Exercise order

Exercise order refers to the order in which exercises are performed in a resistance training session.

In general, the primary or compound multi-joint lifts are placed first. These are the lifts during which the most weight will be lifted, taxing large amounts of musculature. They are the lifts that are often used as gauges of a player’s strength. The squat, bench press, and deadlift are common examples.

These are followed by accessory exercises or exercises that still use multiple joints but are less taxing systemically than the primary or compound lifts e.g. dumbbell row, chest press, and the leg press.

Finally, isolation or single joint type exercises should be programmed. These are exercises that focus on a single muscle or joint action e.g. bicep curl and calf raise. This exercise order is logical. If players were to complete the isolation and accessory exercises before the primary lift, they would be fatigued and not be able to lift as much or as effectively in the primary lifts.

Another approach is to determine the order by the complexity of the exercises. Here the most technically demanding exercise is placed at the start of the session when the player is fresh, and fatigue is not a factor. For example, Olympic lifts or their derivatives are technically complex exercises and so would occur towards the start of the training session. The player can then complete these technically demanding lifts while still being mentally and physically fresh. High velocity or explosive lifts are also commonly placed towards the start of a training session. This is again based around fatigue. If these exercises were to be placed later in the training session, then fatigue build up from the preceding exercises would affect a player’s ability to perform explosively. A general guide to exercise order is shown in Table 4 below.

Table 4. Exercise Order