form of a squat.
2. Compound
Compound exercises use more than one joint and large muscle groups. Given this, it's best to do compound exercises earlier in your workout to obtain the best training effect from your large muscle groups. The deadlift is the epitome of compound exercises as it works your quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, calves, trapezius, lower back, abs and obliques simultaneously. Other examples of compound exercises include squats, push ups and pull ups. Keep in mind that you should place free weight compound exercises before machine compound exercises because they are more intense.
3. Isolation/ Large muscle
Isolation exercises focus on one joint only and one major muscle per exercise. Large muscles in the upper body include pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi and deltoids. Whereas quadriceps and gluteus maximus are large muscles in the lower body. An example of an isolation exercise of a large muscle would be front raises.
4. Isolation/ Small muscle
Isolation exercises focus on one joint only and one major muscle per exercise. Small muscles in the upper body include triceps brachii and biceps brachii. Whereas the calves is a small muscle in the lower body. An example of an isolation exercise would be bicep curls.
5. Accessory/ Core
Training your core is usually kept last because it requires the least effort. Another reason it is trained last is because your core plays a large role during your workout to stabalize you during compound exercises such as deadlifts and squats. Training it last allows it to do it's job as a fixator before you exhaust it.
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